Page 56 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 2 | December 2023 - January 2024

It is time to stop
thinking of ourselves
as Thai-Indians or
Indians living in
Thailand, and start
thinking of ourselves
as ‘Thai.’

To begin, could you please briefly describe one umbrella was initially a daunting task.
your journey and the reasons you chose However, today we can proudly declare that
to pursue a career in politics? Indians represent themselves as members of
The process of becoming a leader and the Indian Association of Thailand (IAT).
wanting to serve others began at an early In my political career, I started with the
age. I recall volunteering as a teacher’s Democrat Party. After two years, I became
assistant while studying in the Convent more knowledgeable about the political
of Jesus and Mary Hampton Court, scene. Soon after, the Pheu Thai Party gave
Mussoorie, whilst all my buddies were me a position as a district councilman for
running around. In high school, I was made the Wattana district.
the school captain. While at university, I
joined the AIESEC community, a youth- What prompted your move from the
led non-governmental and not-for-profit Democrat Part to the Pheu Thai Party,
organisation, and campaigned for the and how did the community react?
student government. After graduating, I As a matter of fact, the majority of our Thai-
joined my family’s business similar to other Indian community are supporters of the
Thai-Indians in the community. Democrats. In my opinion, the fundamental

What motivated me to enter ‘serious’ politics difference between the Democrats and
was mainly a sense that it was time. Let me Pheu Thai is that the latter recognised
elaborate: when the COVID-19 pandemic the value of the Indian minority. That
struck, it showed me that time is not was a motivating factor for me. Today, we
your friend. If you want to do something, have two politicians from the Thai-Indian
do it now! I began pursuing my aim of community in Pheu Thai, and both have
representing our community on a larger been given major responsibilities, which is
scale in Thai politics. It all started at the also a first for our Thai-Indian community
Indian Association Council, where I in Thailand.
discovered that there were over 60 Indian After a short while with Pheu Thai, the
communities in Thailand. This has now party gave me the opportunity to run for
been reduced to 33 groups, which represent the district council in Wattana district, to
various religious backgrounds from all over get a feel for what it would be like for a
India. Getting them to collaborate under Thai-Indian to run for office.

56 | MASALA MAGAZINE DEC 2023-JAN 2024