Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian Envoy YK Sinha Believes There Is Some Distrust In India-UK Relations

There is some distrust in the relationship between India and UK, especially UK’s view on terrorism in South Asia, said outgoing Indian high commissioner to Britain, YK Sinha.

However, he added that overall the relationship between the two countries has signs of modern partnership.


According to a report published by the Hindustan Times, Sinha who scheduled to retire from Indian Foreign Service (IFS) after serving the country for 37 years in India and abroad added that the UK has suffered from terrorism and it should revisit its view on terrorism emanating from India’s neighbourhood.

Earlier, former British high commissioner to India Richard Stagg described the relation between two countries as being hit by lack of trust. However, Sinha said he would not move as far but opined that at present there is some lack of trust.

Known for his straight speeches, Sinha grabbed the attention in June last year in his ‘dose of realism’ address at a book launch programme where he stressed the need to address the issues which include allowing anti-Indian elements to function in the UK.

“There is much to be done. If you don’t recognise the problem of terrorism we face from our west, the epicentre of terrorism, there is not much that can be done. Allowing anti-India elements to flourish here in the name of democracy also will not do”, he said.

There are concerns over the angles through which Indians are viewed from the perspective of immigration besides perception in India that London is more supportive of Pakistan.

“Messaging is important. We don’t want the UK to suffer illegal immigrants but the figures mentioned are very doubtful. How far you want to go, five years, 10 years, or something like the Windrush generation? But visa should not be the defining issue”, Sinha said in an interview with Hindustan Times.

Sinha’s nearly 24-month long duration in the UK witnessed many key issues, including much interaction on the issue of Indian fugitives based in London, visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in April, and others.

Meanwhile, India is among some of the major economies the UK hopes to have free agreements in the post Brexit era with a push to exports from India.

Before his arrival in London, he was the high commissioner of India to Sri Lanka from June 2013 to December 2016. Prior to the same, he was additional secretary and headed the important Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in India’s ministry of external affairs for almost four years.

More For You

JLR-Tata-Getty

JLR had initially planned to manufacture more than 70,000 electric vehicles at the facility. (Photo: Getty Images)

JLR halts plan to build EVs at Tata’s India plant: Report

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) has put on hold plans to manufacture electric vehicles at Tata Motors’ upcoming £775 million factory in southern India, according to a news report.

The decision was influenced by challenges in balancing price and quality for locally sourced EV components, three of the sources said. They added that slowing demand for electric vehicles was also a factor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

Sarju Khushal

Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

A MAN who supplied controlled drugs on a ‘wholesale’ scale across Leicestershire has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Sarju Khushal, 30, was arrested in 2022 after investigations revealed he had been transporting drugs from Lancashire into the area.

Khushal, formerly of Hazeldene Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to several charges, including the supply and conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced at Leicester crown court last Thursday (6).

Keep ReadingShow less
Tamil Nadu Education

Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people

Getty images

Education or imposition? Tamil Nadu battles India government over Hindi in schools

A war of words has erupted between Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin and the federal government over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends a three-language formula in schools, with two of the three being native to India. Stalin has voiced strong objections, claiming that the policy could lead to the imposition of Hindi, a northern Indian language, in non-Hindi-speaking states like Tamil Nadu. The issue has reignited old tensions between southern states and the central government over the privileging of Hindi.

Historical resistance to Hindi

Tamil Nadu has a deep-rooted history of opposing the promotion of Hindi, dating back to the 1960s. Protests broke out in the state when the federal government attempted to make Hindi the sole official language, leading to a compromise that allowed the continued use of English. Language in Tamil Nadu is not merely a means of communication but a powerful symbol of cultural identity. Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people. As a result, any perceived threat to its prominence is met with strong resistance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

Thangam Debbonaire

Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

FORMER Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire has taken her seat in the House of Lords after being awarded a life peerage last month.

The 58-year-old, who represented Bristol West for Labour from 2015 until July’s general election, wore the traditional scarlet robes during her introductory ceremony. She will now be known as Baroness Debbonaire of De Beauvoir Town in the London Borough of Hackney.

Keep ReadingShow less