It is with a sense of happiness that news of honours being bestowed is received. Given the historical Indian ties to the United Kingdom courtesy the Raj, persons of Indian origin have figured a lot over the years in the Queen’s birthday honours list. At a time when someone in the direct line of succession to the British throne is said to have a trace of Indian DNA, news of a PIO making it to the honours list rings with particular joy, which is why we may celebrate Anish Mikhail Kapoor, the prominent UK-based sculptor who designed the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London’s Olympic Park, more when he is knighted.
The Indian diaspora is spread across the world now and second- and third-generation immigrants are meeting with remarkable success in diverse fields. Mumbai-born Anish’s case is different as he had his basic education in India, enjoying the advantage of years in a prominent public school before going on to the UK. His being honoured is, perhaps, further proof of a British sense of fair play as he has been known to have heavily criticised the British perspective on art and how UK has always been “afraid of anything intellectual, aesthetic, visual”.
Imagine the uproar such criticism would have caused in India, with the whole process of names chosen for such civilian awards questioned in the media and the issue dragged out for days on end. Kapoor’s is the only Indian name up for a knighthood among 1,180 awardees.