Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups came together on a rare occasion to celebrate current Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s appointment. The Conservative Friends of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh organised a special evening on Thursday 13th September at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane.
The evening started with a greet and meet followed by a sit down dinner. Brainchild of Britain’s one of the most accomplished businessman Dr Rami Ranger, the evening stood as a symbol the ‘united India’ that his dead father had envisioned. Dr Ranger, the co-chair of the Conservative Friends of India (CFI) was joined by his counterparts – Zameer Choudrey of the Conservative Friends of Pakistan (CFP) and Bajloor Rashid of the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh (CFB).
The event was competed by Dr Ranger’s very able daughter Cllr Reena Ranger, an able role model for this generation interested in politics.
The evening was also the birthday of Minister Javid’s wife Laura, and it was celebrated with a cake cutting ceremony, kindly organised by the host. Javid was joined by his brothers, children and mother.
Speaking at the event Javid attributed his success to the great shoulders of his parents, who raised him to be what he is today. Saluting the efforts of the organisers he said, “This is an example of all our communities working together as the very best of friends.”
He then went on to speak about his parents and the first generation of migrants like Dr Ranger and many others, who have contributed immensely to Britain’s future. "It is on the shoulders of my mum and dad that I stand before you...We are bigger than the cultural heritage we represent. We are a core part of the country's offering and an indispensable asset to British society," he said.
Javid, is the son of a Pakistani bus driver who migrated to Britain in the 1960s and was named ‘Mr Night and Day’ for the incredible hard work he had put in at various jobs all day and night long, to bring up Sajid and his siblings with values and comforts. His appointment as the Home Secretary came right after Amber Rudd’s resignation, when the Windrush scandal broke.
Ranger, founder and CEO of Sun Mark Ltd, mentioning the many key Conservative party members and MPs, said, “We have come together to celebrate the first-ever British Asian to hold such a senior Cabinet post and applaud Asian success as well as unity between Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in this country.”
Rashid, a UK-based restaurateur who urged the minister to look into the crisis faced by Britain's curry industry, also said that Javid’s appointment made ‘an Asian Prime Minister in Britain a possibility’.
He spoke about a shift of votes in the Bangladeshi community and said, “Traditionally, the Labour party was seen as the natural home for Asians but that trend has changed as more and more Asians turn towards the Conservative party. So, watch this space.”
Adding about the curry crisis and finding the ‘community’s voice’ through Javid, he added, “We are struggling to recruit the right staff but there has been no hint of policy change from the government. We finally have a louder voice in Parliament.”
Tory party chair Brandon Lewis categorically mentioned that the aim was to ensure that the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is in no way elected as the Prime Minister by any future poll. Urging the communities present in the room, he said, “We need members from your community to ensure that Jeremy Corbyn never gets the key to Downing Street.”
