An activist with a great charm. Surur who for 25 years was international secretary of the civil aviation section of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF) in London was involved in several other activities such as London-based India Development Group and was the founder of the Gandhi Foundation, in 1983. Surur formed the India Socialist Group in London in 1960, and also become active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. In 1970s, when J P Narayan the socialist leader was jailed by the then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi during her 'emergency' Surur became active in Free JP campaign, which contributed to the effort to restore democracy in India. In 1971 the birth of independent Bangladesh led to many Bihari Pakistanis being stranded in the new state. Surur organised a delegation, headed by David Ennals and Ben Whitaker, which contributed to nearly 200,000 Biharis returning to Pakistan. Surur Hoda was born near Chapra, India and graduated as a railway engineer. He migrated to the UK in 1962. He was awarded an OBE in 2000.