Syed Nahas Pasha
London, June 10 (bdnews24.com)--The first Bengali MP in the British Parliament Rushanara Ali took her first foray into the world of Parliamentary debates by making her maiden Speech in the House of Commons in a debate about the economy and jobs.
It is parliamentary convention that MPs cannot join in debates until they have made their maiden or first speech.
Rushanara, the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said, "I feel proud to be one of the three Muslim women MPs elected to this parliament, and the first person of British-Bengali heritage to be elected to this House. It's a privilege to be Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, a place described as the heart and soul of the great country."
Rushanara said to her fellow MP's, "At a time of great national scepticism about this institution, I can assure you that for millions in Bangladesh where I was born, this Parliament was always a beacon of democracy and self-determination. And they see it so today. The power of this house to inspire and to do good is undimmed."
She said her constituency sits between the glittering towers of the City of London and Canary Wharf, and a stone's throw from the Olympic village. The Olympics have the potential, she said, to deliver an unparalleled opportunity, and a sea-change in attitudes towards our country, our pride, and our sporting ability.
"And yet many of my constituents remain unconvinced that they will benefit from the job opportunities or its legacy. That's why I will fight to create jobs the in East End, with or without the help of this Government."
" I will fight for school leavers to get a foot in the door I will fight for graduates who have worked hard for years only to be told that their skills aren't wanted; I will fight for jobs for parents with families to support. I don't doubt that there will be difficult choices and tough times ahead. But I'm convinced that keeping unemployment to a minimum should be a first priority not an afterthought."
It's customary in maiden parliamentary speeches to pay tribute to one's predecessor. Rushanara said, "In my case, it is the inimitable George Galloway. His great oratory was admired by many even when they passionately disagreed with him."
She said one thing on which she certainly did agree with him was over calls for peace in the Middle East and an end to the blockade of Gaza.
She also paid tribute to her Labour predecessors Oona King and the Peter Shore, Lord of Stepney. "Oona King was a hard working and dedicated constituency MP, who for almost a decade campaigned for East Enders from all communities. She fought for people who suffered from appalling housing conditions," she said.
Remembering the late Lord Peter Shore of Stepney who was MP during the Bangladesh liberation war she said, "He had a special place in the hearts of Bengalis – and especially among my parents generation - for the way that he led Members on all sides of this House to speak up for the fight for democracy in the war of independence for Bangladesh in 1971".
"I'm only sorry he isn't here today to see someone born in the country he supported, brought up and educated in the constituency he represented, elected to this British Parliament, having been given that most precious of gifts – an education and a passport to opportunity."
"My passion for Bethnal Green and Bow is about the place, the people and our political heritage."
She urged her fellow MP's to go the East End and visit places like the Whitechapel Gallery, Columbia Road flower Market or Spitalfields Market near Brick Lane.
"Brick Lane has for many in this country iconic status both for its vibrancy and cultural activity and for its extraordinary history. For being the place that provided a home to many waves of migrants – from the Huguenots, to the Jews, the Irish, Pakistanis, Bengalis, Somalis and many others – manifested poignantly in the Brick Lane Jame Masjid – built by the French Huguenots, for Christian worshippers, later converted to a Synagogue and now a mosque reflecting the different waves of people who built a home in this great nation of ours and who have contributed so much to this country."
Rushanara said, those giants from the past still reach out and touch her own generation of East Enders.
"For me personally – I got my first break working for the author of the 1945 Labour manifesto – Michael Young, who was a close colleague of Clement Attlee, who volunteered at the famous Toynbee Hall, and was the Mayor of Stepney."
She said, she wanted to speak today on behalf of those who face a rough few years ahead. "Already unemployment nationally is 8%. In Bethnal Green and Bow it's almost 11%. And that is before the savage cuts in public spending. Whatever euphemism is used – deficit reduction, fiscal consolidation – the result will be further unemployment - that will ruin thousands of people's lives," she said
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