Asian community must play bigger role in British politics: Swraj Paul

The Labour peer Lord Swraj Paul has said that time has come for the Asian community to play a bigger role in British politics by seeing they get a reasonable representation.

"All of us have contributed to this country... this is the time for all the Asian community to play a bigger role and see that we get a reasonable representation," Lord Paul, who is also Britain's Ambassador for Overseas Business, said.

"The political parties are very keen to involve people from the ethnic communities so this is an opportunity for you all to play an even bigger role in society," he said.

Referring to the hung verdict, Paul said: "There is only one winner, and that is the voters themselves.

"They have clearly told all the parties that they want a change and they are not satisfied with the change that is being hawked around."

Lord Paul, a leading NRI industrialist, while addressing members of the Women's India Association of the UK told them Asian women in the UK must play a bigger role in politics and society.

He extended a special welcome to erstwhile Bollywood film star Sanjay Khan and his wife Zarine, saying Sanjay must get great credit for making Bollywood what it is today.

He also referred to the recent accident of his wife Lady Aruna Paul, a patron of the Association, saying "even though she is in some pain, she did not want to miss this dinner, and especially your warmth, due to her long association with the WIA."

Acknowledging the role of women, Lord Paul said, "Being a wife and mother is a true vocation because it is you who nurture and ensure the survival of the family unit."

"To those of you who have unselfishly supported your husbands, sons and daughters at the expense of a professional career of your own, I would say that the responsibility of supporting a family and community is as hard a task, and in the long term has as much influence in the world, as going to an office every day.

"At the same time we have a number of women here this evening successfully pursuing a professional career, either before or after embarking on family life. We are all very proud of the women in the Indian community whose contributions to the professions, to the arts, to politics and to business have been outstanding," he said.

Lord Paul, Chancellor of two leading British Universities - Westminster and Wolverhampton - said: "mothers and wives fulfil a great role in ensuring the best education for the younger generation. Education must be both external and internal as young people need both a broad knowledge of how the world works, and a firm sense of personal integrity and honesty.

"It is your efforts that have made our young boys and girls achieve such good results in their schools and universities and I especially congratulate you on that. And of course your spouses."