|
nri
- pio section
|
 |
UK and India |
|
|
From business to Booker, India is flavour of season in Britain
|
 |
|
NEW PARTNERS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, British Premier Tony Blair and Commerce Minister Kamal Nath at the India-UK Investment Summit |
Indian and Britain have long engaged with each other on many fronts, but October witnessed a rare unleashing of the kaleidoscopic colours of the Indian experience—from the exotic to the modern.
 Visiting with the confidence of one who
repre sents a top investing country in Britain, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was praised in public by his British counterpart Tony Blair who wanted to pay him a “personal tribute”.
Blair said: “He is one of the men I admire most in politics; a man of extraordinary intellect and courage, an unusual combination in politics. As a result of the work that he has done, the relationship between our countries has gone much further than would have been expected some years ago.”
And as Singh collected another honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge—he was conferred the degree by Oxford University in July 2005 —captains of Indian industry were striking business deals in London and advising British authorities that they needed “to do more” to enhance bilateral trade, such as easing visa and work permit rules.
Elsewhere, prominent Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi was embracing hundreds of ordinary Britons at the Crystal palace National Sports Centre, moving them to tears or laughter. She is in London at the beginning of a tour to Helsinki , Paris, Milan, Barcelona and Dublin. |
 |
 |
| ROBES OF HONOUR: Singh being conferred an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge |
SINGH ON SONG:
The Prime Minister works his charm on a gushing audience in the United Kingdom |
|
Graham Blay, a charity worker, said after meeting the spiritual leader: “I have known people who say it changed their life in a subtle way. I think British people are quite resistant to showing love in such a way, we don’t usually go up to strangers and hug them, so this is liberating.”
At the Guildhall, 35-year-old Kiran Desai, daughter of noted expatriate writer Anita Desai, spoke of her Indian roots while accepting the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction that includes a cheque for £50,000 and assured sales of her book The Inheritance of Loss.
Kiran paid a tribute to her Indian roots while accepting the prize: “I’m Indian and so I’m going to thank my parents.” At another point in her acceptance speech, the US-resident author said: “Given what the political climate has been in the States, I feel more and more Indian in so many ways.” Returning to her Indian origins time and again, Kiran said: “I didn’t expect to win. I don’t have a speech. My mother told me I must wear a sari, a family heirloom, but it’s completely transparent!” |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Mata
Amritanandamayi |
Kiran
Desai |
Lord
Swaraj Paul |
Monty
Panesar |
|
The Man Booker prize has earlier gone to Indian origin writers such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy. A few blocks from the Guildhall, another prominent Indian origin expatriate was making news—Lord Swraj Paul, 75, was being installed as the inaugural chancellor of the University of Westminster. The university’s vice-chancellor Geoffrey Copland said: “The university is honoured that Lord Paul has consented to be our chancellor. His background, achievements and interests overlap extensively with those of the university: London; international matters; business; a burning desire to provide opportunities for all to gain education to the highest level possible; and support for excellence in achievement”.
One of the first to congratulate Lord Paul at the ceremony was Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who is widely tipped to take over from Blair as the next prime minister. As thousands of lights were switched on in Leicester to begin what is being considered the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India, 24-year-old Monty
Panesar, who now has a cult following among cricket lovers, signed a £300,000 book contract with publishers Hodder & Stoughton.
Panesar is the first Sikh to play Test cricket for England. His parents moved to England from Punjab, India, in the 1970s. |
|
|
more... |
|
|
|
|
