Recently Dr Arun Vaidyanathan, one of Asian Voice’s most diligent and dedicated letter writers passed away. It is not only a sad loss for me but also for our readers as well. I am thankful to his daughter Rajini (BBC correspondent in Washington DC) who has sent us a personal obituary at my request - CB Patel
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My father left India for the UK in May 1966, departing by ship from what was then Bombay, to take up a doctoral scholarship at Leeds University.
He had just seventy-five pounds in his pocket, but a brain like no other.
By the end of his lifetime he had picked up a total of 9 degrees and postgraduate diplomas, and accomplished so much more.
He was a quiet crusader, and in the nearly half a century he spent in England, he devoted himself to public service.
“As a local parish councillor, I am trying to do the job for the benefit of local residents,” he wrote in a letter, I recently found.
For more than 3 decades he made a lasting impact in Milton Keynes, be it by helping to set up the MK Council for Racial Equality, or working to improve local schools. He was the first Asian school governor in the area, serving as one for decades. He sat on MK health advisory boards, volunteered as a prison custody visitor with the local police, and bettered the lives of those around him by spearheading local campaigns as a councillor.
My father also had a passion for writing letters, many of you will have read those he penned for Asian Voice, as well as local and national publications. His succinct and stylish prose would always provoke a discussion, whether his chosen topic was Indian politics, the environment or education.
He never told us why he loved this so much, but having read many of his letters in recent days I think I’ve figured out why. It gave my father a voice, a chance to highlight some of the campaigns and causes he cared so deeply about, a chance to right wrongs and highlight injustice.
My father’s activism was set in the backdrop of a different era. When he arrived in the UK in the 1960s, racism was far more prevalent. Despite experiencing discrimination on so many levels, he worked to eradicate prejudice, and never let us - his children - believe anything was impossible.
“I am involved in race relations for more than 25 years, and due to institutional racism it was very difficult to get into some public sector organisations in spite of my educational qualifications and experience,” he once wrote, “BMES are underrepresented in senior positions and I am fighting for them.”
Dad fought for everyone, but he lost the ultimate battle after several years of treatment for multiple myeloma.
Our parents celebrated their fourtieth wedding anniversary last October – all of us got together for a day we will never forget. He and our mother were a perfect match. They enjoyed going to Indian classical concerts, watching Tamil movies and visiting their children. Their emphasis on education and career was passed onto us - they raised a dentist, doctor and journalist – most importantly in a loving and warm home.
Two years ago, Dad became a grandfather. We hope the generations which follow will live by his values and ideals.
In this current selfie age where lives are played out online and the importance of human interaction has lessened, my father is a reminder that immersing yourself in your local community has an enduring value.
He died with us all at his bedside, not before asking us what the cricket score was!
We will forever miss him.
