The rising clout of Indian diaspora

The Indian diaspora is expanding and its impact on world politics, economics, and society is set to rise Their benefit is clear in "diaspora diplomacy", whereby they act as "bridge builders" between their home and adopted countries The Indian diaspora is a fully transferable political vote bank in addition to being a component of India's soft power The political influence of Indians at multilateral organisations like the United Nations is also increased by the large number of people of Indian descent who hold political posts in many different nations

The external affairs minister said Indian students are studying in more than 240 different nations After the announcement of the Graduate Route visa by the British government in 2019, international students can stay in the UK for at least two years after completing their degree According to reports, there is a huge positive net impact on the economy of the United Kingdom because of the immigration of students, including Indians International students contribute significantly to the UK; occasionally, they work part-time jobs ranging from low- to high-paying positions They also become a part of the UK's multi-cultural experiences as well as the society, which has clubs, communities, and they sometimes lead initiatives that boost the local economy According to data, India's economic gains from international students increased by 34% between the academic years 2018-19 and 2021-22, rising from £31 3 billion to £41 9 billion Furthermore, each group of 11 non-EU students contributes an incredible £1 million to the UK economy As per the reports, "The financial benefits of hosting international students far outweigh the costs, generating a net benefit to the UK economy of £37 4 billion "

However, there is a political discussion going on right now about possible visa limits for dependents of overseas students as well as possible reductions in their post-study work v i s a r i g h t s A c c o r d i n g t o s o u r c e s i n U K m e d i a , H o m e Secretary Suella Braverman is looking to crack down on overseas students bringing in dependents as it is seen as adding to growing migration figures According to the data from the Home Office, the UK issued 485,758 study visas to students last year, and they brought an additional 135,788 dependents with them It means that more than a fifth (22 per cent) of all study-related visas issued last year were to dependants This compares with 16,047 dependants who came with 135,788 students in 2019, making up only 6 per cent Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependents, increasing from 3,135 to 38,990 In 2022, there were almost 120,000 dependent visas granted to the top 5 nationalities (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka)

People coming from India are one of the biggest groups in the UK They have given the UK a sizable portion of their income in the form of taxes Recently, the Sunday Times Rich List 2023 was released to announce the top 350 richest people in the UK A total of 22 people of Indian descent make it on the rich list The Hinduja family of the Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group has topped the list for the second year in a row with a wealth of £35 billion Their fortune jumped by more than £6 billion, marking the largest fortune ever recorded by the Rich List in 35 editions

They also argued against the idea that Bin Laden would have chosen to hide in an urban area like Abbottabad, given his known preference for staying in rural communities near the Afghan border The officials suggested that if the ISI had been harbouring Bin Laden, he would have been kept in a more discreet and protected safe house They also proposed that the U S must have had an inside informant in the compound where Bin Laden was found

Pakistani ISI spies operating in the UK are well documented The Telegraph reported “Pakistani spies have been operating a front organisation in London to exert political p r e s s u r e o n t h e g o v e r n m e n t ” T h e G u a r d i a n n o t e d “Dissident Pakistani exiles in UK ‘ on hit list’; Critics of country’s military told by Met police of plots against them as security forces fear there may be an attack in Britain ”

In the same article, the Guardian noted, “Lyall Grant, also the UK’s former national security adviser, added that any evidence that officers from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the security arm of the military, were intimidating people in the UK would not be ignored “

And we know the ISI do not have friendly relations with the UK David Cameron as PM upset the ISI that their top man cancelled a planned UK trip, as reported by the Wall Street Journal

The Scottish Herald reported more UK-ISI problems when it noted a story about a disgraced British defence attaché in Islamabad “ army officer has been sent home from Islamabad in disgrace after being caught by MI6 in an "inappropriate relationship" with a Pakistani female intelligence agent ”

The honeytrap to catfish military men is not used by ISI on British alone This past month the story came out of how they used the same trick on an Indian DRDO scientist (not the first time)

As the UK Government’s Prevent Strategy report notes, “Recent open source research provides insight into the background of people convicted of Islamist terrorism-related offences over the past ten years The data indicates that most offences have been committed by men under the age of 30 Most were British Almost 25% had links to Pakistan ”

ISI’s connection to terrorism are well known President Bush stated so in 2008 when specifically naming the ISI in helping Taliban bomb the Indian Embassy in Kabul

I mentioned these factors because when the issue of Leicester riots comes up or Khalistanis supported by Jihadis outside the Indian High Commission, there is a connection ISI is not just an enemy of the State (and People) of Pakistan, but also of the United Kingdom More recently ISI spies were arrested in the United States

One would be naïve to think ISI spies do not operate in the UK without disclosing their official designation Given the above track record it would also be naïve to think they are not involved in setting traps with British Indians to sow communal disharmony such as through Khalistanis and in Leicester

British Indians and India itself mustn’t fall into the trap of taking the bait ISI wants to disrupt UK India relations and clip the influence of British Indians in the UK Provoking communal dischord is one way Entrap Indian officials will always remain their modus operandi

And for British Indians, the best way to avoid this trap remain harmonious even in the face of provocation, knowing what the bigger picture is