Jack Straw receives Fenner Brockway Medal at LFIN

London, Nov 15 (UNI) Jack Straw, leader of the House of Common was given the esteemed Fenner Brockway Medal, instituted this year for ''lovers of India'', at the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) annual luncheon by Margaret Beckett, his successor in the Foreign Office.

The medal is named after Lord Fenner Brockway to commemorate his achievements as an ''outstanding Labour activist'' who was born in colonial India in 1888 but later dedicated his life to campaigning for the independence of the country from British rule. He became an active member of the India League and helped to establish the People's Congress Against Imperialism and was also the founder of the Movement for Colonial Freedom, which attracted Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Chair of LFIN, Stephen Pound, MP, said Mr Straw was the first Foreign Secretary to declare support for India for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, and the foundations laid in the Foreign Office by him continue to be ''built on today, and we are reaping his and the Government's vision''. His personal association with India is well-known.

''Straw deserves the honour named after a man who is remembered for his love for India and for campaigning for its independence at a time when to do so was not only unfashionable but dangerous.'' Coincidentally Mr Straw received the medal, an ''invaluable contribution to the relationship between India and the UK'', just days before he leaves for India.

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