Global leadership is in flux and recently, Humza Yousaf became the First Minister of Scotland, at a very young age of 37. He is of Pakistani descent and an alumnus of the University of Glasgow. In tandem with Rishi Sunak, the leadership of England and Scotland represents a stellar Indo-Pak duo, setting a new benchmark in diverse leadership.
To briefly recap, Lord Macaulay, Law Member of the Viceroy’s Supreme Council, passed some significant verdicts in his ‘Minute of Indian Education’, published in 1835. English was made an official language of secondary education, superseding Sanskrit and Arabic, and he incubated the culture of training Indians to both learn and teach in English. So, when less than 200 years after his thinking got published, both England and Scotland have South Asians as leaders, his vision must be deemed successful.
The 2021 census clearly establishes that 18% of the citizenry is not White British, on a base of almost sixty million. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis contribute around 4 million of this number, which is a considerable sum. When you add their academic and ambition acumen to the equation, it becomes even more noteworthy.
Over the decades, the South Asian community has worked very hard to establish their credentials in Great Britain and the results have already been very prominent in matters of education, culture and business. While there have been prominent political stalwarts as well, this level of leadership is both exceptional and inspirational. For young South Asians seeking a mainstream value proposition, while truthfully retaining their ethnic identities.
We believe that this change is genuinely bottom up and impacts every section of society, and not just anecdotal. This is the true essence of multiculturalism, an all-encompassing state of mind that is inclusive by design.
We wish Humza Yousaf well in all his endeavours which lead to Scotland growing magnificently during his tenure. Multicultural Britain is well and truly on the way to fulfilling its truest potential and we are proud to partner in this journey in our small way through the power & reach of Media.
