Rishi Sunak on why his mother wanted him to speak without an accent

London:

Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister of Indian origin, said he experienced “racism” as a child and that his parents sent him to extra drama classes so that he could “speak correctly” without an accent and ” adapt”.

In 2022, after Sunak was unopposed as the new leader of the ruling Conservative Party on Diwali, he was appointed by King Charles III as the first Indian Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, thus writing history.

The 43-year-old former chancellor of the exchequer is a devout Hindu and the youngest British Prime Minister in 210 years. He is also Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister of Indian descent.

Speaking to ITV News, Sunak shared how his parents were so determined that he integrate and speak without an accent that he was sent to extra drama lessons.

“You realize you’re different,” he said.

“It’s hard not to, right, obviously I experienced racism as a child.” Sunak also recalled the pain of hearing slurs directed at his younger siblings, adding that racism “stings” and “hurts at a level that no other Things don’t.”

He felt like what he went through wouldn’t happen to his children now.

Speaking about his Indian heritage, Sunak said his parents wanted him and his siblings to “fit in and not be a hindrance in any way, shape or form”.

He added that his mother paid special attention to the way her children spoke. “One of the things my mom was obsessed with was that we spoke without an accent and that we spoke properly,” he said. “So she was keen for us to try and do some extra drama.” “I don’t think any form of racism is acceptable,” he continued, adding that when he spoke to world leaders, “most people They all look to the UK as an example of how to correct this problem.”

Sunak admitted he never dreamed there would one day be an ethnic minority prime minister “because you don’t have such role models.” [It] It hasn’t happened yet. “

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)