As I have pointed out before on this blog and in debates, it is not a new idea and it is not just a western concept. The Indian Government removed the East Pakistan government from what is now Bangladesh; the Vietnamese removed Pol Pot and Tanzania removed Idi Amin.

The struggle is like the campaign against the 19^th century slave trade. Strongly opposed by many at first but it came to be seen as morally correct. The campaign against extreme dictators is similar. Yes – There are definition problems but no one can have many doubts about the extreme cases. Our problem is redefining international law to allow it to take place – just like we redefined the law relating to the slave trade.

The Rt Hon Lord Howel of Guildford replied for the Government:

The UK’s development cooperation with India provides a platform to discuss issues of governance, personal security and human development with the Government of India and individual state governments.

(a) The Department for International  Development (DFID) has recently discussed the legal system and remedies for domestic and personal violence with the State Government of Bihar, where high levels of violence against women have been reported.

(b) We are encouraged that the 2009 Right to Education Act came into effect in India in April 2010.  DFID maintains a regular dialogue with the Government of India and the States on implementing the Right to Education Act of 2009.  DFID is supporting the Act through a £50 million contribution to India’s flagship Education for All programme.

(c)  DFID is helping to protect the health and personal security of millions of sex workers across India by supporting India’s National AIDS Control Programme.

(d) Although we have not discussed police training in relation to human trafficking with the Government of India, we work closely with state governments on police training.  For example, DFID is currently in discussion  the Government of Bihar regarding the inclusion of police reform activities under the Bihar Governance Project.  The EU also funded a project from 2006-2010 which focused on assisting children vulnerable to or survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.  In addition, through the EU, we continue to encourage India to ratify and implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime  and its Protocol on People Trafficking.

October 2010

What is in store for us in 2009?  As I previously mentioned, the legislative load is not a large one, at least not on the face of it, though we will be busy with some omnibus bills.   What will be more to the fore, I suspect, will be the issues on which we will doubtless be having a range of ministerial statements.  Given the economic and international situations, Treasury minister Lord Myners and Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown will be busy at the dispatch box.  We have the benefit that both are well qualified in their respective fields.  Given the membership of the House, the questioning will be informed.  It is a depressing thought, though, that in addition to the economic crisis, there remain various critical situations in different parts of the globe.  The danger is that as one dominates the headlines, the others tend to decline in public consciousness.   When the House resumes, we will doubtless have statements on the situation in the Middle East as well as in Afghanistan.   Other troublespots include Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (on which we had a debate shortly before the Christmas recess), Iran, and Burma.  There is also the strained relationship between Pakistan and India.  Regrettably, the list is not exhaustive. 

Though we get little attention, I hope our discussion of such situations will nonetheless contribute to ensuring that none of the issues fades from the political agenda.  We are a scrutinising chamber.  I hope very much that we remain a vigilant one.

Many years have passed since Roy Plomley first introduced Desert Island Discs on the BBC. The sound of breaking waves, with seagulls in the background, has always remained in my memory.
Imagine my surprise when Ann & I were invited by Ravi Mehotra CBE on his Indian Ocean cruise as a guest lecturer. It was a journey of a life-time, cruising to Lakshadweep islands which lie in the hub of the Arabian – African – Asian trade routes.
How many of us can identify the location of these islands on a map?
Most of us have heard of the Maldives but few realise that there are a series of islands in the Indian Ocean. They provide the quintessential uninhabited paradise with sun drenched coral sand beaches, coconut palms swaying in the wind, lapped by the gentle waters of naturally formed lagoons. These are the worlds most spectacular tropical island systems, tucked away about 180 miles off the Malabar Coast of India. There are 36 Islands and each one is fringed by white coral sands. The water is crystal clear and the rich marine life is a joy to watch.
The 14 day cruise began in Goa with stops at Mangalore, the island of Suheli, Cochin, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Trivandrum and the island of Cheriyam before finishing back in Goa. Suheli and Cheriyam are uninhabited islands in the Lakshadweep system. Darwin theorised that the base of the islands below the reef is volcanic over which the coral settled. In 1799 the islands were annexed to the British East India Company but they became Indian Union territory in 1956. The only commercial crop is coconuts. Slow-moving sea cucumbers, shelled molluscs, hermit crabs, shrimp and lobsters inhabit the reefs with dolphins, turtles, rays and even flying fish making occasional appearances.
The islands were a magnet for a care free life. Almost all the facilities including a beach barbecue and cold drink containers were transported from the ship to shore. It was a real treat to sit and drink and relax amongst this stunning and largely untouched splendour.
But then it wasn’t simply the islands. To and fro we went down India’s coastline touching wonderful places like Cochin in Kerala
Old Cochin centres around Mattancherry Palace, where the nearby fort lies in ruins. Mattancherry Palace was presented to the Raja of Kochi by the Portuguese in 1557 in exchange for trading rights and it served as a backdrop for coronations of the Cochin Rajas.
We stayed in Colombo, Sri Lanka for two days. It is a beautiful and diverse city. Rather than visiting the Elephant Orphanage, a wonderful tour that we have done before, we enjoyed the hospitality at the Mt Lavinia Hotel. Many cameras have clicked here to photograph the stunning sunset for which the hotel is famous.
The cruise was full of other activities. Visiting Captain Mirko Vranicic on the bridge and being guided into port by Dolphins will remain lasting memories.
Then there were Indian cooking classes, bridge playing and matinee movies, as well as the usual casino, spa and beauty salon and dancing to the ship’s band. On this day I sang for my supper, giving two speeches. The first, ‘From Pier to Peer’, was about my life in politics. The second, ‘An Audience with Lord Dholakia’ was a more general opportunity for guests to talk with me and ask any questions they had.
We very much enjoyed this opportunity to spend our recess in such a relaxing way. It was a pleasure to be on a ship with an informal atmosphere, no dress code, and a friendly, and relatively small, group of other guests. It was also a joy to be able to visit wonderful places with, unusually for us, the time to actually enjoy them.
The world is changing fast. Climate change may mean that some of these islands will disappear over a period of time. To see the vastness of the ocean with the abundance of marine life made me realise how important it is to protect what is left.
This is a legacy we must leave for our children.