India India   

Nirj Deva is Chairmen of the Europe-India Chamber of Commerce

Founder and Vice President of the European Parliament India Group

He has worked for 30 years with the Sikh, Hindu, and Moslem Indian communities in London. He championed the right of Sikhs to wear their turbans, Muslims to have their traditions and customs protected, and Hindus to build temples.
He has contributed to inter-faith forums, and has established an inter-faith forum in the European Parliament.

He is a Patron of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)

He worked to secure aid from Europe for the victims of the Gujarat earthquake.

He has secured European aid for computers in schools

In 2004 he was the key-note speaker at a major conference on Child Labour and Education in Hyderabad.

Nirj Deva visited India at the time of cross-border incursions in 1999 on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan to encourage and assist both sides to respect the LoC. He met with the President of India, HE Dr Narayanan and the Prime Minister, the Hon Mr Vajpayee.

During the Gujarat Earthquake he accelerated humanitarian assistance through the European Union Humanitarian Aid office to the thousands made homeless and in need of food, water, and shelter. He also worked with the Indian Red Cross led by Hon Murali Deora, Member of the Raj Sabha, to provide portable clinics around the Rann of Kutch to treat the victims.

During the floods in Orissa he again accelerated relief efforts by getting ECHO to act immediately.

Nirj was an integral part of the campaign to bring freedom to the deaf and dumb charity worker Ian Stillman, who was imprisoned in 1999. Following those efforts, Stillman was released in December 2002.

Recently Nirj Deva met with the Indian Ambassador to the European Union, HE Mr P K Singh, to discuss the India-Kashmir situation, and furthering trade links between the EU and India.
 



With Sri K.R. Narayanan
(President of India 1997-2002)


With Hon. A.B. Vajpayee
(Prime Minister of India 1998-2004)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Question to the European Commission: Given the ongoing concerns about the case of Ian Stillman, a British charity worker who has been facing trial in Shilma, India, a trial that has been delayed on numerous occasions, what has the Commission done to apply pressure to the Indian Government so as to ensure this case is heard fairly and quickly? Particularly in the light of the fact that that Mr Stillman is profoundly deaf and is one-legged. He has recently been moved into a cell that is too small to fit his wheelchair.

Response from the European Commission (Mr Patten)

The Commission is aware of the case of Mr Ian Stillman, a disabled charity worker who has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment in India. It fully shares the concerns of the honourable member over the circumstances of his arrest and his detention conditions.

Before Mr Stillman's appeal trial was due (on 24 September 2001), the Commission had, via its Delegation in New Delhi, written to the Indian National Human Rights Commission for an update on his health and detention conditions.

The Commission's Delegation was informed that Mr Stillman's case is being followed by M. S.C. Verma, Registrar, who has contacted the District Magistrate of Nahan, the district where Mr Stillman is being detained. A further update on his detention conditions is awaited.

The Commission has also discussed Mr Stillman's case with representatives from the organisation "Fair Trials Abroad", who visited Brussels this September.

Now that the Indian authorities seem to have delayed the appeal, the Commission will contact the Indian Human Rights Commission again and will continue to closely follow the developments in this case.