I have often thought that people who have lived a full life should make a
record of what happened to them over their lifetime, if only for their
children and grandchildren and their wider family, some of them as yet
unborn. Now that I am getting on in years I thought it might be of interest to
my family, my friends and perhaps the wider community, if I put down a few
reminiscences of my early life in Kashmir and the many years I have spent
here in England.

I have called these memoirs “Made in England” because I have always felt that my life became fulfilled once I settled in England, and more specifically in Sheffield. Virtually all my married life was lived here, my children were all born here and they all went to school here and now play their various parts in British society. Perhaps I was predestined to come to England because my name, Walayat, means England in Urdu, although I can never forget that the formative influence on my life was growing up in rural poverty in Jammu Kashmir. There I took advantage of the opportunities for an education that were fortunately open to me; opportunities that changed my young life and enabled me to advance.

I would also like these memoirs to be a record of how a generation of people from Pakistan came to Britain in the Sixties and Seventies and built a
new future for their families. At the same time they were contributing to their
new country by their hard work in factories, transport and commerce, and
then, like me, many got involved in the politics and institutions of Britain.
I always believed that if I was to live in Britain I must put down roots and,
in my case, get elected to the City Council and later to serve on the Police
Authority. I am particularly proud of my involvement with the Police, where I
believe I have been able to play a very positive role in securing better understanding,
and therefore better policing, between an immigrant community and the Police.

At the same time I always had a clear duty to help my own community,
whether it was dealing with complex problems raised by an individual, or
whether it was establishing our own institutions like the Pakistan Muslim
Centre, the Darnall Housing Co-operative or the Sheffield Ethic Minorities
Advice Project, created to support all the immigrant communities in our city.
I was determined to live a life worth living, and I have tried to capture in
these few chapters some of the issues, problems, triumphs and successes that
I have been involved in along the way.

My thanks are due to many people who have played a large part in my
personal story. First and foremost to my beloved wife, who so sadly died in
2006 and to whom I dedicate this book. Then my four children who have
honoured me by their love, support and the various successes they have
achieved so far in their lives. To a great number of friends and colleagues, both
English and Asian, with whom I have worked, perhaps crossed swords with on
occasions, but always tried to remain on good terms at the end of the day.
One of those friends whom I have known for over twenty years, John
Cornwell, has helped me get my thoughts and recollections down onto paper.

For several months we have had regular weekly sessions talking over the
phases of my life. Then John would go away and write up all that we discussed
and have a draft ready for the following week. My thanks are also due to my
son, Kashaf, who has arranged for the publication of these memoirs and Dr.
Peter Beeley, a Life Fellow of Leeds University; who has done the proofreading.
My especial thanks to David Blunkett for the very generous Foreword that
he has written to this book. He was the Leader of the Sheffield City Council
when I was first elected and, although he then moved on to higher things, he
was always supportive of me even when he was a very busy Home Secretary
serving in the Cabinet.

Finally, my thanks to Jenny Sayles and Terry Cooper of Sheaf Graphics,
who have done such a splendid job printing the book, designing the cover and
including all the numerous photos that we have selected.

By Dr. Choudry M. Walayat MBE

http://www.walayatfamily.com

Copyright 2009 - Dr. Choudry M. Walayat MBE

You May contact Choudry Walayat on his Mobile - 07941016417 (UK)

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All rights reserved. No part of this online book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanised, by photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent.

Online Copy Published by Nadeem Walayat - Contact admin@"REMOVE"walayatfamily.com

Hard Copy Published by Kashaf Walayat - ISBN Number 978-0-9560445-0-1 - Contact on Mob. No. 0044 7766 22 1006

All facts and opinions in this book are the sole responsibility of Dr. Choudry M. Walayat. The book has been written in co-operation with John Cornwell, who produced the final texts of the chapters of the book.