Rishi and the past

Rishi Sunak will lead the nation just below India in the world GDP nations. Racial or cultural triumphalism is gauche, so nice to see that that’s low-key so far. But I personally hope that this will be an opportunity for Indian elites to fixate less on the British past and engage more forthrightly with their Asian future.

The Conservative party looks to be in serious trouble, and Britain looks to be in for a rough few years. Good luck to him, he’ll need a lot of it.

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Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago

Is it just me or NRI facial structure seem different then Indians?

I mean I get that different diet leads to better physical fitness and stuff, but even facial structure ? Plus it’s strange that with these facial structure in demand in Bollywood ( and the money and connections of NRIs) and all, not one of NRI descent has made their mark in Bollywood.

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Body fat, teeth, and higher lean mass. Indians in India have fatter faces, skinnier limbs, and more crooked teeth on average. Their diets are carb loaded and protein deficient. Weight lifting is less common. You “fix” that stuff and people look better. Also better hair cuts and more modern fitting clothes. Look at some NRIs after immigrating to America. If they start to take care of themselves, they look way “better” in a few years. I notice this especially with new NRIs coming in their mid 20s.

Of course there are a ton of exceptions to this. But these are trends. Also Rishi is of quite diminutive stature for Western political leaders.

Dheeraj
Dheeraj
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Not just facial structure, i’ve always felt they generally look a very different shade of brown, not fairer or swarthier but just.. different. I’m not certain whether I’m making sense though. Also, they always seem much more confident, maybe that is also attributable to better education and grooming.(sry for making a digression in the thread Razib, no more comments as such)

Prats
Prats
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Not all NRIs but definitely American or American-bred ones. More even complexion, aligned teeth. Generally lower body fat.

You typically find army kids in India to have similar characteristics.

Branch Dravidian
Branch Dravidian
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

I’m an ABCD, I think we do stand out. I am taller than my cousins back in India, most of the guys in my family born in the states are 6ft+. Could be attributed to higher caloric intake and a more protein heavy diet. While there are more shared features than differences between Indians; diaspora or not, I want to say I have a good read on picking out ABCD’s from a crowd of Indians. Girls especially, ABCD girls just look different from the girls back in the motherland and no offence, are more attractive.

HJ
HJ
2 years ago

It was very easy to distinguish between ABCDs and Indian immigrant students at college. Not sure if it was the clothing, grooming, just the general demeanor etc? I feel like I can tell Indians apart from a distance just by the way we walk lol

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  HJ

A lot of it is posture. Many Indians from sitting at a desk and studying all day have thoracic kyphosis. They tend to have issues with posterior pelvic tilt and also walk with duck feet posture. Of course there are exception, especially among athletes and blue collar migrants. Many look fit and strong with good posture. But classic nerd life leads to bad posture and gait.

Being physically active is so important. The Victorian ideals of an upper class doing little is dying thankfully. All my cousins in India lift now and eat more protein. Also, as I mentioned below, fashion is homenizing with globalization.

If you look at my previous exercise teenage pics. I look like a major nerd and fresh off the boat for sure, except for the clothes I am wearing.

Pandit Brown
Pandit Brown
2 years ago
Reply to  thewarlock

The Victorian ideals of an upper class doing little is dying thankfully.

The actual Victorian upper class was expected to be into physical sports, and physical activity in general (hunting, exploring, horse-riding, fighting). “Doing little” refers more to commercial activity than physical exertion. But the physical exercise ideal never seemed to seep into the Indian elite though.

J. K. Rowling’s books are a useful window into English values, the ones that are common to both modern times and the Victorian era. The four houses at Hogwarts correspond to four different sets of values. Gryffindor, with its ideals of sporting excellence and daring, courage, desire for exploration and heroism, is held up as the best of them all. Whereas, I imagine, if Slytherin didn’t have the negative connotations of being evil and racist, would, with its focus on study excellence and political ambition, be held as the ideal by the Indian elite.

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  thewarlock

@Pandit
Thanks for correction.

Yeah, despite being born in America, I looked much more like a FOB before braces and exercising. Biggest things are excercise, fashion, and teeth. A balanced physique brings about good posture and changes gait. Skin tone “evens out” from being outdoors more often and exposed to less pollution.

My cousins in India, when I visited in mid teens, even asked why I don’t “look more American.”

A lot of “facial structure” is just body fat. Almost every immigrant desi I know, even skinny ones, have some sort of pouch in the abdomen. Very few are relatively lean. Average body fat, even among low body weight ones, is like 25% in the middle class. This reflects in the face.

Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago

‘Girls especially, ABCD girls just look different from the girls back in the motherland and no offence, are more attractive.’

Despite being more confident, wealthier, better looking, its strange that none have made it in Bollywood. Which i found odd.

‘I am taller than my cousins back in India, most of the guys in my family born in the states are 6ft+. ‘

I think height, mannerism, diet etc have more or less narrowed down b/w Diaspora and motherland. To add further, Gen Z Indians, especially of Indian metros already look, talk and think like NRIs. Its just the facial structure which is a bit odd to me. I can still make out an Indian and a NRI, by facial structure.

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

I don’t think just looking at me you could tell. Some of it is just hairstyle and facial hair patterns. They used diff ones in India for awhile. But now global trends have homogenized urban culture. I even get fooled with NRI vs. Not for many trendy 20 something year Olds, until they open their mouths

And yes. I agree with army lads comment. Many of those look fit and healthy. I think it’s a body fat, lean muscle, modern style, and dental work issue.

Many don’t ever want to live in India. That’s a huge part of it. No matter how fancy your high rise the level of slums nearby is awful. The pollution and corruption. Yes America has dangerous ghettos and plenty of issues, but the standard of living is way better. Barring a few places, you can drink water directly from the tap and not get sick.

Also, Bollywood has the whole Khatri Kapoor Mafia and Khans who kept an iron grip forever. Even guys like Sushant went through hell with it.

Even skin is wearing more revealing clothes and being outside to get an even tan and a lack of mineral deficiencies from better diet and also just less pollution leads to clearer skin.

To me village Indians often look better

Branch Dravidian
Branch Dravidian
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Agreed, I got along well with Gen Z Indians in undergrad. Made a handful of friends from India who attended elite boarding schools in MH or Delhi. They hailed from the elite sections of Indian society; they were quick to transition in America. Facial structure thing b/w Diaspora and India is real but ngl, dude with the best jawline I’ve ever seen was a guy from Delhi. He was a chonk when he was younger, but it only came out when he started going to the gym.

I noticed that Indians who hung out with ABCDs and other non-Indian American ethnic groups had their accents get diluted. They did not sound the same by senior year. That definitely helped when it came to approaching women at bars, some pulled pretty well, including non-Indian women. Can say the FOB aspect ratio was definitely reduced for these guys in contrast to the international students who only hung with themselves.

Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Like if Rishi Sunak visited India and u bumped up in a party in Mumbai or somewhere, the only thing which would make him stand apart is his facial structure, considering his average height.

There is no other way to know, considering half of the people at that party will be talking in British or American accent.

brown
brown
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Despite being more confident, wealthier, better looking, its strange that none have made it in Bollywood. Which i found odd.
— because they are not fair???

Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago
Reply to  brown

I mean the NRIs are the most fairest, wealthiest and connected contingent out there.

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  brown

American NRIs you praise are not fair on average. Most are quite middling on steppe aasi IVC spectrum (bad proxy for Individuals but good for crude average skin color for groups, barring some exceptions). For S Asia, American desis are pretty much in the middle. American desis are largely mid to upper caste S and Central Indians.

Martin Banks
Martin Banks
2 years ago

6++ .pretty sure genetics played a role too.in Malaysia it’s almost impossible to find an Indian with that height except for jatt sikhs.most Indians here are south Indian who speak tamil

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin Banks

Surprisingly I know a decent number of Guju Americans who are 6’0+. Gujarat doesn’t do as terribly as one would expect on average height stats despite dismal health and nutrition indicators, as compared to places like Kerela and Punjab.

My grandfather was 6’1 and his father 6’2. They looked like giants back in that era of India.

I know a lot of tall Mallus. Data from Indian surveys makes sense to me that Kerela and Punjab are the tallest. Secular heights survey shows Jains and Sikhs are tallest. Those are most well fed states (malnutrition and health indices, good HDI despite falling gdp per capita) and communities respectively. All are in the Western part of subcontinent. Seems like a big part of height disparity is nutrition and there is more of a West to East cline than there is a North to South. Interestingly, I see a lot of tall telegus too.

One thing though is bone structure. Jatts seem to have thickest bones on average. This makes sense because steppe is cold adapted for limb proportions. So shorter limbs and thicker bones. This makes them good wrestlers too.

Mesolithic AASIish people are surprisingly tall in archeological record. So I think height potential is there for much of India.

girmit
girmit
2 years ago
Reply to  thewarlock

> Mesolithic AASIish people are surprisingly tall in archeological record. So I think height potential is there for much of India.

Dalsim energy is real

Billu
Billu
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

People are making meme’s putting Ashish Nehra in Rishi’s place …….. which is apt, both have same facial structure plus fat on face.

As such Rishi would look like an average long face guy between Sindhu & Sutlej. Just that in India people from there these days eat a lot of carbs and alcohol and don’t work or work out that much.

It’s his wife that is out of place. Which brings to me to the guy who commented that ABCD girls look better – they don’t, less fat ….. don’t seem like they can bear children.

As for skin, me being from bengal, most of rest of India (except KL, PJ & Kashmir) have worst skin, mostly a function of moisture in skin – which girls with less fat would have less (moisture i.e,).

thewarlock
thewarlock
2 years ago

https://www.google.com/search?q=indian+marcos&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj564Hi9Pn6AhXqQkIHHRQIBg8Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=indian+marcos&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgQIABBDOgQIKRBDOgIIKToICAAQgAQQsQM6BwgAELEDEENQ1g1YmRxgoR1oAHAAeACAAZEBiAHTC5IBAzYuOJgBAKABAbABA8ABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=VRFXY7ntJOqFieoPlJCYeA&bih=750&biw=412&client=ms-android-verizon-us-rvc3&prmd=inv#imgrc=5a7ptLmDrAUYnM

I know a few Indian Americans who look exactly like this MARCOS guy. Spitting image. Nutrition, physical training, and grooming.

Girls from India even when skinny are either stick figures or have curves but with a belly. This is from lack of lean muscle. Having low body fat, sufficient muscle, nice teeth, good posture, and fashionable clothes does a lot for hotness.

Also, let’s not get it twisted. Many ugly Indian Americans too. You guys just focus on accomplished ones with their lives in order. Plenty of obese, disheveled, and lazy looking people too.

Best thing Indians can do is lift. They already have the disadvantage of low lean mass on average phenotype and a tendency to gain fat. Lift and diet. It does wonders for many.

Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago

RishiSunak is a pagan head of state of England, after 1554 years when last pagan king Arwald died in 686 AD.

sbarrkum
sbarrkum
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

RishiSunak is a pagan head of state of England, after 1554 years when last pagan king Arwald died in 686 AD.

Good one, sharing on my FB.
Like in the decline of Rome the Barbarians are running Rome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arwald

Bhumiputra
Bhumiputra
2 years ago
Reply to  sbarrkum

Small but key diff between head of state and government. Rishi is later and hence not the sovereign like that arwald guy.

Saurav
Saurav
2 years ago
Reply to  sbarrkum

Isn’t it but like how presidents and prime minister are in Indian context?

Presidents are head of state in Indian govt, but we all know where the political power lies.

Pandit Brown
Pandit Brown
2 years ago
Reply to  Saurav

Nope, Charles III is head of state of the UK.

brown
brown
2 years ago

He has the plan & credibility to restore financial stability, help get inflation down & deliver sustainable tax cuts over time; and unite the Conservatives by bringing the best talent into govt to deliver for the British people,” former deputy PM Dominic Raab said on Twitter.
so rishi will be remembered primarily as the munshi to steadied the ship, apart from being brown and hindoo.

brown
brown
2 years ago

gosh!! rishi has become wooden. no smiles, looks very tense. bit sad…

phyecho1
phyecho1
2 years ago

Indians fixate on the past when people talk of “civilizing” etc about the past. Otherwise, Hinduism is about moving forward. We have a life to live.
Even with islam, if there was reciprocity, then we would be moving forward. Only leftwing loonies have time for past in a professional manner and activist manner, other people who do read it do it on own time.

sbarrkum
sbarrkum
2 years ago

from SL friends FB wall
Rishi Sunak: was born in the UK. Parents born in Africa. Never held an Indian Citizenship and a beef eater. Yet Bakhts are proud to have “Indian Origin” British PM

Sonia Gandhi: Got married in India. Made India home for 55+ years. Holds an Indian passport. yet Bakht call her foreign.
——
Excerpts from Link below (remember Rishi is an ex Goldman Sachs banker)
a) reportedly the richest MP in Parliament – would be a boon for the financial lobby, tax justice campaigners
b) Last year, Sunak was heavily criticised for axing a £20-a-week increase to Universal Credit that had helped some of the poorest families through the pandemic.
c) His Financial Interests Aren’t Very transparent

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/07/rishi-sunak-could-become-pm-heres-what-he-doesnt-want-you-to-know.html

Don
Don
2 years ago

Good luck to the UK. Rishi has the phenotype of a gracile Neanderthal.

Brown Pundits