SATURDAYTIMES, New Delhi, August 20 1994

Political bigwigs, business tycoons, sports and media stars came together at a gala dinner recently to salute the Asian of the Year --G K Noon, reports Mohini Kent

On July 21 '94 Tony Blair was elected the new leader of the Labour Party and G K Noon was selected the Asian of the Year. Tony Blair stood up in Bloomsbury to make his speech whilst Noon made his not far away in Park Lane. Both men used words like "honour", "courage" and "community”. The two unrelated events may have an astrological tie-up on some higher plane but on the earthly one, it remains for me to tell you more about the second event.

The heat was on for weeks before. Advisors to Jasbir Sachar, publisher of the Asian Who’s Who directory which gives the award, lobbied hard for their preferred candidates. But the canny Sachar kept his own counsel and took his decision in consultation with an editorial panel of seven good men and true.

The pavements of Park Lane buzzed with excitement on that July evening. London frizzled in temperatures of 30'C as expensive cars and black taxis disgorged beautiful bejewelled Asian women and their husbands in formal attire. The great and the good, and the not so good, were all there at the Grosvenor House Hotel. Some had come from as far afield as Birmingham and Bradford for I the annual tribal jamboree.

The Glitterati: Cricketing legend Imran Khan, previous winner of the award, postponed his departure for Germany to be there. He was joined by fellow awardees, the industrialist Swraj Paul, Keith Vaz, MP, and the academician Professor Bhikhu Parekh. Another MP, Nirj Deva, was deep in conversation with the Mayor of Ealing, Virendra Sharma. Mohammad Azharuddin, India's cricket captain, looked fit and tanned. Dr Khalid Hameed, head of Cromwell Hospital and, like Paul, recipient of the Padma Bhushan, was there. Several English guests joined in the celebrations. Lady Maureen Thomas, who is often found working for Indian charities, was on a 15-strong reception committee with Ramola Bachchan, recently dubbed Queen Bee of London's Asian society hostesses. Mrs Vijay Mallya too was seen with Laxmi Shivdasani, a woman entrepreneur with French vineyards.

Big guns of British politics and business mingled with guests: the chief guest Michael Heseltine, Paddv Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and David Sainsbury, chairman of the giant food retailers J Sainsbury plc. Dr L M Singhvi, the Indian High Commissioner left early for another pressing engagement, but he left behind his deputy, K Rajan.

The large ballroom was packed with 450 guests for the sit-down dinner. The mouth-watering menu had melon with summer berries for starters, followed by hot consomme soup, pan-fried chicken breast, veg and a nougatine sorbet basket. While coffee was being served people got up and wandered around - the excitement of the imminent announcement had evidently proved too much.

Mr Heseltine was called upon to announce the winner, “lt gives me great pleasure to present this award to Mr. Noon,” he said. The guests rose as one man to give a standing ovation to Noon as he went up to the dias, with his daughters Zeenat and Zarmine. He received the silver trophy from Heseltine and took his place at the top table between Paddy Ashdown and David Sainsbury. I heard a couple of champagne corks pop jubilantly.

The leonine Heseltine then went on to draw comparisons between himself and Asian entrepreneurs - he is among the richest men in parliament having made a fortune in publishing before joining politics. He professed delight at having met "a real, live film star". It was Vinod Khanna, who had arrived half way through dinner with wife Kavita on his arm. Heseltine added: "He came up to me and said, 'I am looking for a girl'. I drew myself up to my full height and said, 'The department of trade & industry does not provide services of that sort!'." It turns out Khanna's purpose is not a nefarious one: he is in London looking for a co-star for his next film.

Paddy Ashdown, whose habitual stare at some distant horizon reminds me of a big game hunter from the past looking at the wide open spaces of Africa, followed Michael Heseltine on his feet. He called Noon "one of these rare things -a gentleman, a phrase that crosses races, genders and classes," and claimed him as a friend. He added: "You are, Noon, as the Asian of The Year, a great asset to your community, a credit to your society and a joy to your friends."

Glowing Tributes: The Master of Ceremonies got his brief slightly mixed up at this point and mistakenly called upon David Sainsbury 'Member of Parliament' to speak next. Sainsbury joked that he had been trying to get into parliament for years. He recalled how taken aback he was when Noon told him 1989, “you are producing poor Indian ready made meals - I'll show you how to do it properly." Today, Sainsbury’s is the largest customer of Noon Products. Sainsbury praised Noon's "total dedication to quality" and favourably compared his ready-made meals with food from the finest Indian restaurant, which he billed as The Bombay Brasserie. He added; "It's a pleasure to know Noon and to be associated with his success... They could not have selected anyone better".

Tributes to Noon came from leading members of the Asian community, including Keith Vaz, who brought greetings from Tony Blair and Swrai Paul. Paul also narrated an incident from his first visit to Britain in 1949. At Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, a windy corner with people spewing hot air in long monologues, he heard a speaker say, "I was born an Englishman, I have lived as an Englishman and hope to die an Englishman.” Up piped a Punjabi voice from the audience to ask, “What's the matter - don't you have any ambition?"

In his acceptance speech, Noon paid an emotional tribute to his mother. "She was a resilient woman and instilled in us a strong sense of honour - and taught us to fight for it when necessary. She taught me integrity and courage," he said. He added that she set an example of dignity and compassion which he does his best to follow, supporting two family-built hospitals in Rajasthan and endowing a number of scholarships.

About Britain, Noon said. "We know its language, its literature, its parliamentary democracy, all of which have been modifying influences on modern India. We eyen play the British game - cricket." A keen cricketer, he plays regularly with the Noon Products Cricket Club (NPCC). He also heads a special fund raising committee to modernise and expand facilities at the Indian Gymkhana Club in West London, which has seen better days in its 75 years of existence.

He hoped that the next generation of Asians in Britain would be judged on merit and not by the colour of their skins. "Both sides have to work hard to create and maintain a truly harmonious and prosperous multi-national, multi-cultural society,” he said. He signed off emotionally by saying "moments like this make life worth living".

Popularising Indian Food: Noon, 57, is chairman of Noon Products plc. His company produces over a million chilled and frozen meals a month at its high-tech plant in West London, which is spread over 60,000 sq feet. He has contributed greatly to the runaway popularity of Indian food in Britain through dishes such as Chicken Tikka Makhanwalla and Lamb Roganjosh taking care to follow authentic recipes and preserve traditional tastes and flavours. The result is a modern Kamadheenu cow which can feed millions without running dry. Noon's largest customer, with annual billing of £ 10 million, is J Sainsbury plc. Other customers include Waitrose, Birds Eye Wall and the Trusthouse Forte Welcome Break chain of restaurants.

While living in London’s little Venice, Noon retains strong links with India, where he has family and an ancestral home in Rajasthan. In addition to Noon Products, he is managing director of Bombay Halwa Ltd (Royal Sweets) and a director of the Taj International Hotels.

"The award is a recognition both of the individual and of the Asian community's contribution to this country" said Jasbir Sachar. Twenty years ago, when he compiled the first edition of the Asian Who's Who, he came up with 170 names with difficulty. Few role models could be found in a community struggling to come to terms with the loss of homes in Asia and the sometimes hostile attitudes they found in Britain. The ninth edition, launched on 21st July, contains over 1,000 names. Only one woman has won the Asian of The Year award so far - television presenter Lisa Aziz. Perhaps Sachar should redress the balance next year.

Mrs Sachar, who chaired the meeting, said proudly, "We now have three MPs, two members in the House of Lords, and many successful businessmen." Almost two million Asians live in Britain and they have converted this country from an 8-hour a day operation to one where it is possible to buy groceries and utilities almost 24-hours a day, something which we know all about in India.

After the toasts had been drunk, congratulations given, photographs taken and speeches made, both Tony Blair and Noon could go home to relax. For Jasbir Sachar there is no respite. Soon the race will begin for next year’s award winner.