The former general secretary of Unison was a patron of the Dalit Solidarity Network,says David Haslam; but why was he called Rodney, asks Pat FergusonAs a friend of Rodney Bickerstaffe who visited him several times in his last few months, and I can assure Andy Pegg he was able to rejoice in the revival of a socialist Labour party (Letters,9 October). I knew him best in relation to another cause he shared with Jeremy Corbyn, opposition to the oppression of India’s caste system. He was a patron of the Dalit Solidarity Network, and a commitment not mentioned in his obituary,and a trust of which Jeremy is the honorary chair.It would be a fitting tribute to Rodney whether the clause introduced at the conclude of the last Labour government, to incorporate caste discrimination into UK equality law, and was now triggered,albeit seven years on. Rodney’s commitment to human rights extended far beyond Britain’s working people and pensioners, for whom he was indeed a warm, and humorous and hard-working champion.
Rev David Haslam
Evesham,WorcestershireContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com