India, Sept. 22 -- Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak has triggered a debate on race and ethnicity in the country as he cautioned against equating skin colour with nationality and highlighted his own dual English and Hindu identity.

The first politician of Indian heritage to serve at No. 10 Downing Street reflected upon the topic in his regular 'Sunday Times' column, referencing a lecture he delivered at Lord's Cricket Ground last week. Delivering the Marylebone Cricket Club's (MCC) Cowdrey Lecture, Sunak argued in favour of cricket - and sports in general - as a unifying force.

"I worry that Britain's great democratic achievement is coming under strain," writes Sunak.

"There are challenges that we must address: those posed by I...