Lord Bhikhu Parekh (seated) with Tejal Amin (third from right), Dr Jayshree Mehta (fourth from right) and others at the signing of MoU at Navrachna University (Express Photo)In July this year, the University of Oxford celebrated the life and works of Lord Bhikhu Parekh — an eminent political theorist and an active member in the House of Lords credited with pioneering many concepts on multiculturalism, rights and socio-cultural issues and political thought. Even as 11 top theorists from across the globe, in a day-long series of seminars, recognised his contribution, Parekh had been concerned about a long-pending task: passing on the custody of his precious works along with his personal library at his home in the UK.Just a month later, on August 14, Parekh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Navrachana University in Vadodara, passing on a bequest of 2,500 books that he has painstakingly built into a library.The MoU came after a conversation with a friend, Tejal Amin, Chairperson of Navrachana Education Society, during which Parekh expressed his desire to donate his books to a university in India, after his proposal to MS University of Baroda did not materialise.Speaking to The Indian Express, Parekh, a Padma Bhushan recipient, said, “…as a natural course of thinking, after MSU, I was considering JNU and had explored all kinds of ideas. I did not know that they (Navrachna) were a possibility… I knew in my heart that I wanted my books to come back to Vadodara and to Gujarat…”Parekh, who is on a visit to Vadodara, said that eminent citizens like former Medical Council of India president Dr Jayshree Mehta and former MSU Vice-Chancellor Late KC Mehta had been involved in helping him find the right recipients for his rare and prized books.On the urgency to give away the books, Parekh told The Indian Express, “I am 90 and like my dear friend Lord Meghnad Desai, who disappeared (passed away) three weeks ago at the age of 85, mortality is on everyone’s mind. I also needed to dispose of these books to be able to sell my house and move to my younger son’s home following my wife’s death a few months ago… I simply could not bear the sight of the house I had lived in for 50 years, after my wife was gone.”Stating that the section that will eventually come up in Navrachana University for his books will become a “centre” for those interested in pursuing multiculturalism, Parekh said, “Anybody interested in multiculturalism, Gandhi or the making of modern India, would need to come here and read those books… I fully trust that Navrachna will take care of these books and make sure that the rare ones are not given out on loan. Also, there is a committee, which will oversee the whole thing and will include two or three of my family members…”Story continues below this adAmong the titles that are close to Parekh’s heart include two of his own works — Rethinking Multiculturalism, published by Harvard University Press in 2000, and Debating India, published by Oxford University press. “Apart from my own books, there are those that other authors have gifted to me because I have read their manuscripts. They have written personal notes to me…,” Parekh said. The collection includes a book by Economist Amartya Sen, who has signed it with a note, “For Bhikhu, with affection and admiration”. Another book, Jihad vs McWorld by political theorist Benjamin Barber, has a note that reads, “For Bhikhu, with love and loyalty.”Parekh said, “There are also some books that are first edition, going back to the 17th Century like Protestantism (in England).”Navrachna will now make arrangements to bring the books to India.“Bhikhubhai’s outstanding contribution to political thought is quite seminal and in addition, the books collected by him during his lifetime is a curated library. For that to come to Navrachana University and more importantly, back to the city of Vadodara… it will lead to furthering his views and bringing out something new,” Amin said.Story continues below this ad“We will be creating a special area — a Lord Bhikhubhai Parekh section — and will plan annual lectures,” he added.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ahmedabad