The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s grandfather reportedly helped Kenyan freedom fighters organise a revolt against brutal British rule in the 1950s. As per revelations made by the Daily Mail, Rishi Sunak’s grandfather Ramdas Sunak was involved in training Kenya’s Mau Mau fighters in guerrilla techniques.
Ramdas Sunak was able to carry out pro-freedom activities while being on the British payroll. He first worked as a clerk and then as a senior administrator in the finance and justice departments, as reported by the UK’s media outlet.
The Daily Mail report also claimed that Ramdas was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India’s nationalist group associated with the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ramdas Sunak’s involvement in Kenya’s freedom movement
Ramdas reportedly went to Kenya’s Nairobi from India’s Punjab as a young man and later participated in the country’s freedom movement through a childhood friend named Makhan Singh. The latter also hailed from Punjab, who became a prominent trade unionist in Kenya and a supporter of the Mau Mau fighters.
After independence, Ramdas decided to move to Britain after facing racism in Kenya, where his two sons were already studying at the university. As per the report, he later settled in Southampton, where he helped to establish the Vedic Society Hindu Temple.
Who were Mau Mau fighters?
The Mau Mau fighters were a group of Kenyan nationalists who played a significant role in the struggle for independence from British colonial rule in the 1950s. The term “Mau Mau” originally referred to the Land and Freedom Army, which was an armed movement composed primarily of members of the Kikuyu ethnic group, the largest ethnic group in Kenya.
The Mau Mau uprising, also known as the Mau Mau rebellion or emergency, began in 1952 as a response to the injustices and inequalities imposed by British colonial policies, particularly the loss of land and political rights for the Kenyan people. The Mau Mau fighters aimed to reclaim their ancestral lands, oppose British domination and establish an independent Kenya.
British rule marked by brutality and human rights abuses
The Mau Mau fighters employed various guerrilla tactics, including ambushes, raids, and acts of sabotage, to challenge British rule. They targeted both colonial officials and loyalist Africans who supported the British administration. The movement gained momentum and support from various segments of the Kenyan population, and its influence spread beyond the Kikuyu community.
The British authorities responded with a heavy-handed approach, declaring a state of emergency in 1952 and launching military operations against the Mau Mau fighters. The conflict was marked by brutality and human rights abuses from both sides, with the British employing harsh measures, such as mass detentions, torture, and executions.
Source: Wiow News
