‘I am here today not as a Prime Minister, but as a Hindu,’ declares Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom, concluding his speech with the words ‘Jai Siya Ram’ at a ‘Ram Katha’ event.
On Tuesday, August 15, 2012, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that his Hindu faith guides him in all aspects of his life and gives him the strength to perform his best as Prime Minister of Britain.
During a visit to the current Ram Katha at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister emphasized the significance of the event, which coincided with India’s Independence Day.
“Bapu, I am here today not as Prime Minister, but as a Hindu,” Mr. Sunak stated as he began his address to the audience.
“Faith is very personal to me.” It directs every element of my existence. Being Prime Minister is a tremendous privilege, but it is not a simple task. There are difficult decisions to make and difficult choices to face, and our religion gives me the confidence, strength, and resilience to do my best for our country,” he remarked.
As the first British Indian Chancellor in 2020, the 43-year-old leader had a historic moment as he lighted Diwali diyas outside No. 11 Downing Street.
The British prime minister stated a giant golden figure of Lord Hanuman as the backdrop of Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha reminded him of how a “golden Ganesha sits gleefully on my desk at 10 Downing Street.”
“It’s a constant reminder to me about paying attention and reflecting on issues before acting,” he explained.
Mr. Sunak, who recently returned from a family vacation in the United States with his wife Akshata Murty and daughters Krishna and Anoushka, expressed pride in being British and Hindu as he recalled his boyhood years in Southampton when he frequently attended his local temple with family.
“I have fond memories of visiting our local mandir in Southampton as a child.” “My parents and family would plan havans, aartis, and pujas, and then I would help serve lunch and prasad with my brother, sister, and cousins,” Sunak explained.
“Our values, and what I see Bapu do every day of his life, are selfless service, devotion, and faith.” But arguably the most important virtue is an obligation, or sewa as we know it. “These Hindu values are very much British values,” he said.
Mr. Sunak spoke about his family’s immigration past, noting that many of those assembled at the Katha had parents and grandparents who arrived in the UK with little or nothing from India and East Africa and worked their way up to provide his generation the best opportunity ever.
“Today, I’d want to thank the generation who fought tirelessly for our education and our future… “It is now up to our generation to give back,” he remarked.
Influence of Ramayan, Bhagavad Gita
“I depart here today remembering not only the ‘Ramayana’ mentioned by Bapu, but also the ‘Hanuman Chalisa ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and.” And Lord Ram will always be an inspiration figure for me to tackle life’s obstacles with courage, govern with humility, and labour selflessly,” Mr. Sunak concluded.
The British Prime Minister ended his speech with the words ‘Jai Siya Ram’ and proceeded on stage to partake in an aarti, with Morari Bapu asking Lord Hanuman’s blessings, seeking “boundless strength” to aid his service to the people of Britain.
Earlier in the day, the spiritual leader was joined by British Indian noble Lord Dolar Popat at the University of Cambridge for a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate India’s Independence Day.
Sunak’s gesture of distributing food as prasad to 50-100 volunteers before the ceremony was praised by the spiritual leader, who emphasized its harmony with basic Indian customs.
Unlike the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Morari Bapu gave him a dedicated Shivlinga from the Somnath temple as a holy offering from the Jyotirlinga Ram Katha Yatra.
His nine-day Ram Katha at Cambridge University began on August 12 with a welcome hosted by Sonita Alleyne, the 41st Master, and the first woman to manage Jesus College since its founding in 1496, and will conclude this weekend.
