Labour party nominee vows to be the ‘voice’ of Indians

“There is a large Indian community in Britain and they need to be heard. They need a voice and I plan to be that voice,” said Patil, who is pitched against Conservative Education Minister Michal Gove in the parliamentary elections, due to be held in May 2009.

Patil, who is in India at the moment on a visit to his ancestral village Kamalapur in Gulbarga district in Karnataka, told PTI that if elected, his priority would be to ensure quality, safe and easy accessibility to health care for the Indian community and the general voters.

Strengthening of Indo-UK ties would be on top of the list, Neeraj said, adding that he would take up the issue of equality and social justice if elected to Parliament.

“The Indian community in Britain must positively contribute to the development of society. For this, each with potential must be given a fair opportunity,” he said.

The first timer in parliamentary polls said he would highlight the successful track record of the Labour party as against the “failure” of the Conservatives when in power.

Neeraj joins the ranks of popular parliamentarians of Indian origin including Plara Khabra and Keith Vaz by contesting a parliamentary seat in Britain.

Neeraj have spent 14 years serving in 25 hospitals across UK. A consultant at Kingston Hospital in London, he was elected as councillor of Lambeth council in London in 2006, where 38 per cent of population are ethnic minorities.

His work as a councillor, which included improving civic life, education and security, among others, earned him recognition and got him chosen to contest the parliamentary polls.

Neeraj completed his MBBS from M R Medical College, Gulbarga in 1992 and worked for some time in the Osmania Medical college before going to the UK for further studies.

In UK he joined the Labour party in 1996 and slowly climbed up the ranks. “My professional career and political career always moved parallel”, he said.

Asked whether he had ever participated in political activity back home in India, Neeraj recollects leading a rally, demanding better life saving equipment in government hospitals, which, he claimed, was a success.

Neeraj, who makes an annual visit to his home town, where his grandfather Shankar Shetty once served as Congress MLA in the 1950’s, said that in view of the coming polls in Karnataka, he plans to “bring the Westminster model of democracy” to his little village of Kamlapur in the district.

Back in Westminster in the UK, he plans to bring all the candidates on a common platform and hold a debate on a range of subjects and invite the general public and media to pose questions to them.

“This will help people know the candidates and what they think”, Patil, who does not have any political affiliations here, said.

Asked whether he ever thought of contesting polls in India, Neeraj quipped, “Who me? No”.

Taking a potshot at Indian politics, he said political recruitment and political funding were the two things that influenced Indian politics. The service delivery system was affected because those funding elections were from various lobbies, including real estate and liquor, he pointed out.

The government was therefore influenced in their decision making by these lobbies.

Recruitment, Neeraj said, should be based on experience, understanding of the political machinery of the state and capability in administration, unlike today when those in power were appointed by the High Command.