Introduction

This is a collection of speeches and essays by Niranjan (Nirj) Deva.

He is the first person in history to be born in one continent (Asia), to be elected to parliament in another continent (UK) and then elected to represent that country as a member of a multi-national Parliament (the European Parliament). He was born in 1948 in Sri Lanka to a Catholic family of Rajasthani descent and has been awarded the title of “Vishwa Keerthi Sri Lanka Abhimani,” by the Buddhist clergy in recognition of his services to Sri Lanka. He speaks Sinhalese and English, and is married to Indra - a French-speaking Mauritian, and has one son. He holds Sri Lankan and British Citizenship, and is very much a citizen of the modern world.

He was endowed from birth with the legacy of the ancient civilisations of the East, and was influenced in later life by one of the great civilisations of the West.

He became Chairman in 1981 of the Bow Group (a leading British political think-tank), and initiated the Transatlantic Conferences between the Conservative Party (Bow Group) and the Republican Party/Heritage Foundation, in Washington in 1981. He was a Member of the Council of the Royal Commonwealth Society 1976-80. He was Chairman of the UK Department of Transport/National Consumer Council Committee on de-regulation of Air-Transport whose Report, published by the UK Government in March 1986 resulted in the low-fare airlines of Europe, which have brought affordable travel to millions.

In the European Parliament he has focussed on overseas Development, where he serves as coordinator for the majority EPP-ED party on the Development Committee. In 2005 he was the author of the Committee’s Report on the European Union’s multi-billion dollar Development Budget.

Some of his recent tasks include working for the effective application of aid given to the areas devastated by the Tsunami. He was actually in Sri Lanka when the Tsunami hit the coast in December 2004, and witnessed the devastation and human suffering it caused. He immediately convened meetings in the European Parliament with Ambassadors from all the affected countries, together with NGOs, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and many others, to improve aid delivery and support.

In 1985 Nirj Deva became the first Asian-born person to be appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the ancient office of Deputy Lord Lieutenant for London. He is Chairman of the Europe-India Chamber of Commerce, and is Ambassador Without Portfolio for Sri Lanka. He is also Chairman of the EU-Indonesia group, developing good relations with the largest Moslem democracy in the world.

In April 2005 he led the European Parliament’s delegation to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York, and delivered a paper on the future of the United Nations at the US Council on Foreign Relations. In July 2005 he led the European Parliament’s delegation to the UN High-level Conference on global aid funding. In September 2005 he was Co-Chairman (with Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of France) of the European Parliaments' Delegation to the World Summit at the United Nations 60th General Assembly.

On 18th February 2006 Nirj Deva addressed 2 million people at the Jakkuur airfield, Bangalore.