Not Only Rishi Sunak- The New PM Of The UK, These 6 are Also Indian-Origin World Leaders
Apart from Rishi Sunak, here are 6 major Indian-origin world leaders
Rishi Sunak scripts history, and becomes 1st Prime Minister of the colour of Britain. He is also the first Indian-origin PM to hold the command of such a powerful nation.
Here is all you want to know about the newly elected British Prime Minister.
Rishi Sunak served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK government for over two years. Before resigning due to Johnson’s approach being ‘Fundamentally too different’, Sunak has been in the limelight for both good reasons and bad.
Who is Rishi Sunak?
Born into an Indian family in Southampton and educated at Stanford and Oxford, Rishi Sunak has been an MP since 2015. He first served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and then as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Sunak was very popular with the British public for most of his tenure. Therefore, he was an easy choice for Johnson’s successor.
However, by early 2022, his charm began to wane after his policies failed to resolve the cost-of-living crisis despite ambitious promises.
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The Akshata Murthy Controversy
Sunak’s rating took a further beating when in April 2022, it was revealed that his wife Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy held a non-domicile status in the UK. This allows her to evade tax on foreign earnings. This did not reflect well on the finance minister.
Major Indian-origin world leaders
Despite all the criticism, Rishi finally made it to the PM’s post.
However, From the United States to Portugal, Indian-origin politicians are currently serving in crucial portfolios in countries all around the world.
Here are 6 major Indian-origin world leaders:
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris is currently serving as the Vice President of the United States of America in the Joe Biden-led government. The politician who belongs to the Democratic Party became the first female vice president in the history of the country. Previously, Kamala Harris, who has roots in Tamil Nadu, served as California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017.
Pravind Jugnauth
Pravind Kumar Jugnauth was elected the prime minister of Mauritius after holding several significant positions in the cabinet. The politician was born into an Indian family in La Caverne.
It was an honour to meet with United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres and to hold discussions with him on a wide range of issues, including our Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. pic.twitter.com/ML0Y5TjmbA
— Pravind Kumar Jugnauth (@KumarJugnauth) September 24, 2022
Antonio Costa
Antonio Costa is the current prime minister of Portugal and is serving his third tenure after winning in 2022. The politician is half Portuguese and half Goan.
Só para o próximo ano, prevemos um aumento de 5,1% da massa salarial da Função Pública, entre atualizações salariais e valorização de carreiras, no conjunto da Administração Pública (carreiras gerais e todas as carreiras especiais). pic.twitter.com/3xjZpsg0zX
— António Costa (@antoniocostapm) October 24, 2022
Prithvirajsing Roopun:
Prithvirajsing Roopun GCSK, also known as Pradeep Singh Roopun, is a Mauritian politician who has been the country’s seventh president since 2019.
Roopun was born into an Indian Arya Samaji Hindu family.
It was an honour to meet with United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres and to hold discussions with him on a wide range of issues, including our Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. pic.twitter.com/ML0Y5TjmbA
— Pravind Kumar Jugnauth (@KumarJugnauth) September 24, 2022
Mohamed Irfaan Ali:
On August 2, 2020, Mohamed Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s ninth executive President. He was born in Leonora, West Coast Demarara, into a Muslim Indo-Guyanese family.
Ali is Guyana’s first Muslim president and America’s second Muslim head of state after Noor Hassanali.
🇬🇾 Congratulations to The Honourable @DrMohamedIrfaa1 who was declared President of #Guyana on Sunday.
💻 We would also like to say a big thank you to him for agreeing to speak at the Virtual Island Summit 2020.
➡️ Register for FREE at https://t.co/IpkHJ6hYug#Sustainability pic.twitter.com/8THYJl1KxP
— Island Innovation 🏝 (@IslandsInnovate) August 3, 2020
Chan Santokhi:
Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi is a Surinamese politician and former police officer who has served as the country’s ninth president since 2020. Santokhi was Suriname’s sole presidential candidate after winning the 2020 elections. Santokhi was elected president by acclamation on July 13, in an uncontested election.
He was born in 1959 in Lelydorp, Suriname, to an Indo-Surinamese Hindu family.
4/ Chandrikapersad ‘Chan’ Santokhi President Suriname 🇸🇷
Grandparents born in Bihar 🇮🇳
Taken to Suriname as indentured labourers
Parents born in Suriname
Father worked at the harbour in Paramaribo
Mother shop assistant
Chan born in Lelydorp Surinam pic.twitter.com/CmlimZBsej— Nisha Khot (She/Her) (@Nishaobgyn) October 26, 2022
The effect of these Indian-origin world leaders may not come to us directly, but in future, they’ll be a major support for making foreign policies.