May wants to rid Tories of the ‘nasty party’ tag
The induction of three Indian immigrants is a message to young voters who have little patience with the Labour
In April, it will be 50 years since the enigmatic Enoch Powell made his famous ‘rivers of blood’ speech in Wolverhampton, railing against mass migration from India and the Commonwealth. As his shadow looms large over Brexit-bound Britain – immigration and Euroscepticism were the twin pillars of his ideology – his fellow Conservative, Prime Minister Theresa May, did something last fortnight that he would scarcely have approved of: she inducted children of Indian immigrants into her ministerial team, Rishi Sunak, Suella Fernandes and Shailesh Vara. (Alok Sharma was already in).
Powellism is at the heart of the ongoing cut and thrust of Brexit politics, but May’s expansion of her team is part of her efforts to remove the perception that the Conservative party is seen by many as the ‘nasty party’. The party had earned the tag over decades; in the eyes of the Indian and nonwhite communities this was mainly due to its policies on immigration. The 1.5 millionstrong Indian diaspora has traditionally voted Labour, but assiduous wooing of the Indian vote by David Cameron since 2005 has won it dividends.
Claims of Indian voters now moving away from Labour in large numbers are exaggerated, but the fact is that the Conservative party has five Indian-origin MPS. In the 2017 election, Labour not only held on to its strongholds in constituencies dominated by the Indian/asian vote, but also increased its vote share and added two more Indian-origin MPS to its earlier group of five. But of greater significance has been the election of the Conservative party’s five Indian-origin MPS from seats that do not have large Indian/asian populations.
May’s ministerial expansion is symbolically significant for the message it sends to young, aspirational voters in the Indian community, who have less patience with Labour’s welfare and other policies. It also reflects a larger reality: that in spite of the challenges of terrorism, xenophobia and racism, Britain is increasingly becoming comfortable with its multicultural society.
It was May who appointed the first Indian-origin cabinet minister in British political history: Priti Patel. Her tenure as the international development secretary barely lasted six months. But her elevation to the high table of British politics and the recent appointment of Sunak, Fernandes, Vara and Sharma have already made wave: Political pundits in the mainstream British news media are already talking of them as future Conservative leaders, and even potential prime ministers. That may or may not materialise, but the talk itself is a sign of the distance Britain has travelled since the days of Powell. In human life, nothing is more important than the peace of mind. In daily moments of mundane living, you encounter situations that are depressing and elevating, calming and irritating. But life has to go on.
Equanimity of mind is important for leading a healthy, happy life. Mental peace is the prime thing. It forms the foundation of consistent growth and evolution. It is the bedrock of progress. It forms the key to happiness and good life. We all know well the