Rama Krishna Sangem
A billion plus eyes shined in disbelief as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy descended from a special flight at Palam Airport in New Delhi on September 8, Friday afternoon. The couple were accorded a grand welcome as they arrived to participate in two day G-20 summit on Saturday and Sunday. This is the first visit of Rishi and Akshata to India after they moved into 10 Downing Street, London.
Of course, a galaxy of world leaders including US President Joe Biden, Chinese prime minister Li Qiang and dozens of heads of governments will be arriving in New Delhi to join the summit. But, Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy are very special to 1.42 billion Indians. For many this is a day to remember – as an Indian origin and Hindu PM of the UK came to India to participate in an official visit.
This is unthinkable – to those who still remember the words of World War II era British PM Winston Churchill – who famously derided Indians as incapable of running the country after they get Independence from the two centuries of British rule. Yes, India endured close to a century rule of East India company and another 90 years direct rule of British Monarch.
No one at the time would have thought one day an Indian origin, practicing Hindu would become PM of the UK. Rishi Sunak became that – the UK PM on October 25, 2022.
Humble, hard working Rishi& Akshata
What stands the couple – Rishi Sunak and Akshta Murthy – apart from the rest is their simplicity, humbleness and hard working nature. Rishi was the son of an immigrant Indian family born in the UK while Akshata is the daughter of our famous software giant Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy. The PM couple has two daughters – Krishna Sunak and Anoushka Sunak.
43 year oldRishi’s rise in British politics is a symbol of the country’s multiculturalism. Rishi was born on May 12, 1980 in Southampton to parents of Indian descent – Yashvir Sunak and Usha Sunak. Rishi studied economics and philosophy and later worked with Goldman Sachs, before entering politics through Conservative party. He proved to be an efficient minister – Chancellor of Exchequer in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet.
Akshata Murthy, born in Hubli, Karnataka, bon April 25,1980 is a very successful businesswoman and richer than her husband Rishi Sunak, for her shares in Infosys. She is still an Indian citizen. She studied economics and French in California, the US. She worked in may firms in the UK before marrying Rishi Sunak in 2009. There are some controversies on her financial holdings, but she emerged unscathed them all.
They symbolize the Gen Next of India – hard working and ambitious Indian origin people spread across the globe. And committed to their own home lands growth and development. The 2 days Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy stay in India will be closely watched and cherished by many in the country.
