Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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A Happy Anniversary Asian Voice Article - October 2004 Brighton in the autumn might not seem to be everybody’s ideal destination but the Party conference season demands that every MP does at least turn up once in a while. There are many who thrive on the interaction and networking but I have to say that the high point of conference, for me, is the annual reception organised by the Labour Friends of India. It seems hard to believe that we are now five years old and that this October was our fifth anniversary. With nearly two hundred MPs and Peers amongst our membership LFIN has provided a strong and consistent voice in support of India and the needs and aspirations of the Indian community in the UK. Just before conference I was privileged to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with National Security Advisor J.Dixit and Foreign Minister Natwar Singh. Tony McNulty, Gareth Thomas, Keith Vaz, Barry Gardiner, Ashok Kumar and I were originally scheduled to meet the PM for a quarter of an hour but the meeting extended to twice that time without anyone – except the civil servants – noticing. We were all immensely impressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who most us had previously met in Delhi. The PM was to leave for New York that afternoon after a meeting with Tony Blair and there he was to address the United Nations General Assembly. In his address to the UN the Prime Minister made his principle theme the challenge of development and the eradication of poverty. He discussed the same issues with us and the conversation roamed over the perennial concern of UK reaction to outsourcing, security and the significance of India in the global economy. As one who is still a little star-struck by meetings with people of the stature of PM Manmohan Singh I made it my business to read the full transcript of his subsequent speech to the UN General Assembly. On that occasion he closed with a reference to Jawaharlal Nehru whose vision of internationalism was based on the pillars of peace,harmony,co-operation and development. The passion that the PM showed in his address to the UN was evident in his lower key conversation with us in London and he was both warmly congratulated and assured of the continuing support of LFIN. It was extremely gratifying to hear his words of appreciation for our efforts. Back to Brighton, where the LFIN reception was the hot conference ticket. Although some would be so cruel as to suggest that the quality of the food was the magnet we could not have packed out the room with over ten Ministers and scores of MPs.on the strength of the curry alone. The keynote speakers were Defence Minister Geoff Hoon and His Excellency the High Commissioner of India, Kamalesh Sharma. Deputy High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal was also present as were many business and civic leaders from the Indian community in the UK. Ever at the centre of the crowd was, of course, C.B.Patel! India’s profile is so very much higher at the Labour Party conference than ever before and whilst I would like to claim that the credit for this lies with LFIN I know that it is a true reflection of the increasing significance of India on the world stage. Next week’s EU-India business summit in the Netherlands sees another development in the growth of India as a world player. I expect great things to flow from the summit and look forward to meeting some of the members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce when they visit London after The Hague. No longer just the world’s largest democracy but one of the fasting growing economies and a truly global economic super-power India demands and receives the attention if has earned and which it deserves. The ties between our countries are strong and are strengthened by the work of LFIN. I am proud, as Chairman of LFIN, to be part of that mission. If I have one regret it is that our fifth annual reception took place on the 28th.September instead of on the 2nd.October. To have met on the birth date of the Mahatma Gandhi would have been wonderfully significant and a powerful reminder of why so many of us in the Labour Party are honoured to call ourselves Friends of India. |
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