E-Paper
Ludhiana-born UK politician dies at 80
Manjula Sood served as one of the UK’s first female lord mayors of Leicester and received an MBE, or Member of British Empire, honour from the late Queen Elizabeth II for community work
Manjula Sood, credited with many firsts as one of the UK’s prominent Indian-origin female politicians from the city of Leicester, has died aged 80. Tributes began pouring in for the Ludhiana-born pioneer as news of her passing away on Thursday became known among her Labour Party and wider political circles.
Sood served as one of the UK’s first female lord mayors of Leicester and received an MBE, or Member of British Empire, honour from the late Queen Elizabeth II for community work in the eastern England city.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Manjula Sood, a loving mother and grandmother, and a dedicated servant of the Leicester community,” reads a message on her official website.
“Details of a memorial service will be shared in due course. The family kindly request privacy at this time and ask that there be no home visits,” it adds. Upon qualifying as a teacher from Leicester University, Sood worked as a primary school teacher for almost 20 years – one of the first female teachers of Indian heritage in Leicester in 1973.
During her time as a teacher, she was said to have been instrumental in introducing multiculturalism into local education.
“Manjula was my teacher many years ago, a little known fact she would always fondly share with others, reflecting the warmth and lasting connections she built throughout her life,” said Shockat Adam, the Indian-origin Independent MP for Leicester South.
“A great loss to the city of Leicester,” he said.
Liz Kendall, UK’s science and technology Cabinet minister and Labour Party MP for Leicester West, hailed the former assistant mayor of the city as a “huge source of inspiration”.
Sood arrived in the UK from Punjab in 1970 and attended Leicester University where she completed her post-graduate training. Later, she went on to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the university in July 2008.
