Renowned author and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy has spoken of her pride in her son-in-law Rishi Sunak, a British citizen with “good Indian cultural values” learned from his parents’ upbringing in the UK.
Sudha Murthy attended the annual Diwali celebrations of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London on Saturday evening as the guest of honor along with Rishi Sunak and his daughter Akshata Murthy.
The parents of former British Indian Prime Minister, Usha and Yashvir Sunak, were also in the audience as Bhavan UK students performed a variety of Indian classical music and dance forms.
“I always believe that when you are abroad, your parents should have two things: a good education, which in turn gives you wings and you can fly and settle anywhere; second, great culture. , your origin which is Indian origin or the roots you have you can reach Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan with your parents,” Sudha Murthy said while delivering her keynote address.
“I would like to congratulate Ushaji, my cousin and a good friend of mine, for giving her son Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister, a great way to identify with the culture, making him a proud British citizen as well as a Good Indian cultural values also developed,” he said.
The philanthropist appealed to the British Indian community to support Bhavan UK’s cultural activities “mentally, physically and financially”.
The staunch supporter said, “You should send your children here to understand Indian culture because when you get older you go back to your roots…Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan addresses that gap, so you should take them We will have to help in every way possible to survive.” of the cultural center over the years.
Indian High Commissioner to Britain, Vikram Doraiswami reflected on Murthy’s writing which inspires readers to be true to themselves because our “origin story matters” as he went on to explore the pan-Indian message of Diwali. .
“The story of Krishna is related to Diwali in the South, just as the story of ‘Ramayana’ and Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya from Lanka is related to the Diwali story of the North and the story of Kali Puja is related to the Diwali story of the North. Diwali in the East ,” he said.
“Diwali also connects to the Sikh tradition, Jain and Buddhist traditions. It tells us that light also means that there is no such thing as a single certainty because in light you recognize the diversity of the human condition, the diversity of everything. We live together. So, in a world where we spend our time fighting about certainties, it’s really a good idea to look at Diwali as an opportunity to reflect on how many things are different in the light of The building is visible. UK President Subhanu Saxena and Executive Director Dr. MN Nandakumar began the program with Vedic chants and highlighted the many achievements of the cultural center over the years as a center of excellence in Indian art, music, dance, yoga and languages. Over 120 classes in 23 different subject areas.
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy presented mementoes to the team behind many of the centre’s activities since the 1970s.
Its students and teachers showcased their Kuchipudi, Kathak and Bharatnatyam skills at the annual Diwali festival, as they appealed for donations from the British Indian community to expand their summer school and scholarship offering.
NRI industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul, one of the centre’s many supporters, said, “Bhavan UK is a great organization promoting Indian culture and deserves our full support.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
