Rishi Sunak becoming the first Hindu, Indian-origin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom might have got many Indians back home excited and celebrating it as a matter of national pride. But a section of critics of Indian democracy rejected such celebrations as misplaced and used the occasion to highlight how unlike UK, India can never allow its minorities to rise to the top. In fact, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti went to the extent of saying Indian laws are discriminatory that impedes the growth of minorities in positions of power.
She tweeted: “Proud moment that UK will have its first Indian origin PM. While all of India rightly celebrates, it would serve us well to remember that while UK has accepted an ethnic minority member as its PM, we are still shackled by divisive & discriminatory laws like NRC & CAA.”
Proud moment that UK will have its first Indian origin PM. While all of India rightly celebrates, it would serve us well to remember that while UK has accepted an ethnic minority member as its PM, we are still shackled by divisive & discriminatory laws like NRC & CAA.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 24, 2022
Seems like celebrated IAS officer Shah Faesal doesn’t agree with her. In a strongly worded tweet Faesal wrote, “It’s possible only in India that a Muslim youngster from Kashmir can go on to top the Indian Civil Service exam, rise to top echelons of the government, then fall apart with the government and still be rescued and taken back by the same government.”
Faesal said that Rishi Sunak’s appointment might be a surprise for our neighbours where the Constitution bars non-Muslims from top posts in the Government, but Indian democracy has never discriminated ethnic and religious minorities from the rest.
“As equal citizens, Indian Muslims enjoy freedoms that are unthinkable in any other so called Islamic country. My own life-story is about a journey, shoulder to shoulder, with each fellow citizen of this nation of 1.3 Billion people, where I have felt owned, respected, encouraged and at times pampered at every step of the way. That’s India. From Maulana Azad to Dr. Manmohan Singh and Dr. Zakir Hussain to HE President Droupadi Murmu, India has always been THE land of equal opportunity and the road to the top is open to all. Won’t be wrong if I say I have been to the mountain top and seen it for myself,” he tweeted.
It's possible only in India that a Muslim youngster from Kashmir can go on to top the Indian Civil Service exam, rise to top echelons of the government, then fall apart with the government and still be rescued and taken back by the same government. Rishi Saunak's appointment 1/4
— Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) October 25, 2022
The IAS officer was detained for over a year after Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated. Faesal was reinstated in the service in April this year. He had earlier resigned but the resignation was not accepted by the government.