Modi congratulates Sunak, conveys 'special Diwali' wishes to Indians, Indian-origin people in UK

The Roadmap 2030 for India-UK future relations was launched last year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the former British Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who on Monday won the contest to be the next occupant of the 10 Downing Street in London on Monday.

As Sunak is set to be the first British Prime Minister with ancestral roots in pre-Partition undivided India, Modi added to his congratulatory message for him a “Special Diwali” wish for all Indians and the Indian-origin people in the United Kingdom, referring to them as the “living bridge” between the two nations.

“Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030,” Modi posted on Twitter.

“Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership,” he added in his congratulatory message to his new counterpart in London.

Modi apparently sought to subtly send out a message to London, at a time when immigration from India came under renewed focus in the UK over the past few weeks.

A comment by Suella Braverman, who till recently served as British Home Secretary, on immigration from India to the UK earlier this month had cast a shadow over the relations between New Delhi and London, particularly the negotiations for a trade agreement between the two nations. She had expressed “concerns” and “reservations” over the possibility of the proposed trade agreement opening up doors for increased immigration from India to the UK.

Braverman, however, resigned as British Home Secretary last week, just a few days before Liz Truss announced her decision to quit the office of the Prime Minister after a brief stint of just 45 days at the 10 Downing Street.

Sunak is now set to succeed Truss. He too has been a vocal supporter of a trade deal between India and the UK, just like his two predecessors, Truss and Boris Johnson.

The negotiators of India and the UK already missed the Diwali (October 24) deadline to finalize the trade deal. The deadline was set by Modi and Johnson during a summit in New Delhi earlier this year.

While congratulating Sunak on Monday, Modi referred to the India-UK Roadmap 2030, which he and Johnson had agreed upon during a virtual summit in May 2021. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement had been included as a key milestone in the Roadmap 2030. It had referred to the 1.6 million strong Indian diaspora in the UK as the “living, thriving bridge” between the two countries.

The Roadmap 2030 had noted that people-to-people contact provided strength and durability to the bilateral partnership between India and the UK.

New Delhi has been demanding that the proposed trade agreement should lead to the UK liberalizing its visa regime to facilitate the migration of skilled professionals from India.

The India-UK comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) was signed in May 2021, in order to facilitate the legal movement of students and professionals, and combat illegal migration and organised immigration crime.

London’s opposition to data localisation requirements of India and its demand for New Delhi to allow companies based in the UK to bid for government contracts in India had also contributed to the impasse in the negotiations for the trade deal. What had also led to gridlock in negotiations is India’s insistence on greater market access in the UK for its companies offering services, particularly in the Information Technology and healthcare sectors.

New Delhi had made it clear that it could commit to lowering the tariff on whiskey exported to India only when London would accept its demand for concession for its services industry. The UK also demanded market access for its legal and accounting services companies in India.