BOPIO (British Organisation for People of Indian Origin) has called on the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to investigate Kamlesh Bahl's dispute with The Law Society of England and Wales. In July 2001, the Law Society was found guilty of race and sex bias by an employment tribunal which ruled in favour of Kamlesh Bahl who alleged she had been discriminated against because of her racial origin and gender.

However, Ms Bahl was, herself, accused of lying under oath and and a separate external inquiry upheld allegations of bullying made against her Law Society staff in 2000. An investigation headed by Lord Griffiths revealed that Ms Bahl has "humiliated and demeaned staff and introduced an "atmosphere of fear and confusion" at the Law Society where she worked as a Vice-President.

The BOPIO held a public meeting on Tuesday 24th February 2004 at the House of Commons. This was the first meeting after the election of BOPIO's new Chairman Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla a Senior London Solicitor. The meeting was attended by Heads of various Indian organisation's including the Sikh Forum, Gujarati Congress, National Council of Hindu Temples, Goan Association, Loomba Trust and many distinguished City businessmen. Lord Bhiku Parekh and Lord Patel of Blackburn also addressed the gathering. Amongst those present were several Members of Parliament including Parmjit Dhanda and Robert Walter. Over a hundred British-Indian luminaries attended the public meeting.

The meeting heard Dr. Kamlesh Bahl CBE (a former Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission and former Vice-President of The Law Society) who presented synopsis of the racially discriminated treatment, which she had been subjected to by The Law Society when she was its Vice-President. She explained the subtlety of institutional racism in violation of the Human Rights. In her speech she asked the Indian Government to the follow the lead of the United States Government which always intervenes with other Governments wherever it sees a potential violation of the rights of a United States citizen. She called on the Union Government of India to intervene with the British Government and The Law Society concerning the humiliating discrimination which she had been subjected to by The Law Society.

Lord Bhiku Parekh spoke on the potential danger of a disguised racism creeping into British Society. He asked the audience to be vigilant against it. Sinna Mani the Founder President of BOPIO in unison with all the other speakers and the Chairman acknowledged that the British Society was one of the fairest in the world on matters of Equal Opportunities. Therefore, it would be wrong to suggest racism against the British Establishment as a whole.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution supporting Kamlesh Bahl in her stand against The Law Society and called on the Prime Minister to investigate this matter of discrimination, which Kamlesh Bahl was subjected to by an independent enquiry (See the Resolution below). The meeting in the House of Commons was followed by a dinner at the Royal Commonwealth Society where, Jean Lambert MEP was the speaker.

Sarosh Zaiwalla, who chaired the meeting, said that "this public meeting was an important step towards awakening the eyes of the Establishment against the unconscious institutional racism which the British-Indian professionals have been facing. The first generation of British-Indian's as path finders have had to pave their own path and they owe it to their younger generation to assist in eliminating the remaining ill of racism.".

Resolution passed at the meeting of BOPIO on Tuesday 24th February 2004

At the public meeting of BOPIO (British Organisation of People of Indian Origin) held at 17:30 hrs on Tuesday 24th February 2004 at Committee room No.9 of the House of Commons, all those present at the meeting unanimously resolved upon resolution moved by Mr. Sinna Mani (President of BOPIO) and seconded by Lord Patel of Blackburn to support Dr. Kamlesh Bahl CBE a former Vice-President of The Law Society in her fight against discrimination by The Law Society and requested the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Mr. Tony Blair to hold an independent enquiry into this matter.

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