Rishi Sunak dominated the headlines as he was anointed as the Finance Minister of the UK, propelling him to the second most important post in the Boris Johnson cabinet. A strong proponent of Brexit, he is all set to lead the United Kingdom through one of the trickiest phases that the country has ever faced. Sunak might be a British citizen but he is a proud Hindu and hasn’t shied away from proudly showing his culture despite the media glare.
Sunak, 39 is a former Goldman Sachs banker and has been viewed as a rising star in the Conservative Party, with the Conservative Home website anointing him “the next prime minister” earlier in the year. In July, he was made chief secretary to the Treasury — the second most important job in the finance ministry. Sunak during his oath as an MP – didn’t shy away from embracing his heritage as he took an oath by placing his hands on the Bhagavad Gita.
His decision to take oath under the name of Bhagavad Gita had resulted in protests from a section of British citizens and hence when a British newspaper asked him a question about this, Sunak replied with a great amount of pride that “I am now a citizen of Britain. But my religion is Hindu. My religious and cultural heritage is Indian. I proudly say that I am a Hindu and my identity is also a Hindu.”
An ardent Brexiteer, Sunak has frequently been sent out by the Conservative government to do the morning round of TV and radio interviews – a clear sign that he’s seen by 10 Downing Street as a solid performer. Importantly, he even deputized for Johnson in televised leadership debates during the election campaign.
He attended Winchester College, one of the country’s most prestigious private schools, before studying at Oxford and Stanford Universities. After his graduation, Sunak worked for Goldman Sachs and continued to work for a couple of more firms where he went to hone his skills and enhance his reputation.
Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Indian billionaire, Infosys Ltd. co-founder Narayana Murthy but his rise to the upper echelons of the British government has solely been because of his talent and hard work.
As the Finance Minister, the MP from Richmond, Yorkshire, is all set to occupy 11, Downing Street, which is next to the Prime Minister’s Office i.e. 10, Downing Street. It is heartening to see that Sunak continues to embrace his heritage despite the protests from a certain section of Britishers.