Serving the people

Tom Aditya, a Malayali, has just been elected as the Mayor of Bradley Stoke in Bristol, England. He talks about his experiences

Photos: Tom Aditya by Albin Mathew; the statue of Raja Rammohan Roy in Bristol  

By Shevlin Sebastian 

When history buff Renjith Leen was introduced to Tom Aditya, the Mayor of Bradley Stoke in Bristol, England, at Kochi, the former immediately said, “Isn’t Bristol the place where [social reformer] Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833) died and was buried?” Tom’s eyes widened in surprise and he says, “How did you know that?” 

Renjith smiles in return and says, “I learned it in my history book when I was in Class 5.” 

Tom nodded and said, “You will be happy to know that in the town’s square there is a statue of Rammohan, wearing a turban, and gown, and holding a book in his hand. It was made by Bengali artist Niranjan Sarkar in 1997. We also have a commemoration ceremony, every year, during his death anniversary on September 27,” says Tom. 

The Mayor, who was elected in May, is on a whirlwind visit to his home state of Kerala. And he has been felicitated by youth groups, churches, colleges and community organisations. After all, it is rare for a Malayali to go abroad, and then get into politics and make a mark.

“Yes, I am different from the usual Malayali,” says Tom. “Usually, we are involved with their own needs, friendships and community. It is like living inside a well.” 

But Tom’s turning point occurred when he joined the Equality Commission of the South Gloucestershire Council in 2007. It gave him a chance to interact with LGBT groups, senior citizens, women’s guilds, youth clubs, disability forums, voluntary organisations, religious and ethnic groups, families, as well as representatives of the police, fire and rescue. “It was a good exposure and I was able to observe first-hand the problems people faced,” he says.  

In 2011, Tom stood for election and became a councillor. And he did some good work. Every morning, when he stepped out to go to work, he noticed an 80-year-old  widow who lived in the opposite house, with a dog. Later, he came to know she was depressed. So, Tom befriended her. 

She told Tom, “I have nobody. My children are working elsewhere. I have not seen my grandchildren for a long while.”

In Britain, Tom says, many elderly people live lives of isolation. “Their only companion is a dog,” he says. So Tom started ‘Coffee Mornings’. A group of elderly people would be invited to come to a cafe to have sandwiches and coffee, in the morning, which is funded by the Council. “As a result, they were able to have conversations with each other,” says Tom. “The widow overcome her depression through these meetings.” 

When an old skate park had to be demolished, Tom invited the youths in the area to design a new one. They got excited and presented drawings which were approved. “Today, this skate park, made at a cost of 350,000 pounds has more than 500 youngsters using it,” he says. Tom also conducted a successful campaign to increase the speed of Internet broadband in Bristol.  

So, despite a population which is 92% white, Tom was elected as Mayor. He is the first Asian to win in the South Gloucestershire County. A member of the Conservative Tom believes Britain should leave the European Union. “The people expressed this wish through a referendum,” he says. “A country like Norway, which is not part of the Union is doing so well. So we can also do well.” 

Tom was born in Pala, the son of a farmer, Thomas Mathew, who was a noted social worker. Following his BA (Economics) and a law degree, Tom went to do his MBA at the University of California, Los Angeles. Thereafter, he returned to Kerala and worked in the IndusInd Bank as a forex specialist. He was also a consultant for the Amal Jyothi Engineering College, at Kanjirapally, which is now regarded as one of the best in Kerala, apart from many other groups. But in 2002, he migrated to England to improve, as he says, ‘his economic opportunities’. When his wife Liny, a nurse, got a job in Bristol, Tom decided to settle there. Today, the couple have five children: Abhishek, 17, Aleena, 15, Albert, 12, Adona, 11 and Alphonse, 10. 

Asked his observations about Kerala, he says, “Kerala is progressing. There are a lot of roads, new bridges and buildings. But we have a problem with our attitude. We need to introduce values in our education system: how to be self-confident, follow rules, behave well with people, and manage situations. There should be critical thinking among the students. This faculty is not well developed. Our education system should be geared for the future and not the present. We have to think about what is going to happen ten or twenty years from now.” 

As for his career, Tom says, “I want to continue to work sincerely and do good works for the common welfare. This brings me the greatest happiness.”

(An edited version was published in Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)