Prakriti Deb, Pune
While attending the ongoing ‘Ram Katha’ at the University of Cambridge on Indian Independence Day, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian origin, stressed the value of spiritual faith and its role in directing his activities. Sunak began his speech by saying, “Bapu, I am here today not as a Prime Minister, but as a Hindu.”
Morari Bapu, a spiritual guide, is hosting the nine-day Ram Katha event at Cambridge University’s Jesus College. It ends next weekend.
Sunak explained how his personal religious convictions shape his decisions and give him the fortitude and perseverance needed for his demanding line of work. He recalled his Diwali diya lighting event at 10 Downing Street. He also made comparisons between the golden statue of Lord Hanuman shown during the occasion and the golden Ganesha that sat on his desk.
Sunak reflected on his background, attending temple rites with his family in Southampton, and felt delight in being both British and Hindu. He praised the selfless service, devotion, and duty, that he saw Morari Bapu embodying. “Our values and what I see Bapu does each day of his life are the values of selfless service, devotion, and keeping the faith. But perhaps the greatest value is duty, or sewa, as we know it. These Hindu values are very much shared British values,” he said.
He acknowledged earlier generations for their efforts and emphasized the value of paying back by mentioning the immigration experience of his own family. He stated, “Today, I want to say thank you to the generation who worked day and night for our education and our today… Now is the time for our generation to give back.”
The British Prime Minister said that the teachings of Lord Rama from the ‘Ramayana’, along with the ‘Bhagavad Gita’, and the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ all served as sources of inspiration for him. He concluded his address with “Jai Siya Ram” and participated in an aarti alongside Morari Bapu.