Surur Hoda

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Biographical Information

Surur Hoda (1928-2003) wiki

"For 25 years Surur Hoda, who has died aged 75, was international secretary of the civil aviation section of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF). He was also chief executive of the London-based India Development Group (IDG) and the founder of the Gandhi Foundation. A democratic socialist - he formed the India Socialist Group in London in 1960 and was an active member of Socialist International - his work for the world's rural poor was based on the precepts of Mahatma Gandhi, Fritz Schumacher and JP Narayan.

"Surur was born near Chopra, in Bihar, India, the eldest son of a middle-class Muslim family. He attended Patna University, graduated as a railway engineer and joined the railwaymen's union. His union activities made it prudent to move to London in 1962, where three years later he joined the ITWF as secretary for rail ways and civil aviation. Meanwhile, he had become active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, forming lifelong friendships with Fenner Brockway, Philip Noel-Baker and David Ennals.

"In the 1970s, when Narayan the socialist leader was jailed by the then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi during her "emergency", Noel- Baker chaired Surur's Free JP campaign, which contributed to the effort to restore democracy in India.

"By 1970, Surur had joined forces with his brother Mansur, who was with Schumacher's Intermediate Technology Group....In 2000 he was awarded an OBE. "

His son is Mark Hoda.