History has come full circle. Or at least, that’s what many felt last week, when investment banker-turned-politician Rishi Sunak, who formerly served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (2020-22) in the UK government, was appointed Britain’s 57th Prime Minister, inheriting a country buried neck-deep in a post-Brexit crisis. The third prime minister this year to take on the daunting task of keeping the economy afloat, Sunak may have a lot on his shoulders, but his new role has brought some cheer to Indians world over, who are finding it tough to not gloat about an Indian origin leader helming affairs in the UK.

And that’s reason enough, feels London-based journalist, historian and author Shrabani Basu. “Given the history of British colonialism, this [development] is hugely significant. India celebrated 75 years of Independence this year.  Independence and Partition are still living memories for Indians. There was a time when you could be sent to jail and tortured for protesting and calling for India’s independence. They were banned from entering white-only clubs in their own country,” she says over a  telephone call.