Diwali celebrated with gusto at the British Foreign Office

H.S. Rao

London, Oct 16 (PTI) Diwali, the Hindu festival of
lights symbolising victory of good over evil, was celebrated
in grand style in the chandelier-lit ornate Locarno Suite of
the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office here Wednesday
night.

Harriet Harman, Queen's Counsel (Q.C.), Leader of the
House of Commons was the chief guest, in the absence of Prime
Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband who
are away in Brussels.

Addressing a large gathering of ministers, Lords,
Members of Parliament (M.P.s) and community leaders, Harriet
said, "I am absolutely delighted to see such a large gathering
from different parts of the U.K., congregated at the foreign
office to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali."

The Prime Minister would have attended the event but
for the fact that he was helping in Brussels to put together
"an international plan to stabilise the global economy in this
trying time," she added.

Lord Swraj Paul, leading Non Resident Indian (N.R.I.)
industrialist and British Ambassador for Overseas Business,
complimented the Asian community for their achievements in
various fields.

Praising M.P. Keith Vaz and the Hindu Forum of
Britain, for organising the event in such a grand scale, Lord
Paul said, "from House of Commons, this time you have moved
the event to the Foreign Office and next time we don't know
where it will be held."

Labour M.P. Patricia Hewitt noted that the celebration
of the Hindu festival in the British Foreign Office shows to
what extent the Indo-British relations have grown.

She was all praise for the way India has tackled its
economy in the current global economic crisis. "Now no one
dare tell India how to runs its economy," she said.

She was also happy that Indian investment in the U.K.
was growing substantially.