{"id":41556,"date":"2024-10-25T21:12:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T17:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=41556"},"modified":"2024-10-31T20:58:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T16:58:54","slug":"lord-raj-loomba-from-rural-punjab-to-the-house-of-lords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/lord-raj-loomba-from-rural-punjab-to-the-house-of-lords\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord Raj Loomba: From Rural Punjab to the House of Lords"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letter from New Delhi<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

By Kul Bhushan<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Having led a privileged life, from growing up in the small town of Dhilwan in Punjab to becoming an active member of the House of Lords in London, Lord Raj Loomba has established an international charity helping widows worldwide and built a multi-million business.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two traumatic events significantly impacted Lord Loomba, which he recounted at the launch of his autobiography, Widows Warrior<\/em>, in New Delhi recently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>Guest of Honour Sir Tony Blair joined over 300 attendees at The Loomba Foundation\u2019s 25th Anniversary Gala, including Cherie Blair, President of The Loomba Foundation. The event raised over \u00a360,000 to support women and their dependents fleeing Ukraine. Pic – Loomba Foundation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn 23 June 1954, when I was only ten, my father passed away,\u201d he recalled. \u201cAlthough he had been ill with TB for some time, it was still a massive shock, as it transformed our lives instantly. That same day, my grandmother told my mother to remove her bindi (the mark on the forehead of a married woman) and to wear only plain clothes from then on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother had always worn beautiful clothes and jewellery, living a full life caring for seven children. In no way was my father\u2019s death her fault, yet her standing in society changed forever that day. I was too young to understand what was happening, but I knew it was completely unfair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy father had left us sufficient resources to live on. Years later, I realized how fortunate we were, as many widows who lose their breadwinner are cast into abject poverty. Even in our position, we faced significant challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother had never been to school, but my father was educated. Their dream was for all their children to receive an education. After my father died, my mother resolved not to spend her money on luxuries but to devote herself to making that dream come true by ensuring all seven of us, boys and girls, received a good education.<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, this meant moving to America to live with my eldest brother while studying at Iowa State University. Narendra, who had become an assistant professor there, opened my eyes to living without servants and working hard to make ends meet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1962, I joined my mother and other family members who had moved to England. A year later, I went north to Lancashire, where my uncle Sat Paul Jerath became my next mentor, helping me to set up a fashion textiles business.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting small, the business grew into a multi-million, multi-national corporation as a major importer and distributor, achieved through sheer hard work despite numerous setbacks. After establishing myself in business, I returned to India in 1966 with my mother to find a bride.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second major turning point in my life occurred during my wedding ceremony. Right in the middle, the priest asked my mother to move away from the altar, fearing her presence would bring bad luck to the new couple.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would not have it,\u201d I said. \u201cHow could my mother, who dedicated her life to ensuring that we were educated and had a chance to succeed, bring us bad luck? It was a moment that inspired me years later in my campaign to eradicate discrimination against widows.<\/span><\/p>\n

“After my mother, Shrimati Pushpawati Loomba, sadly passed away, I pondered how to pay tribute to her legacy. The idea was sparked by Mr Ajit Doval, now India\u2019s National Security Adviser, who suggested I establish a charity for war widows. Dr Singhvi, the High Commissioner to whom I had grown close, became my mentor in setting up the Loomba Foundation and generating support from the Indian and British governments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe established the charity in 1997, initially focusing on educating the children of disadvantaged widows. We aimed to educate one hundred children in each state of India, and with the support of partners, including our Patron in Chief, Sir Richard Branson, we achieved that within eight years.<\/span><\/p>\n

“However, it became clear that the plight of widows extended beyond India; it was a global issue. In 2005, we launched International Widows Day in the House of Lords to draw attention to it.”<\/p>\n

Lord Raj Loomba paid special tribute to Ms Cherie Blair, who attended the official launch of the charity in London in 1998 with her husband, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and agreed to become the charity’s patron. \u201cCherie has been one of the most loyal, selfless supporters of this cause. In 2004, she agreed to become President of the Loomba Foundation, and after launching International Widows Day, we worked together to garner support from world leaders until, in 2010, the General Assembly unanimously adopted 23 June as an official UN day of action.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a source of great pride for me, as 23 June was also the date my mother became a widow in 1954.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2015, we published the World Widows Report, revealing the scale of the challenge: nearly a billion widows and dependents are affected by discrimination globally. Unless we address this issue effectively, we will never achieve the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality and poverty eradication.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been my privilege to bring this issue to the policy radar of the international community and to help transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of widows and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout this journey, Lord Raj Loomba has received numerous accolades, including the Hind Ratna Award from the Lok Sabha Speaker, commendation from Prince Charles at the Golden Jubilee banquet in 1997, the Asian of the Year award, and praise from global leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi for empowering widows in Varanasi.<\/p>\n

His autobiography, Widow Warrior<\/em>, details his journey, but the story is far from over. Next March, he will be at the UN in New York advocating for more global research on widows to drive effective policy interventions.<\/p>\n

Despite all these achievements, Lord Loomba remains humble and approachable, often moved to tears when reflecting on the two traumatic events that uplifted the lives of thousands of widows globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is needed is happening.\u201d \u2013 Osho<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Anand Kul Bhushan is a writer, journalist, UN media consultant and workshop\/meditation leader.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 25 October 2024<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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