Known for fighting for the rights of Asians, Praful Patel is actively involved in promoting Indo-British relations, promoting investment in India, advocating human rights, campaigning for Ayurveda medicine, upholding Hindu values in numerous religious bodies and trusts, enjoying cricket, and enthusing in his vast collection of Ganesha idols.

How does he do all this? As a pure vegetarian, non-smoker and a teetotaller, above all, a bachelor! A typical British Asian citizen, he is at ease in his homes in the UK and India.

He became prominent during the Asian Exodus in 1968 and worked as the Honorary Secretary of the All Party British Parliamentary Committee on UK Citizenship (1968-1982). The Committee played an important role for many years to bear pressure on successive governments for the rights of British Asians. As Honorary Secretary, he flew missions to Kenya and New Delhi during 1968/69 and played a key role in Indo-British bilateral discussions on this issue. He worked as a Founder Member of the UK Immigrants Advisory Service and a Member of the Executive Committee (1970-1982). Thus he is known as a specialist on human rights, civil liberties, immigration, citizenship and race relation issues.

Most of all, he has had a distinguished record of public service in Britain, East Africa and India. A life member of British Labour Party, he has worked with the Fabian Society’, the Anti-Aparthied Movement, Movement for Colonial Freedom, ‘War on Want’ and Amnesty International.