LONDON The subway doors slide open at Southall station. The name of the area is written on the signs of the station in English and Punjabi. Punjabi is spoken in India and Pakistan – and here in West London, for example.
Near the station on the street you are walking Ravinder Kaur Sidhu. It’s time to ask the question we’re here to answer: what do the residents of Southall’s Asian background think of Britain’s new Prime Minister of Rishi Sunak?
– All Indians are very proud of Sunak. He is Britain’s first Indian Prime Minister, says Kaur Sidhu.
He is on his way to a nearby Sikh temple, and invites us without further ado.
It is said that many people there have an opinion about Sunak to share.
“Even the people like him”
The area of Southall is sometimes called Little India or Little Punjab (you switch to another service). Here, about three-quarters of the residents are of South Asian background, that is, their ancestry is in the former British colonies of India and Pakistan, among others.
Prime Minister Sunak, 42, is the child of immigrants of Indian background, born in England. The parents, who lived in East Africa, moved to England in the 1960s.
People of Indian origin are the largest ethnic minority group in England and Wales. There are (you switch to another service) almost 1.9 million, or slightly more than three percent of the population.
In Southall, most have roots in the Punjab region, where Sikhism is a common religion. London’s largest Sikh temple is packed with people on Sundays, who after prayers and blessings go to enjoy lunch in the spacious dining room.
When asked, many here express their very positive opinion of the prime minister.
Avidly wiping the tables Jagjit Singh Ghau says Sunak’s underlying meaning, but above all, abilities and actions are decisive.
– I believe that Sunak will do well. Even the people like him. As long as he improves the financial situation.
Singh Ghau laments the rising cost of everyday life, which is influenced by high inflation and the Russian war of aggression. As the finance minister of the corona era, Sunak seemed to Singh Ghau to be a competence.
– The party chose a person who has the ability to fix these problems. But he doesn’t have a magic wand either, things take time.
The Conservative Party put Sunak in charge of the country after Liz Truss had to resign after just six tumultuous weeks. Now Sunak has been in power much longer than his predecessor: a whole four months.
The position of Prime Minister has been windy in Britain since the Brexit vote. When Sunak came to power, he was the country’s fifth prime minister in six years.
46 percent of Britons do not believe that Sunak will be prime minister at the end of this year, it turns out of the Ipsos research institute (you switch to another service) from the survey. Only 32 percent believe Sunak will survive this year, and less than 30 percent support him.
Just one critical opinion
On Broadway, the main street through Southall, 39 years old Zam Abdel Wahid says that Sunak’s ethnic background is not relevant to him. In many ways, he praises Sunaki’s financial skills.
In the same breath, however, Abdel Vahid talks about the pride experienced by the community.
– This is a proud moment for everyone here. In India too, Sunak’s selection was the subject of great celebration.
On the main street To Sherma the woman introducing herself says that Sunak’s prime ministership is a big deal for people of Asian descent in Britain. Despite that, he does not consider the Sunak family, who lived in East Africa for a long time, to be actually Asian.
– Sunak is very handsome, smart and good for this country. He is a really good politician, person and person, Sherma praises.
Only one person who spoke to in Southall, a man in his twenties, utters a critical opinion about Sunak. However, he does not want to give his name or be photographed.
– Sunak is not good for South Asians, the man says.
He elaborates that, in his opinion, Sunak defends the cause of Hindus, but not Sikhs or Muslims. Sunak is a staunch Hindu himself, and the man has been repeating lately the accusation that was on the surface (you switch to another service) About Sunak’s overly understanding attitude towards India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi towards.
Not a typical child of immigrants
Especially for the older generation of immigrants, Sunak’s prime ministership is a significant milestone. Finally there is someone in power who at least seems to represent them.
However, racism has not disappeared from Britain, says a senior researcher Meera Sabaratnam from SOAS College, University of London.
– Although Sunak may seem like a step forward, the mistreatment and discrimination that people have experienced in the past still continues, he says in an interview with .
He reminds us that Britain created its connection to the world through its empire.
– The ideas stemming from it about the order of values between races and societies have always been present. Some of these attitudes live on in Britain today, says Sabaratnam.
Yet for years it seemed only a matter of time before a diverse Britain would have its first prime minister of Asian descent, write (you switch to another service) Director of the British Future think tank Sunder Katwala.
Forty-year-old Katwala writes about the generational difference in attitude towards Sunak. For his father, Sunak is a huge step forward, but the teenage children were stunned to learn that Britain has never had an Asian prime minister before.
– They wondered why it took us so long, Katwala writes.
Still, Rishi Sunak does not represent the typical descendant of immigrants in Britain. He comes from a middle-class family, has studied at a private school, worked in the financial industry and married into an Indian billionaire family.
– For young people struggling with their own economic status, Sunak’s prosperity affects their images more than the issue of race, researcher Sabaratnam says.
The judgment of the people is yet to come
The diversification of politics does not necessarily lead to an improvement in the status of minorities or immigrants. In recent years, in addition to Sunak, there have been numerous other non-white politicians in high positions in Britain.
– Many of them have enacted very discriminatory laws, says Sabaratnam.
For example, according to the researcher, the government’s strict line towards asylum seekers and migrants could have prevented some of the parents of today’s decision-makers from entering Britain.
– So it is difficult to see a change of policy in politics. Rather [monimuotoisempi edustavuus] has provided a cover from which to make increasingly hostile politics.
On the financial side, Sunak’s conservative government faces tough adjustment measures.
According to the researcher, the British, who have no personal experience of racism, downplay the importance of the prime minister’s ethnic background and emphasize his economic skills. Sunak himself does not greatly emphasize his own ethnic background.
– Sunak doesn’t often appear as anything other than one of the men in suits, says Sabaratnam.
Ravinder Kaur Sidhu, who invited Southall to the Sikh temple, is happy with Sunak’s politics. He praises the extra energy subsidies he received from the state this winter, distributed due to the rising cost of living.
He also sees Sunaki’s personal prosperity as a positive thing.
– As prime minister, he is not a money man. He’s sunk rich and doesn’t need more money. Her goal is to serve the country and the citizens, says Kaur Sidhu.
Researcher Sabaratnam reminds that Sunak was brought to power by the MPs of the conservative party only after the term of Truss, who was elected by a large majority of the party members, ended short.
The support of Britain’s first prime minister of Asian background among the people – or even among the members of his own party – has not yet been measured in the elections.
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