MPs pay rich tributes too

LABOUR MPs Seema Malhotra, Preet Kaur Gill and Gareth Thomas also remembered Mrs Solanki with fondness and respect. Malhotra, who represents Feltham and Heston, said, “Mrs Parvatiben Ramniklal Solanki was an inspiration, a matriarch of a most incredible family who has helped lead bringing the voice and integration of the Asian community in Britain.

“She has been a pillar of support, and has always been so calm, so kind and so generous. “As younger female Asians coming forward in political and public life, we also owe her a huge debt of gratitude for the support that was always given to us, and the encouragement to keep doing better at every event we met.

Sadhana Karia (second from left) with Shailesh, Parvatiben, Ramniklal, Jayantibhai and Kalpesh Solanki at an event marking the50th anniversary of Garavi Gujarat in 2018.

Thomas, the Harrow West MP, said, “Mrs Solanki and Kalpesh and Shailesh’s father were just two remarkable people in terms of what they achieved with newspapers. “What’s clear is their mum was as fundamental to that as their father, albeit their dad was the slightly more public with it.

“The family will feel tremendous pride rightly in her achievements, and Mrs Solanki will also have felt pride in in Kalpesh and Shailesh and the way in which they’ve grown into leading the business.”

Gill added, “My thoughts are with all the Solanki family. Last week the whole country was mourning, and what a moment for the Solanki family in terms of reflecting and celebrating their mother’s life. “I have no doubt that for the Solanki family, their mother would have had an integral role in the in the success of their lives.”