Remember those Raibahadurs? And those desi knights? Those titles awarded by the British during the Raj to the influentially faithful? Forgotten in India now, more or less. But not easy to forget among a certain set of Indians in London; because at least a shadow of that old game is being played out all over again.
A new list of lords was announced in London last week. These announcements are awaited keenly on the Indian circuit now to figure out whos not on the list. But to note for a moment the only Indian among the 38 new lords: Bhikhu Parekh, a professor of politics at Hull University and a widely respected writer on issues around multiculturalism. Quite proper, and quite boring.
There was another academic who got there earlier: Lord Meghnad Desai. That hardly bothers the now Lord Parekh. The trouble is that if Swraj Paul can be Lord Swraj Paul and Mr Bagri can become Lord Bagri, why cant at least one brother be a Lord Hinduja? Or, now that they have taken British citizenship, even a Sir Hinduja? But the brothers arent their lordships yet.
Theyve done enough. The resumed Diwali dinner last year at which Tony Blair was chief guest. Those announcements of those donations to causes worthy. That 14th place in the Top 20 of the spiritual published by The Sunday Times. But the brothers have a way of doing everything right and then not getting it right. The Diwali banquet saw 2,000 people stand for four hours until a couple fainted before the comfortably-seated Blairs. Downing Street was far from happy. And it turns out that the donations they announce largely turn out to be an underwriting for donations from others. And always in the backdrop there is something about some case in Switzerland that has not gone away.
And why just the Hin-dujas, though the most notable failures in the peerage race this time were again the famed brothers. There are leapings for lordships everywhere. The Times and The Daily Telegraph reported that solicitor Sarosh Zaiwalla had paid a former Conservative minister to lobby his case. Zaiwalla strongly denies this. But the reports did bring questions to the surface about what lordship means to upwardly pushing Indians.
Efforts to win peerage might have backfired for another businessman, G.K. Noon. This time, The Telegraph published a report that showed that Noon had made a donation of £100,000 to the Labour Party. And the report said that others who had made donations to Labour had been given rewards. That report brought darkness to Noon. It didnt help that Noon had been supportive of the Liberal Democrats earlier. He switched support to Labour after the landslide win for the party in the last election. The Love was lost on Labour. "Nobody likes that sort of thing and everyone sees through such moves pretty quickly," said someone close to the world of lords.
Catching up with the Lord Joneses is never going to be easy. The British government hasnt fallen easily for these games-yet. The only people that Labour has sent to the House of Lords have been Indians who have either worked with the party or have been distinguished for work other than a busy life as party animals. Swraj Paul has been a steady Labour faithful, just as he remained a steady Indira faithful. Tarsem King became Lord King in a life of Labour. Baroness Shreela Flather and Lord Bagri were steady Tories. Lord Navneet Dholakia has campaigned for minority rights all his life. Lord Parekh and Lord Desai have bent their backs and their minds enough in libraries. There isnt someone made lord yet for socialising and targeted philanthropy. But there is no guarantee either that British governments can remain continually wise.
Not when you have so many lords to create. Labours progressive ways have set the crusty old world of inherited lordships crumbling. There were close to a thousand of those gentlemen about, though overcrowding never was a problem in the upper house. But someone has to be invited to sit there even if they dont (Lord Bagri hasnt made his maiden speech in four years). So Labour brought in this modern reward scheme thats set off these new races. Given a fair percentage of Asians, a fair number will be made lords and baronesses. The question is, who will the rulers favour, and when?
You cant overwork memories of the Raj here. Lordship is a legitimate enough way to honour the distinguished. But conferred, its an honour. Sought after, its a shame. The balance so far is more shameful than honourable.
