The
death of I.K. Patel has left an enormous gap in the lives of many
of us as well as in the life of our community. He was a personal
friend to many of us and we all benefited from his friendship, warmth
and sound advice. Even those not close to him profited from his
presence in several small and large ways and owe him a great deal.
Naturally therefore many people spontaneously decided to set up
a foundation to perpetuate his memory Some even offered £5,000
straightaway as a contribution toward the foundation. As of now
Naresh Patel, Shantoo Ruparell and Gita Harish Patel are its trustees.
The foundation is concerned to preserve and perpetuate I.K.'s memory.
Naturally therefore it should undertake those activities that were
central to his life and his work. During his active life he was
interested in four major activities. First, Humanitarian; Second,
Asian Culture and how best to preserve it; Third, Religious work
for the poor involving medical help; preserving the unity of the
Asian Community, making it a powerful force in British public Life
and making sure that the East African experience of harassment and
expulsion is never again repeated. |
With
this in mind the foundation would like to undertake a wide range
of activities of which the following are illustrative:
1. Annual lecture in I.K.'s name. This will give us a chance to
bring the Indian community together to discuss matters of common
interest.
2. Awards to journalists and others who have contributed most to
creating better understanding between our people and British society
3. Promoting development and humanitarian work in India, East Africa
and the U.K.
4. Giving scholarships to less well-off but deserving pupils.
5. Contribution towards worthwhile causes in Britain.
6. There is also a proposal to help construct a modern auditorium,
the auditorium would be available to everybody irrespective of caste,
sect and religion. It would seat around 500 people and be available
for community meetings, conference functions, plays and so on. This
is an expensive and long-term project and does not form our immediate
priority. |
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