Proud of Parsi Peer

"Never make the mistake we made in East Africa; never make the mistakes we made in Fiji and other parts of the world. We went there, made our money and settled but ultimately not being part of the political process we were thrown out,” pointed out Lord Navnit Dholakia, the Liberal Democrats deputy leader in the House of Lords and his party’s former president when speaking on "The contribution of British Indians to UK Parliament since 1892.”
At the tea reception at the House of Commons, Westminster, London on November 2, 2016 jointly organized by the Zoroastrian All Party Parlimentary Group (ZAPPG) and the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), Dholakia urged youngsters to evince an interest in politics. The event also marked the 10th year anniversary of ZAPPG founder Lord Karan Bilimoria in the House of Lords when over 10 speakers expressed their thoughts on the Peer’s milestone and the broader contribution of British Indians to UK Parliament, according to a press release summarizing the highlights of the function.
Not too many people are aware that the first three Members of Parliament (MP) of Indian descent to sit in the House of Commons were Parsi Zoroastrians, conveyed Lord Nicholas Henry Bourne, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government. "It has put your faith on the map, and tells people more of its history, its beliefs and its onward journey,” he added.

Dadabhai Naoroji who was elected as an MP for Finsbury Central as a Liberal in 1892 is considered the first MP of Indian descent to be a member of the British Parliament. Three years later followed Sir Mancherjee Bhownagree who was elected on a Conservative seat. In the 1920s Shapurji Saklatwala served as a Labour and Communist MP for Battersea North. Currently 25% and above of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) representation in the House of Commons is of Indian descent and approximately 43% in the House of Lords share British Indian descent, as per statistics gathered by Bilimoria’s office.
The acting deputy high commissioner Dinesh Patnaik referred to the Zoroastrian community’s ability to integrate whilst holding onto its roots. The fact that Zoroastrians can enjoy their feasts on a plantain leaf using cutlery Patnaik considered a sign of how the community can maintain its culture whilst embracing modernity.
Baroness Usha Prashar who, with Dholakia, has been mentor to Bilimoria, expressed her pride in their protégé’s contributions to entrepreneurship, business, UK-India ties and a voice for international students in British politics. According to a report in Eastern Eye of November 12, Baroness Shreela Flather, 82, who became the first Asian woman to join the Lords in 1998 described 54-year-old Bilimoria as a "particularly nice boy, very likeable, very open, very genuine — I like him a lot.”
Conservative Peer Lord Dolar Popat who viewed the House of Lords as the world’s best university, considered Bilimoria an embodiment of learning and absorbing at the mother of all Parliaments. Recalling Bilimoria’s maiden speech in Parliament that highlighted the untapped potential of the UK-India relationship, Popat was happy that Prime Minister Theresa May had made India her first trade visit destination. As contemporaries at the University of Cambridge, Lord Jitesh Gadhia remembered how he had always seen something special in Bilimoria whose presence is strongly felt and how he expected his contribution to improve with age.
MP Shailesh Vara revealed earlier memories when the two of them had anticipated that Bilimoria would be appointed to the House of Lords and he would be a member of the elected chamber. Another MP Virendra Sharma appreciated that Bilimoria who is additionally the chancellor at the University of Birmingham has always provided a powerful presence and voice when the situation demanded on key issues like international students or skill shortages.
On behalf of ZTFE, president Malcolm Deboo presented a shawl to Bilimoria and ZTFE sesquicentennial medallions to the guest speakers. Former president of ZTFE Dorab Mistry shared an observation made by a friend that even though Bilimoria may be the only Parsi in Parliament, he is equivalent to a dozen. The high tea and refreshments at the event were thanks to Mistry and Godrej International Limited.
"Due to the popularity of this event, there were a lot of parliamentarians of Indian origin who wanted to speak... Also, since the event was held when Parliament was in session, Karan had to slip out for a short while to vote in the House of Lords… Hence Karan spoke very little, (mainly) thanking his fellow Peers,” clarified Deboo in response to Parsiana’s queries.