UNITED KINGDOM, October 26, 2022 (RNS, by Murali Balaji): As Rishi Sunak, the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, prepared to lead his country amid economic, political and social turmoil, he used the term “proud Hindu” to describe himself. That identity matters to millions, British and not, around the world. For some years now, “proud Hindu” would be understood in the West as referring to someone who endorses majoritarian politics in India. For decades, the idea of a proud Hindu ran counter to the shame felt by those of us born and raised in Western countries. Born and raised in the United States, I was well into my 30s before I could call myself a “proud Hindu.” Sunak’s use of the phrase finally makes a genuine connection with a religion that has existed for thousands of years and whose influence is felt across the globe.
There is more to Sunak’s Hindu pride, however. A few (but only a few) Western news outlets have taken note of Sunak’s religious identity, noting that he took the helm of the United Kingdom on Diwali, Hinduism’s festival of lights and one of its most important holidays. But the media has largely failed to grasp the significance of the ascent of a Hindu to the leadership of a country that for two centuries subjugated Hindus in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere. Besides demographics, Hindus have been shunned because the British colonizers strenuously codified a caricatured idea of Hinduism, and their scholars reimagined the religion based on their own prejudices. Even in the 75 years since India gained its independence from the British Empire, Hindus around the world, but particularly those of Indian descent, continue to struggle with identifying as Hindu, or the degree to which they claim their Hinduness. There’s a profound shame associated with practicing a religion that has been the subject of exotification, vilification and marginalization, outside of the few countries where Hindus are the majority.
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https://religionnews.com/2022/10/26/why-proud-hindu-rishi-sunaks-rise-to-british-prime-minister-is-a-big-deal/