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Several lakh people of Indian origin have settled outside India in other countries for several decades. Now those people not only do jobs or business in those countries but are also becoming a direct participant in the politics of those countries. Many of Indian origin have become prime ministers in countries outside India.
Here are the politicians of Indian origin who have contributed significantly to the politics of other countries outside India.
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- Mrs. Kamala Devi Harris – She is 49th vice president of the United States. His mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a Tamil Indian biologist who received her PhD in 1964 as a 19-year-old graduate student in nutrition and endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. Kamala’s father was Donald Harris, of Jamaican descent and a Stanford University Professor Emeritus of Economics, who moved from British Jamaica to the United States in 1961 for graduate studies at UC Berkeley.
- Mr. Rishi Sunak – He is is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. Rishi Sunak’s grandfather was born in undivided India, and is currently the son-in-law of India’s eminent industrialist Narayana Murthy.
- Mr. António Costa – He is 119th and current prime minister of Portugal since 26 November 2015. Costa’s family is originally from Goa state in India.
- Mr. Pravind Jugnauth – He is the Prime Minister of Mauritius. His family lived in the state of Bihar, India. Several decades ago, his descendants had gone to Mauritius to work and then settled there.
- Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan – He has been serving as the president of Seychelles since 26 October 2020. His ancestors were residents of Parsauni village of Barauli block of Gopalganj district of Bihar state, India.
- Mrs. Halimah Yacob – She has been serving as the eighth president of Singapore since 2017. His father moved from India to Singapore and worked there and married a Malay woman.
- Mr. Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi – He is the 9th president of Suriname, since 2020. His great-grandfather had settled in Suriname decades ago.
- Mr. Irfaan Ali – He is president of Guyana. Their ancestors migrated from India beginning in 1838 and then settled there.
- Mr. Bharrat Jagedo – He is Vice President of Guyana since 2020. His grandfather, Ram Jiyawan had immigrated to British Guiana from the village of Pure Thakurain in the Amethi district of the Awadh region of the United Provinces in British India (present-day state of Uttar Pradesh in India).
- Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum – He is the Fijian attorney general and the Minister for Economy. His ancestors had migrated from the Awadh region of India decades ago and settled in Fiji.
- Mrs. Rosy Akbar – Member of the Parliament of Fiji who is currently serving as the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation. Her ancestors had migrated from the Awadh region of India decades ago and settled in Fiji.
- Mr. Vivian Balakrishnan – He has been serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore since 2015.
- Ms. Bardish Chagger – She is a the Minister of Small Business and Tourism in Canada.
- Mr. Pravin Gordhan – He is Minister of Public Enterprises in South Africa Government since February 2018.
- Ms. Priyanca Radhakrishnan – She is Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector in New Zealand Government since 2020. Her great grandfather Dr C. R. Krishna Pillai, was associated with Left wing politics in India, and played an instrumental role in the formation the Kerala state.