London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, have spoken of their pride in author and philanthropist Sudha Murty being conferred the Padma Bhushan at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Akshata, the First Lady at 10 Downing Street, was present at the ceremony and later took to social media to express her emotions towards her parents — Sudha Murty and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Her husband, Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister, replied to his wife’s post with the words “a proud day”.
“Yesterday I watched with unspeakable pride as my mother received the Padma Bhushan from the President of India,” Akshata Murty posted on Twitter Thursday after her 72-year-old mother got the award.
“On #IWD [International Women’s Day] last month, I reflected on my mother’s extraordinary journey, from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to storytelling, but her charitable and volunteering efforts have served as her greatest inspiration to me,” Akshata writes.
“Always asking if she can be doing more, she has given back to her community countless times: founding and running a series of philanthropic organisations for 25 years; funding numerous literacy initiatives; and jumping into action to aid those most in need – many in the most remote parts of India – after natural disasters have destroyed their lives,” she writes.
The First Lady said her mother’s example has helped put “volunteering, learning and listening” at the heart of how she hopes to live at 10 Downing Street.
“My mother doesn’t live for recognition. The values my parents have instilled in my brother and me – hard work, humility, selflessness – mean she is always on to the next thing. But it was such a moving experience to see her have a moment of recognition yesterday,” she added.
Her brother, Rohan Murty, similarly praised his mother as a “positive force” in their lives in his social media post.
In her acceptance speech at the ceremony attended by her family, Sudha Murty thanked the people of India for their unconditional support.
“I owe this award to the people of India. I hope my recognition today inspires the younger generation to take up social welfare as a vocation. It is needed for the continuous development of our great nation. I always feel that the generosity of a few gives hope for a million,” she said.
PTI
