Tributes pour in for Lord Swraj Paul described as 'bridge between UK and India'

London, Aug 22 (PTI) Tributes poured in from across Britain on Friday in memory of Lord Swraj Paul, distinguished industrialist behind the Caparo Group of Industries and a dedicated philanthropist, who was remembered as a champion of closer India-UK ties.

Paul, who passed away aged 94 in London on Thursday, was appointed a Labour life peer as Baron Paul of Marylebone in 1996. He went on to make a mark in the British Parliament as the first person of Indian heritage to hold the post of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords in 2008.

He co-chaired the India-UK Round Table between 2000 and 2005 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 1983.

“He was a bridge between the UK and India and a great inspiration to me,” shared Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer.

“I sat on the Roundtable with him and his co-chair was Hamid Ansari, who thereafter became vice-president of India. It was a great initiative, bringing the UK and India together on all fronts, academic, business, in politics and security, in every area,” Bilimoria said.

“He was very ill for a while, and then once he bounced back, he would continue to attend the House of Lords every single day in his wheelchair, literally every day he would be there,” he said.

In 2009, Lord Paul was also appointed as a member of the esteemed Privy Council, the constitutional body advising the British monarch, with his full title becoming The Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone PC.

“Lord Paul was a friend to all, a great senior figure from the British Indian community whose huge contributions both in business and philanthropy are well known and documented.

“A loss as a friend and guide to many of us who enjoyed his friendship,” said Baroness Sandy Verma, a fellow British Indian House of Lords peer.

Lord Paul is credited with saving the London Zoo from the brink of closure with his philanthropic zeal and supported several health and educational projects, including as Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton for over 26 years since the 1990s.

“Lord Paul has left a profound and lasting impact on the University, always supporting and encouraging us to be ambitious and value driven,” said Professor Ebrahim Adia, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton.

“Lord Paul was deeply committed to the university and a passionate supporter of our social mobility objectives and our aim of creating opportunity for all. He was a person of great humility, generosity and integrity, and he will be dearly missed,” he said.

The university pointed to Lord Paul’s 15 honorary degrees from across the world of academia in recognition of his contributions to business, the economy and his social and charitable works.

“Lord Paul was an inspirational and generous chancellor and a wonderful human being. He was an inspiration to so many people and his passion for education was always evident.

“The University of Wolverhampton is a greater institution because of our long-standing association with Lord Paul. His contribution has been immense and his legacy enduring,” said Angela Spence, Chair of the University of Wolverhampton Board of Governors.

The university has set up books of condolence at both its Wolverhampton and Walsall campuses for students and academics to pay respects to their Chancellor.

Born in Jalandhar in 1931, Paul was educated at Punjab University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA. He arrived in the UK in 1966 and two years later founded Caparo Group, the UK-based industrial company with operations in Europe, Asia and North America.

Lord Paul, who is survived by sons Akash and Ambar and daughter Anjli, had mourned the loss of his son Angad and wife Aruna in recent years.

The death of his daughter Ambika aged four of cancer in 1966 marked the beginning of his life's journey in England, where he decided to make a fresh start while maintaining a close connection with India.

“He was a legend who shaped the destiny of so many Indians in the United Kingdom. His actions brought tremendous respect and brought UK-India closer,” said Lord Rami Ranger, founder of Sun Mark Ltd.

“He was larger than life and touched the lives of many, many people who came in contact with him. And he was also very close to the government of India, making frequent trips to his birthplace,” he said.

The High Commission of India in London reposted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media statement in honour of Lord Paul's “contributions to industry, philanthropy and public service in the UK, and his unwavering support for closer ties with India” to say that the British Indian leader had “left an indelible mark with his lifelong efforts to foster stronger India-UK ties”. PTI AK NPK NPK