In the gardens at the heart of Gordon Square in central London stands the bust of Noor Inayat Khan, the part-Indian, part-American British secret agent, who was a radio operator during the Second World War. Codenamed ‘Madeleine’, she was eventually betrayed, captured by the Gestapo and executed at the Dachau concentration camp in 1944, when she was just 30. She was later awarded the George Cross for bravery.
Khan, who operated in Nazi-occupied France, has slowly gained recognition in Britain — her bust has stood in the garden since 2012, a stamp was issued in her name in 2014, and several books have been published on her. Most recently, she featured in a book titled Bloody Brilliant Women .
However, awareness of the crucial role that Khan played in Britain’s Second World War operations could be greatly enhanced should the Bank of England take up growing calls for her to be the face of the new £50 note. Last updated in 2011, the current version bears the images of Matthew Boulton and James Watt, top figures of the industrial revolution, but announcing the new issue, the Central Bank said it would be seeking nominations.
Online public petitions
The campaigns for various figures have quickly gathered pace, driven through online public petitions. Among those to be nominated is Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. The campaign, which has garnered over 13,000 signatures, was set up by Guido Fawkes — a well-known right-wing blogger who in his appeal to potential signatories skirted over her more controversial sides to focus on gender equality. Its supporters include Priti Patel, a former Minister.
Other nominees range from the footballer Wayne Rooney to Mary Seacole, the pioneering Jamaican-origin nurse. There are campaigns for Aneurin Bevan, founder of the National Health Service (NHS), and women’s rights campaigner Emmeline Pankhurst. There is also one for Cecil Rhodes, a colonialist and architect of apartheid.
However, it is the campaign for Khan to be the face of the note that has struck a chord most publicly and emotionally: while not gaining as many signatories as the Thatcher campaign — over 3,500 have signed up — it has attracted support from across the political spectrum. Those supporting the campaign include the Conservative MP and chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat, and former Minister and member of the House of Lords Sayeeda Warsi.
The petition’s instigator, social activist Zehra Zaidi, pointed to the fact that in an age of rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a multi-ethnic British Muslim woman who fought against fascism and stood for peace and religious harmony had a message particularly relevant today.
Shrabani Basu, the author of Spy Princess , the 2006 book on Khan that first brought her to the public spotlight, pointed to her far-reaching appeal, and the incredible public reaction that followed the book’s publication. “She is an iconic figure for young British Muslims — a hero to look up to, but it is not just Asians or Muslims who support her. Aside from the tremendous courage she showed, her ideals [included] non-violence and she believed in tolerance of all religions and respect,” she says.
“She breaks down walls — she brings communities together and given that we are seeing increasing intolerance and division not just in Britain but India, the U.S. and beyond it would be a huge statement [if she were to be the face of the £50 note] and an international statement too.”
Vidya Ram works for The Hindu and is based in London
