London: UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi joined NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and his family in remembering his daughter Ambika who died of leukaemia at the age of four.
Speaking at the event ‘Remembering Ambika’ organised at the Mappin Pavilion of Ambika Paul Children’s Zoo at London Zoo last evening, Lord Paul described this year as special as “this year she (Ambika) would have been 50 years.”
Ambika was born on November 12, 1963 and died on April 19, 1968. Describing Brown as a “great friend” and “marvellous man”, Lord Paul lauded his work as the Prime Minister of Britain and now as the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.
He also recalled that Brown had visited India a few months ago as UN Special Envoy for Global Education and met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Gordon Brown, in his brief address, referred to the donation of 1 million pounds by Lord Paul in 1992 when the Zoo was facing financial crisis and rescued it from closure.
Today the Zoo was in good health and was providing joy to a lot of people particularly the children. He also praised Lord Paul and his wife Aruna for their contribution in the field of education in the UK and India, particularly in Kolkata. Assam Chief Minister Gogoi spoke about the close bilateral relation between UK and India and the vast scope that existed for closer cooperation in the field of education.
He said last year he was in Oxford University exploring the possibility of tie up between Oxford University, London School of Economics and Indian Universities. (PTI)