On the eve of the general election in 2017, I waited impatiently to hear Jeremy Corbyn speak in his home ground in Islington at the final rally of what can now be remembered as one of the greatest, most fearless socialist election campaigns in British history. I did moan about giving up a ticket to an Eddie Vedder gig that night to hear him speak for the zillionth time. But I wouldn’t have missed the chance to hear Corbyn’s final speech of the campaign for anything in the world. It was a fantastic campaign and a lot of people worked day in and out because so much was stake. Of course, we were bitterly disappointed not to win that election. 
 
But in many ways, we didn’t lose. We won the hearts of young people. We won the trust of people who had deflected from electoral politics. We won the debates about some of the most pressing and tabooed issues as wars and austerity. And we revolutionised British politics by running a people-powered campaign in a day and age where corporations and ruling elites usually run the show. 
 
Corbyn managed to bring working-class and anti-war politics back into the mainstream of the political agenda. He fearlessly and unapologetically opposed wars, questioned austerity and broke away from the neoliberal orthodoxy, all of which had gone unchallenged for several decades. Since the 2017 election, Corbyn and his team have been building on that campaign in preparation of this one to form a socialist government that will work for the many, not the privileged few. The party’s soaring membership, predominantly left-wing shadow cabinet and radical manifesto are testimony to Corbyn’s outstanding leadership. It is because of his integrity and resilience that the Labour Party has swung to the left and stands transformed.
 
Jeremy Corbyn is a great campaigner and there is something about him that is very appealing – perhaps it is his simplicity and integrity or perhaps something else – I don’t know. But what I do know is that if there’s one politician in Britain who cares about the people of this country and beyond, it’s Corbyn. 
 
I voted for the first time in my life in 2017 and I voted Labour. I had never voted in India, where I grew up, nor in the United Kingdom where I have studied and worked for the past decade. I despised Indian politics for the most part of my time there mostly because of the high levels of corruption and I wasn't much interested in British politics until I met Jeremy Corbyn through the Stop the War Coalition. That was my political birth, which later brought me to the polling booth to vote for him. 
 
Ever since I became a peace activist, a lot of people - both back home in India and here in the UK - have asked me why I campaign for things that don't affect me directly. And there couldn't be a better time to answer that question and explain why I am backing Corbyn in the upcoming general election and why I have worked so hard to support a socialist campaign outside of my home country.
 
I was born in the north-eastern state of India called Assam. My dad was a doctor and my mum runs a small business from home. My brother and I had the luxury of growing up comfortably in a secure environment, which included receiving a private education and access to private healthcare amongst other privileges. However, we were also aware of the fact that there were others within and outside the family who didn't share our privilege and we were aware of the struggles they faced. Thankfully, we were brought up to never take our privileges for granted.
 
My father was a devoted doctor who mostly offered his services to the local community for free because they couldn't afford private healthcare. He would go out of his way to ensure that any patient without the means would not have to pay for their blood tests, X-rays or other medical exams. 

He would tirelessly collect samples of medicines from various pharmaceutical companies to give out for free to the ones who couldn't afford to buy a single meal a day, let alone expensive medications. He would often come home frustrated because the successive governments had done so little to improve facilities and resources for both patients and healthcare workers. It is one of the reasons why I feel so passionately about the Tories’ privatisation of the NHS and I so strongly support Labour’s anti-privatisation policy.  
 
The political situation in India, particularly in Assam, was in great turmoil when I was growing up there. Insurgency was at its peak, with guerilla fighters from indigenous ethnic minority groups fighting against the central government for better political representation and socio-economic progress, and against each other for their positions within society, geographical spaces and natural resources. Abductions, robberies and bomb blasts almost became the norm. Identity politics couldn’t have been worse. The resulting situation was beyond terrifying. And all this went on for several decades, always under-reported, misreported or not reported at all. 
 
My parents were politically aware and very empathetic towards the misery of the poor and the underprivileged in society who were the victims of the political mayhem and austerity. Dinner table conversations were always led by discussion and debate about the ongoing situation. In all this, I was the least political of the four of us. 

I found politics depressing and I was convinced that there would never be any reforms. I did campaign for animal rights, women’s rights and other causes I was passionate about but never engaged in deep political conversations or activities until I came to the UK in 2007. Here I met Jeremy Corbyn, who was the chair of the Stop the War Coalition at the time, and that changed my life. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by extremely passionate, principled and hard-working individuals who were deeply committed to making the world a better place. Upon meeting Corbyn himself, I was immediately struck by the same selfless drive to serve the community that I had grown up watching in my father. Is it any wonder then that for the first time in a long time I felt I was at home? 
 
The level of political understanding, integrity and commitment that Corbyn brings to his work is beyond commendable. And that is reflected in the progressive manifesto he has created, championing the importance of fair access to healthcare, education and affordable housing.