British Indian community invites UK PM Starmer to pay respects to Lord Basaveshwara

London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been invited to join the British Indian community in paying respects to Lord Basaveshwara, the 12th-century poet-saint revered for his contributions to social justice, democracy and upliftment of the underprivileged, the community members said.

The invitation was extended by Dr Neeraj Patil, former Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth, recently on behalf of the British Indian community and The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation. The foundation is responsible for the installation of the statue of Lord Basaveshwara, which stands opposite the British Parliament.

The statue of Lord Basaveshwara holds great significance for the Indian community in the UK as it was the first statue conceptually approved by the British Cabinet in 2013. It is also the first statue in the UK to be unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated it on November 14, 2015.

The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation has been instrumental in preserving and promoting the values of Lord Basaveshwara.