Prime minister Keir Starmer has vowed that the Indian community will be at the “heart of government” under his leadership.
Speaking at a Diwali event he hosted at Downing Street on Tuesday (29), Starmer said: “You’re entitled to be here because this is our government of service, it’s your government of service, and you should treat this place as your place just as much as it’s ours.”
Having been warmly embraced in Diwali events across the country in previous years, and also seen first-hand the work places such as temples and community centres did to support people during the pandemic, Starmer said the Indian community will always be welcomed at Downing Street.
“It’s right that having welcomed me, you should know that you aren’t just welcome here, you’re necessary here at the heart of government,” he said.
“I said on the steps of Downing Street the day after the election, that we would be a government of service, and that means that we service all of our communities.”
The prime minister evoked the virtues of the festival of lights when reflecting on bringing communities together.
“The celebration of Diwali, a time of coming together, a time to fix our eyes on the light which triumphs over the darkness. And that is quite a profound thing to just reflect on because that is really important in the world today because there’s no doubt that we live in a more volatile world now than we have before,” he said.
“There seems to be a lot of darkness across the world and having that celebration of the light overcoming darkness is very, very important. It gives us hope and steadies us. It gives us joy alongside that hope that drives your seva, but also your hard work, your ambition, your aspiration and hope for a better future. And that’s the hope that drives this government too, hope for a better future.”
The evening saw the lighting of the lamp, prayers recited by Vishaka Dasi from Bhaktivedanta Manor and Hetal Patel from the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden.
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