Rishi Sunak and Caesar's Wife
Second time lucky. Rishi Sunak became the British PM so suddenly that the Indian media didn’t get any chance to publish reams on what his chances were. His father-in-law, Narayan Murthy’s statement is what triggered this blog. Murthy said: “We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom.” Put the other way, don’t expect Sunak to be any more India friendly than any other British PM. In fact, Sunak may have to be extra careful that he doesn’t get seen to be favourable to the country of his ancestors, esp. since his wife is still an Indian citizen (in case you wondered, it’s for tax saving reasons – by not becoming a British citizen, her income from Infosys dividends remains tax-free in Britain – in 2022 alone, that amounts to ₹126.61 crore ($15.3 million): “Caeser’s wife must be above suspicion.” That line reminds me of the tale behind it from Mary Beard’s SPQR . In 62 BC, there was a scandal in Rome. At a solemn, all-women, religious festival h...