Jasvinder Sanghera: The House that I grew up in

There was always something special about Jasvinder Sanghera. The working class girl from Derby joined OBV’s first MP shadowing scheme in 1999. She wanted to understand power and politics, but above all she wanted to give something back to society.

Shortly after the project finished she felt confident enough to set up a ground breaking project that would become a sanctuary for Asian women fleeing forced marriages: Karma Nirvana. Jasvinder has become a powerful global voice against ‘forced marriages’, and domestic violence.

Today on Radio 4 Jasvinder tells her story in the series, ‘The House I grew up in’. Her story is is both harrowing and heartbreaking, but also beautifully poignant.

My own view is that there is more to come from Jasvinder, with political bosses from all parties hoping that she will stand as a member of parliament for them. We’ll watch this space.

In the meantime listen to her story. A tissue or two might be helpful.

Picture: Jasvinder Sanghera

Simon Woolley