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Lord Dholakia for UN Security Council seat for India
Navneet Dholakia, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Party in Britain's House of Lords, says his party wants to see India in UNSC.
Navneet Dholakia, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Party in Britain's House of Lords, says his party wants to see India as a member of the UN Security Council.
"No one can deny India a place in the Security Council," said the British Indian, who was honoured with the Pride of India award in London this week.
"I want to see India play a much larger international role. It should assist all countries in South Asia in overcoming poverty, which is the root cause of instability.
"Membership of the Security Council would be a tremendous boost," Lord Dholakia told IANS in an interview.
Lord Dholakia, whose party is rivalling the Conservatives to become the main party of opposition in the next general election in Britain this summer, said relations between the Liberal Democrats and India have steadily improved over the past years.
There have been three Liberal Democrats delegations to India over the past four years, including one led by party president Charles Kennedy. The teams have looked at the information technology industry in Bangalore, talked business in Mumbai and reviewed human rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Our understanding of India has really improved. We have been impressed by the democratic values and business climate in India," said Lord Dholakia, who is his party's home affairs spokesman in the House of Lords.
He said the joint parliamentary committee on human rights had studied the Indian National Human Rights Commission with a view to setting up a similar institution in Britain. "They were very impressed with the Indian commission's work," he added.
Lord Dholakia is also optimistic about Indian youth, saying he was most impressed by the fact that thousands of educated Indians were being sought after all over the world for their technical skills.
His party is enjoying an upswing in British politics after years in the wilderness and is bidding for an improved showing in the next general election, particularly because the Conservative Party is seen to be in a state of disarray.
Having strongly opposed the Iraq war, the Liberal Democrats have increased their popularity rating from 12.5 percentile points in 2000 to between 18 and 20 percentile points. There are now more Liberal members of parliament than at any time since 1927. The party also has the largest number of MPs at the European Parliament.
