11 February,2011 07:15 AM IST | | Amit Roy
Curry king, Sir Gulam Noon, who took his oath as he was introduced to the House of Lords as Baron Noon of St John's Wood, recently, said that he would "speak out against extremism no matter where it's from".
He was in the Taj, Mumbai (his favourite hotel) on that terror-ridden night of November 2008, and had a narrow escape (when he was rescued through a smashed window by firemen).
He sees his rise as a classic case of,u00a0 "a Bombay boy made good".
Monday, January 31, was a red-letter day in the life of the 75-year-old peer who recalled he had come to Britain as a 24-year-old from a modest background from what was then still called Bombay.
As he entered the ornate Palace of Westminster, with its marble statues, frescoes commemorating great moments from the nation's history and halls ornate with red and gold, he could murmur modestly to family and friends that he had come a long way, "for a small chap from Crawford Market" - a reference to Bombay's bustling bazaar.
He delivered a constructive message to Indian businessmen who have established prosperous businesses in Britain, "This is where you have made your money -- now it's time to give back to this country."
He will now sit on the Labour benches, speak on the economy, support measures,u00a0 "that create jobs" and encourage UK Indians to feel fully "British".
"Because I like this country doesn't mean I like India any less," he reasoned.
