Indians were glued to their television sets when Rishi Sunak became the first Indian to enter the 10 Downing Street as the UK Prime Minister. But what do the Brits think about their new Prime Minister? British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said that the current UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s heart and mind is fully British.
Ellis said in Hindi, “Zaroor wo bharatiya mool ke hain aur hindu bhi hain, ye dil aur dimaag puri tarah se British hai. Aaj kal mujhe bahut khushi hai ki mere desh modern United Kingdom mein ye dono sambhav hain (Even though he is an Indian and a Hindu, Sunak is British from heart and mind. I am very happy that this is possible in my country– modern day United Kingdom.)”
He also went ahead and said, “I am sure he is rooting for the English team.” The top British diplomat in India further mentioned that Sunak is on the top since he is a very capable man. Ellis was speaking to India Today Group’s Editorial Director (Publishing) Raj Chengappa during the India Today Conclave in Mumbai.
While talking about Sunak as the new UK PM, Ellis underscored that the British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly could not think of a world wherein “the UK thrived without India thriving”, while also stating both the countries share extraordinary relations in the realms of politics, academics as well as sports.
Rishi Sunak succeeded Liz Truss and became the Prime Minister of the UK in October. For those wondering what Sunak’s India connection is, his wife Akshata Murty is the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and philanthropist Sudha Murty.
Moving ahead from Sunak, Ellis also talked about the impending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries. He said, “The majority of the process is done. It has reached its final stage and this requires trust at both ends.” Commenting on India’s green goals, Ellis mentioned that the UK cannot solve global problems without India, adding it has a voice to reach a lot of countries.
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