Piara Singh Khabra, MP 2005
Southall-Ealing- Labour Party

London, June 19, 2007: Piara Khabra, parliament's oldest MP, has died at the age of 82.

The Labour MP for Ealing Southall was one of the first Asian MPs to be elected to parliament. He had been undergoing treatment for liver problems at Hammersmith Hospital, west London.

London, May 05, 2005: NRI Piara Singh Khabra, most senior politicians MP in UK elected again as British Parliament 2005.

NRI Piara Singh Khabra, one of its most senior politicians MP in UK
feels disillusioned by racism within his governing Labour Party

London, June 14, 2004
Manjinder Singh

Nearly 50 yrs in UK and 12 years as an MP, Khabra has broken his long silence on the issue to hit out at what he says is Labour's willingness to vote for legislation to ban racism, even as many of its MPs have themselves got this attitude, this germ within their heads. He claimed many members of the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) show in their behaviour their (racial) prejudice.

For examples from his own daily life in parliament, Khabra alleged that if he were sitting in the House of Commons dining room having lunch all by himself, his white Labour parliamentary colleagues would simply pass on by. They would prefer to join a white opposition Conservative party MP, rather than sit with him, Khabra claimed. Even women Labour MPs were often more discriminatory.

He is proud of India, proud of his land of adoption, the UK, and overall proud to be a Punjabi. Mr. Khabra belongs to Kaharpur village in Hoshiarpur district. and was born November 20, 1924; educated Punjab University (SA Social Services, BEd Teaching). Trades Union: Member, MSF Armed Forces, Served Indian Armed Corps 1942-46, Profession: Teacher- Councils,. He has served as Councillor, London Borough of Ealing, Chairman Indian Workers'Association Southall, Middlesex. His interests include: International Development; Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; and Home Affairs. His special interests are: Employment, Education, Race Relations, and European Affairs.

Piara Khabra says: On his proudest achievement in parliament since 1997: "I have always campaigned against racial discrimination and I spoke in the House of Commons on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report and the race relations amendment bill. I also support Labour's commitment to assisting poor nations as a member of the select committee for international development." He bitterly likened Britain's newly- strengthened Race Relations laws and stringent public policing of anti-racism to India's constitutional attempt to ban casteism. "Still there are many (Indian) people who regard (the Scheduled Castes) as lower beings. That's the way it is here," he alleged.