BritishPunjabis 25th July 2010

£2.75 JULY 2010

Maharajah Ranjit Singh

www.abplgroup.com

Friendly, Faithful & Fierce

INDIA

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The precise timeline of Indian emigration to differ-ent parts of the world is not always easy to judge.In the wake of the Industrial Revolution, the

steam ship and telegraph, followed by the internal com-bustion engine quickened the pulse of mass migration.People began to move in increasing numbers from oneplace to another in search of a better life. On the otherside, societies in the throes of early industrialisationwere in need of cheap labour for continuing economicdevelopment. Political boundaries during this periodwere neither rigid nor strictly policed. Documentationfor migrants was rarely required, and was at best rudi-mentary when called. The modern nation state had stillto find its feet.

With the passage of time, particularly after theSecond World War, the volume of migration swelledand this was met with stricter controls on entry into thehost countries, which were mostly in Western Europeand North America. This was determined by decliningemployment opportunities as capitalism reached itsplateau. Meanwhile, homogenized societies attained amulticultural dimension over time. This was, and is, acomplex process, with its record of success and failure.Sociologists and cultural anthropologists are hard atwork analyzing the phenomenon.

In broad terms, the Chinese Diasporas of 35 mil-lion is the largest there is. It is not mere confined to theNear Abroad of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia andSouth East Asia, but also extend to the United States,Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand and otherregions. The Indian Diasporas of approximately 25 mil-lion consist of communities stretching from the neigh-borhood of Nepal, Sri Lanka to South and East Africa,Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Caribbean, UK,USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Indians worked mostly on plantations and on con-struction sites as indentured labour, especially inBritain’s Caribbean colonies British Guyana, Trinidadand Jamaica, and further afield in Fiji and Malaya. Thesystem of indentured labour followed the abolition ofslavery. Thanks to the efforts of William Wilberforceand his friends and associates the British parliamentpassed Slavery Abolition Act on August 1, 1834 endingone of the most shameful chapters of modern history.When the conditions of their indenture ended, the bulkof the Indian population opted to remain where theywere rather than return to India and an uncertainfuture.

But that is history now. Today, the Indian Diasporarepresent an outstanding success story, whether inNorth America or the UK. Looking around us, we findthat a two million strong Indian community have madethe UK their home; they comprise mostly of Gujaratisand Punjabis but many others as well. The participationof large numbers of Indian soldiers in both the First andSecond World Wars had created special bondsbetween the Armed Forces of the two countries. Thesecond-largest number of Victoria Cross recipients

Balle Balle

were from the subcontinent. Indians felt they had aclaim on the Empire as equal citizens.

A wave of post-war migration into Britain tookplace in 1950’s and ‘60s when large number of work-ers, mainly of Punjabi origin arrived here in search ofemployment and a better life in a country sufferingfrom acute labour shortage as a result of the war.

Punjab was a cradle of Indo-Aryan civilization andis now a defining centre of the modern Indian nationstate. Its people, Indians and Pakistanis, suffered horri-bly during Partition and its aftermath. But phoenix-like,Punjab rose from the ashes to a new life. Although oneof the smaller states of the Indian Union, with aboutthree per cent of India’s population, Punjab andPunjabis are central to the nation’s public life, and to itsbuoyant economy.

In the UK too, the enterprising Punjabi presenceis felt in all walks of life. I hesitate to name some of theprominent personalities of this vibrant community sim-ply because such a list could never be complete. ThePunjabis, be they Sikh or Hindu, Christian or Muslim,have enriched British society as a whole with their hardwork and entrepreneurial skills. Their gregariousnessand conviviality have earned the admiration and affec-tion of all who have had the privilege of knowing them.

Last but not least, I take this opportunity to thankall those who have helped us in bringing out this spe-cial British Punjab 2010 issue, which hopefully willbecome a trend setter. My warm thanks to Mr VirendraSharma MP, Baroness Sandip Verma, Mr Rajesh N.Prasad, Deputy High Commissioner of India, MrJoginder Sanger, Mr Jagdish Chander of IncredibleIndia, Councillor Jagdish Sharma, Councillor RanjitDheer and Mr K.N.Malik for all they have done tomake this venture a success. I big thank you also to allour contributors.

I also congratulate our team for their hard workand unstinting devotion. Among those who deservespecial mention are Maninder Kaur, Neha Parikh, PriyalSanghavi, Harish Dahya, Ajay Kumar, Liji George, andNikhil Gor. I do hope readers find the issue informativeand engaging and join me in a Balle Balle celebration.

CB PatelPublisher / EditorAsian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Comment

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BritishPunjabis

The strength of the Punjabi community can be witnessed world wide as their ever growingsuccess is both celebrated and recognized.

CB Patel, founder and Editor of the Asian Voice and other Asian print media has reallydone the Punjabi s a great service by honouring their achievements, it is personally a greatprivilege for me to share that with so many extremely successful and visionary people today.

It must not however be forgotten that we have managed such heights due to the incred-ible sacrifices, hard work and often in conditions of abuse and discrimination of those thatlaid the foundations for our futures. It is on their sturdy shoulders we are able to stand andenjoy the successes we have today.

The Indian community has an ethos the world craves for, a commitment to the land theyadopt and yet never forgetting the country they have ancestral links with. It is this unique traitthat has ensured however many generations have settled they continue to share and protectthe commonalities of culture, language and tradition.

I am who I am because I am a Punjabi, a statement so short but a group of words thatencapsulates so much. We must however use our success as the platforms from which others can rise and exceed ourachievements, our mission should be a simple one, a duty to strengthen the conditions in which we exist so that moreare able to succeed.

We will be wise to remember that united, people are able to change the direction a country takes, united we areable to climb the highest heights in any field, sharing and celebrating the success of your communities empowers andemboldens you.

If I have achieved success it has been because I enjoyed the support and belief of others, those that didn’t expectanything in return but a satisfaction in the end achievement. If I have navigated my way around a sea of possibilities anddisappointments it is because I was lucky enough to have a never ending commitment of those that love and share inmaking my dreams a reality.

I have followed the principle of the great Mahatma Gandhi- if you want to see change then be that change.I would very much like to congratulate my brother CB Patel, the Asian community is at the heart of what he does,

in recognizing the achievements of the Punjabi community he has done us all a real service.

Baroness Sandip Verma Minister for International Development and Equalities and Women

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Messages

A common philosophy lies atthe core of the both theConservatives and the LiberalDemocrats: one that embraces limit-ed government and a pro civil liber-ties agenda. Both parties under-stand that society operates bestwhen it is free. That is why localismis a defining theme of the coalition.Localism means returning more authority and influenceto people in their community. I believe this is necessaryto strengthening community cohesion and for creatinga stronger society. These are the conditions that invitedso many Punjabi people to our country and haveallowed them to add so much vitality and richness toBritish society. I hope our strong government will sup-port further the great contribution British Punjabi peo-ple have made to strengthening our country economi-cally and socially.

Hon. Dominic Grieve, QC MP (Conservative),Beaconsfield

My part of the WestLondon has always been aworking class area wherepersonal effort and enter-prise have been valued andthe strength of the family cherished.

Until the 1950s the largest emigrant groupswere the Welsh in Southall, the Irish in Hanwelland Greenford and the Poles in Ealing. A formerIndian Army officer working at the Woolf RubberCompany changed all that when he imploredhard-working and disciplined Punjabis to cometo Southall and from that acorn of a formerEmpire the mighty oak of today’s Punjabi com-munity grew.

Integration was never an issue – the Punjabicommunity worked alongside the existing work-ers - but integration never subsumed itself intoassimilation and the unique qualities of Punjabilife have flourished in the West London air to theextent that today a wondrous and almost magi-cal “little India” thrives and prospers.

Sikhism now sets the tempo of Southall life,although many other nationalities and religionsco-exist in peace, and the burgeoning prosperityof the area owes so much to the grandsons anddaughters of the 1950s generation. Nowadaysthe typical Punjabi is a business or banking grad-uate rather than a factory hand and this successhas been won entirely by the personal effort ofthat community. No-one ever did the PunjabiSikhs any favours, and many tried to make lifehard for them, but the strength that has madePunjab an agricultural and industrial powerhousein India manifests itself in Ealing.

I cherish the contribution that the Punjabicommunity has made and as they move up theeconomic ladder they bring an energy and deter-mination that is adding immensely to the econo-my – locally and nationally.

Culturally, socially, economically, politicallyand in the sporting world the Punjabis havemade so much of the few chances that life gavethem and they have risen to every challenge. Iam honoured to have so many as my neighboursand I consider even more to be my friends.

Steve PoundLabour Member of Parliament for Ealing North

Dr Ashok Kumar (28 May1956 – 15 March 2010), the Indianborn British MP for MiddlesbroughSouth and East Cleveland from 1997until his death shortly before the2010 general election; before takingseat in the House of Commons wasa research fellow at ImperialCollege, London and a research sci-entist for British Steel.

First a scien-tist and then a politician, the DeputySpeaker of House of Commons,Lindsay Hoyle said about him:“Ashok loved his constituency andfelt it was an honour to represent thepeople of Middlesbrough South andEast Cleveland. It is because of thisdedication that I know his con-stituents, and the whole House willremember Ashok, as a man of hon-

our and integrity, and as someone motivated solely bya strong sense of duty and public service.

Ashok was a gentleman, a true politician, a scien-tist – his career was varied – before politics he workedas a research scientist for British Steel where he devel-oped a formidable and highly impressive scientificrecord both in industry and academia. The steel workswere at the heart of the region and played a part in thelives of nearly all of his constituents. On a personallevel, I have lost a great friend in Ashok – he radiatedwarmth to everyone he met and showed great modestydespite his considerable scientific abilities. I’ll alwaysremember his great sense of humour. Ashok will bemissed on the Commons benches but never forgotten.”

Hon. Lindsay HoyleDeputy Speaker of the House of Commons

Hon. Lindsay Hoyle

Late Dr Ashok KumarMP Labour Party

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The word Punjabi denotes from the Land of FiveRivers – Punjab. Its hardy people very earlystamped their genius on mankind. They are

among the key players in the creation of India’s threethousand years old, continuing classical civilisation.

The Punjab is also closely associated with one ofthe world’s oldest civilisations – Mohenjodaro andHarappa. The Punjab is also home of the ancient worldfamous university, Texiala, which attracted scholarsfrom all over the central Asia and beyond. The greatepic Mahabharata, records that some groups associat-ed with Subarwal, fought heroically on the side ofvirtue against evil.

The system of grammar was the creation of theformidable linguist, Panini. That system, we needremind ourselves, is but one of the many huge intellec-tual, scientific, technical, mathematical and artistic giftsconferred on the world, particularly Europe, by ancientIndia.

In the early centuries BC, when Alexander theGreat, one of the world’s first Empire builders, venturedto the borders of India, he and his entourage wereamazed by the advanced stage of Indian philosophy.They were greatly impressed by the Indian teaching ofrenunciation at a stage in human evolution when it wasthought that materialism, possessions and acquisitionby fair means or foul, were the defining principles oflife. Alexander, who was not just a military genius, buta great scholar who had sat at the feet of that mightythinker, Aristotle, insisted on meeting and exchangingideas with Punjabi sages whom he described as theequals of the Greek philosophers of the day.

Though Ashoka the Great was not a Punjabi, wecan take it for granted that his universal message oflove, harmony and peace which was enthusiasticallyreceived by the Punjabi people would have been trans-mitted to central Asia through their many distinguished

centres of learning.The Punjabis are respect-

ed the world over for their mar-tial spirit. They distinguishedthemselves in two World ofEuropean wars and played adecisive role in the defeat ofthe Axis powers. Punjabis arealso prominent in the modernIndian defence force, one ofthe finest in the world. This

proud and heroic tradition dates back to earliest BCcenturies.

When Alexander’s powerful army attacked thePunjab, the Indian king Porus found it difficult to defendhis long border, but he fought with such ferocity andingenuity that the Greek victors were so psychological-ly demoralised that they refused to advance any furtherinto India. They tamely retreated to Macedonia.

However, when one of Alexander’s five-star gener-als, Seluikes, dared to invade India, his forces were soseverely thrashed that as a token of admiration for thevictors, Seluikes offered his daughter’s hand in mar-riage to the victor. And his envoy to India,Megasthanes, also a magnificent philosopher, wrote abook describing in detail the educational, moral andspiritual attainments of the Punjabi people. We shouldbear in mind that in this BC period, Europe was a verydark, ignorant and backward continent. Tragically,Megasthenes’ masterpiece was lost, a serious depriva-tion for Punjabi historical scholarship.

Today, the adventurous Punjabis are settled inmany parts of the world. They are following in the foot-steps of the early pioneers, some of whom it isbelieved, travelled to many far off lands in ancient time.Though there is no independent verification for this,some scholars claim that the ancient Punjabi even vis-ited Greece, then at the height of its splendour andclassical Rome.

With the arrival of Islam via the Punjab from the9th and 10th centuries, intellectually and morally con-servative and stagnant India was forced to re-examineits place in the world and to adjust and adapt to thenew reality.

Just as today’s global migration is concentrated inwhat are called centres of prosperity, so it was with thePunjab, state of opportunity long, long before the com-ing of imperialism. It attracted people from central Asia,west Asia, Persia and Greece in search of trade, free-dom, knowledge and learning and congenial climate.Many of these adventures settled in the Punjab andadopted its highly civilized way of life. The indigenous

Dr Vidya Sagar Anand

By Dr Vidya Sagar Anand The Punjabis: A Dynamic, Resourceful and Ingenious People

The remains of the Mohenjodaro City in the lower Indus valley

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Punjabis, friendly and hospitable, never resented thenewcomers who eventually became a part of them andcontributed significantly to its prosperity and wellbeing.

The 15th century saw the emergence of one ofthe world’s greatest sages. He was Guru Nanak and hismessage of love and brotherhood among all peoplesirrespective of caste, creed or material attainment wonhim a wide and reverential following among the Punjabipeople. Guru Nanak’s teaching also earned him theapprobation of other Indian faiths, particularlyHinduism. Other Sikh Gurus, inspired by Guru Nanak’sphilosophy of love, tolerance and human brotherhood,spread those teaching and these were immortalised inthe holy book, Granth Sahib, which is revered the worldover, especially in the populous Sikh Diaspora.

Because of its geographical location the Punjabwas the entry point for tourists, visitors, scholars,explorers and traders to India. And some of its ownpeople, prominent among them the scholar, MunshiMohan Lal, also travelled to central Asia and to Europe.The latter also assisted to great British explorer andwriter, Mr. Burns.

In London Munshi Mohan Lal, published his two-volume travel book, one of the first by an Indian, dedi-cated to the young Queen Victoria. It does not reflectwell on British scholars, or on Indian scholarship itself,that Munshi Mohan Lal’s book and other similar worksby Indian scholars in the pre-independence period havebeen so unimaginatively ignored.

The British quickly recognised the virtues of hon-esty, loyalty, courage and pride of the Punjabi people.They capitalised on them by forming special militaryregiments which they not only used to suppress inter-nal dissent but to defend their colonial outposts inChina, Hong Kong, Africa and central Asia. Even beforethe First World War, the Punjabis had been sent to trou-ble spots, including the Middle East, to protect Britisheconomic and strategic interest. At the turn of the cen-tury you could see Punjabi regiments in Shangai, HongKong, Malaya and Singapore. In the first Worlds Warthey fought shoulder to shoulder with the allies in thetrenches against the Germans. They won countlesscitations and medals including a sizeable number ofVictoria Crosses (VC’s).

Despite their effectiveness in protecting Empireand defeating the Axis powers, the British treated thePunjabi soldiers, as indeed they did all Indian soldiers,most shabbily. They were paid only a fraction of thewage of white soldiers, racially discriminated againstand were always given the most dangerous assign-ments. The British also ruthlessly plundered the miner-al wealth of the Punjab. A descendant of MaharajaRanjit Singh and Maharaja Dalip Singh of the Punjabwas brought in his teens to London and was forced topresent the Kohinoor diamond, the largest in the world,to Queen Victoria. The Queen was impressed by theproud bearing of the young man and kept him in thepalace. During state ceremonies he often acted asVictoria’s page.

During the First World War there was not muchaerial warfare because of the paucity of suitable flyingmachines and skilled personnel. The skies, however,were dominated by a small coterie of flying aces, themost distinguished of them German Red BaronRichtofen. Their heroics have been the subject of anumber of laudatory books which, however, make nomention of the great exploits of a Punjabi ace fighterMr. Lal. Sadly there is no work on his achievements, noris there a memorial to this outstanding airman.

In the First and Second World Wars, the largestrecipients of the Victoria Cross were Punjabis. Theirimmense contribution, too, should be properly recog-nised and celebrated. Both Hindu and Muslim warriorstook part in the decisive Battle of Britain and somewere decorated for so gallantly and skillfully seeing offthe dreaded Luftwaffe.

After the First Indian War of Independence in1857 many Punjabis went into the Diaspora. By the turnof the century, they had already settled in NorthAmerica and Canada. They organised themselves polit-ically and fought for their human rights at a time whenrace discrimination was rife in all parts of the Empire.As patriotic as ever, the Punjabis in the Diaspora alsosupported the Indian independence movement morallyand financially.

Today there are over 10 million Punjabis in theDiaspora with over 6 million Punjabis resident in Britainalone. Over the years they and succeeding generationshave contributed massively to the economic, social,political, financial, commercial, literary and academiclife of Britain.

We should also celebrate a little known fact-thatPunjabi is the third most widely spoken language in theworld after English. And we have some eminent rolemodels in the Khurana of Nasa and Abdul Salam of theImperial Colleges. Both persons were awarded theNobel Prize for their work for science. We should alsocelebrate the courage and daring of the AmericanIndian astronaut, Kalpana Chawla.

Today we have Punjabis in both Houses of theBritish Parliament. They not only ably represent theirown communities but also work for the advancementof the human rights of all the people of Britain. InCanada there are number of Punjabi MPs and in theUnited States, another Punjabi, Bobby Jindal is a high-ly regarded state Governor.

Long may Punjabis continue along this pro-gressive path and enrich all our lives spiritually, materi-ally and culturally! Let us end with the eloquent wordsof that remarkable self-made man Virendra Sharma, theMP for Southall, who in Parliamentary debate endorseda tribute by one of his colleagues to the very rich con-tribution made to Britain by the Punjabi community.Virendra Sharma won many hearts and minds when hetold to the Commons: “Being Punjabi myself, comingfrom that region, I should say, as my Hon. Friend has,that we have contributed to this country not only inrespect of culture but in other areas including the polit-ical, social and educational fields.”

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Punjab, the land of five rivers, has arich history dating back to ancientcivilisations to eras of great kings.

This is juxtaposed by the immense suffer-ing of Punjabi people with the events ofthe Jallianwala Bagh, 1947 Partition andOperation Bluestar in 1984. The regionhas been ruled by different empires, racesand is also the birthplace of the Sikh reli-gion. Today Punjab has been described asthe 'bread basket' of India, and asRabindernath Tagore called it, "the landwhere the first civilized man trod onearth."

The Indus Valley civilisationIn the third and fourth millennia, a greatcivilisation in the Indus Valley of Punjabexisted. It grew from small villages tohighly refined urban life. Archaeologicalinvestigations have revealed that peopleled a life of luxury with highly evolvedcivic systems and trade links. At itsheight, around 3000 B.C. it cradled citiesof Harrappa and Mohenjo Daro in thelower Indus valley. After 19th century BCEthe civilisation began to decline. Reasonsfor this are still largely unexplained butcan be seen through the remains of thecities.

Aryan MigrationOne line of thought for the decline of theIndus Valley Civilization could be theseries of raids or small scale migrationfrom the North-West around 1500 B.C.Consequently, the next thousand years ofthe history of Punjab was dominated bythe Aryans. They used to call it Arya-Vartaor the land of Arya. This is where the old-est books of human history, the Rig-Vedasare claimed to have been written. Theepic battles of Mahabharata were alsofought in today's modern day Harayana.

Persian RuleThe location of Punjab was on the out-skirts of the Great Persian empires, and asa result, Punjab was subject to attack bythe Persian rulers. The Persian King Dariusthe great was able to occupy some partsof Punjab. But it was the Persian King

Gustasp who completed the occupationof Punjab in 516 B.C. After no time at all,Punjab became the wealthiest of allprovinces of the Persian kingdom.

Alexander's Invasion The legendary king, Alexander of Greecehad an ambition of conquering the world,around 326 B.C. After crushing thePersians, his next conquest was to enterIndia through its North-West frontiers.Alexander came to eventually establishtwo cities in the area of Punjab, where hesettled people from his multi-nationalarmies, which included Greeks andMacedonians. These cities along with therule of the Indo-Greek thrived long afterAlexander's departure.

The Rise of Sikh PowerAfter Alexander's reign, next came theMughal rule. In their power Punjab sawmuch conflict, chaos and politicalupheaval. The birth of Guru Nanak in 1469(founder of the Sikh religion) however sawa major change for Punjab. Rejectingnotions of caste, he preached equalitybetween religion, race, gender, and hisspiritual teachings continue to inspire peo-ple, even today.

The reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh,saw the Sikh religion flourish and the terri-torial boundaries increase. He constructed

Triumphs and trials of an ancient land

Punjab boaststhe bestinfrastructurein all of India,as well as oneof the mostfertile regionson earth. It'scontributionsto India, andworldwide arelimitless tosay the least

One of the manyrulers of Punjab,

Alexander the Great

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many Gurdwaras including Sachkhand Sahib at Nandedin Maharashtra. He also covered the famous HarmandirSahib (Golden Temple) with gold.

After his death in 1839, the Sikh governors startedfighting with each other for supremacy. Slowly the Sikhkingdom started declining and the British took over it.

The British and the PostIndependence EraDuring the 200 years of British rule in Punjab, they com-mitted many atrocities, which as a result bought aboutthe surge of many freedom fighters of Punjab. BhagatSingh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singhare just some of the brave names who sacrificed theirlives in fighting for justice. There werealso many unsung heroes in the tragicevents of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

On the 15th August 1947, Indiawas finally cut free of British rule. But itcame at a heavy price. India was parti-tioned on the basis of religion into twostates of India and Pakistan. WesternPunjab was dominated by Muslims andwent to Pakistan while Eastern Punjabwas dominated by Hindus and Sikhsand remained in India.

At the time Indian and Pakistanileaders agreed that the minority Hindusand Sikhs in Pakistan would be allowedto live there, and the Muslims would livein India. The Indian government followedthis decision but this plan was not exe-cuted. As a result, thousands of Hindusand Sikhs were mercilessly killed in thePakistani Punjab. It's repercussions fol-lowed in the Indian side of Punjab.

What happened next had neveroccurred in the civilized history ofhuman beings. Around 500,000 peoplewere killed from both sides. Another 50million people had to endure a distress-ing migration from one side of the bor-der to another. Hindus and Sikhs startedmigrating from Pakistan to India andMuslims from India to Pakistan. It wasestimated that some 12-15 million peo-ple were forcibly transferred betweenthe two countries. Punjab was againdivided into the states of present dayPunjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradeshfor administrative reasons in 1966.

Unfortunately this didn't mark theend of suffering by the Punjabi Sikhs.Operation Bluestar, a codename givenby the Indian Army to attack theHarmandir Sahib, saw casualties of 492civilians visiting the Sikh's most holiestshrine. The date was 31st May 1984,and the atrocities have still not been for-gotten even today. The events of 1984,

saw many Sikhs protesting for a separate Sikh state,Khalistan.

After many setbacks, the land of Punjab eventu-ally regained order and normalcy. According to IndiaToday, Punjab has been awarded the best overall statesince 2003, and has managed to hold on to this title insubsequent years. Punjab boasts the best infrastruc-ture in all of India, as well as one of the most fertileregions on earth. It's contributions to India, and world-wide are limitless to say the least. From business,entertainment, politics, army, there is no place whereyou won't find a Punjabi! Their ethics of hard work,passion, bravery and zest for life makes them succeedanywhere they go or choose to settle.

The gardens of Jallianwala Bagh inAmritsar, are known for one of themost devastating massacres underthe British rule. In 1919 an enclosedarea with only one exit saw soldiersunder British command open fire ona crowd of unarmed peaceful pro-testers, resulting in the death of379, and injuring more than 1500.

A series of events had beensimmering which led up to this mas-sacre. The British found itself with ashortage of manpower in the FirstWorld War and turned to Indians tofight for the British. Some 138,000,many of whom were Sikh, distin-guished themselves for their serv-ice. However, once World War Onewas over, the British refused to holdup to their commitment in freeingIndia. Adding to this angeramongst Indians, the additional tax-ation in the war years had drainedthe Indian market, resulting in wide-spread poverty and hunger. Unresthad spread all over and came to apeak in 1919. The Rowlatt Act waspassed in March 1919 to controlpublic unrest and root out conspira-cy. This act authorized the govern-ment to imprison, without trial anyperson suspected of terrorism, livingin the British Raj.

More than 5000 people gath-ered in Amritsar, Punjab atJallianwala Bagh on April 13th 1919to discuss freedom. A large crowdhad assembled as this day alsomarked the day of Vaisakhi, the holi-est day for the Sikhs where theKhalsa (Sikh brotherhood) wasestablished. British General Dyerwas the Lieutenant Governor of theprovince at that time. He orderedtroops to open fire without warningtowards the densest sections of the

crowd. He continued the firing withapproximately 1,650 rounds untilammunition was exhausted. Apartfrom the deaths directly from the fir-ing, many deaths were caused bystampedes at the narrow gates,with people struggling to escape thegardens. Many also died when theyjumped into the well at the left handside of the garden, only to becrushed by others who desperatelydived on top of them. The wound-ed could not be moved from wherethey had fallen, as a curfew hadbeen declared. Consequently, manymore died during the night.

In a statement by WinstonChurchill he said, "The Indians werepacked together so that one bulletwould drive through three or fourbodies; the people ran madly thisway and the other. The fire wasthen directed to the sides. Manythrew themselves down on theground, and the fire was then direct-ed on the ground. This was contin-ued for eight or ten minutes, and itstopped only when the ammunitionhad reached the point of exhaus-tion."

India was outraged by Dyer'smassacre. Gandhi called for a nationwide strike and started the Non-cooperation Movement, whichbecame an important mile stone inthe struggle for India'sIndependence. Today the groundhas been transformed into a largememorial dedicated to the men,women and children who lost theirlives at this horrific event.Remnants of the bullets remain onthe walls even today. On theentrance to the memorial it reads,'Jalianwala Bagh, A landmark in ourstruggle for freedom.'

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

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Perhaps the most legendary of all theIndian Maharajahs, 'The lion ofPunjab,' Ranjit Singh takes a special

place in Sikh and British colonial history.A ferocious warrior, a just King, and amasterful tactician, he belongs to thoseextraordinary men who create empiresout of nothing.

At a young age, Maharajah RanjitSingh became a champion swimmer, anexpert horse-rider and a worthy swords-man. Leading his first war at the age of11 years, he defeated the army of the rulerof Gujarat. Maharajah Ranjit Singh's armyincluded men from different faiths andnationalities, including Hindus, Sikhs, andMuslims. He allowed equal rights for allcommunities in Punjab and encourageddevelopment of educational institutionsand industries by the different communi-ties.

At its peak, between 1825 to 1839,the Sikh kingdom was worthy ofEuropean rivalry and one of the mostattractive destinations for any European;travellers, artists and writers flocked to theLahore Durbar for its style and its artspatronage. It was the first secular statesof the modern world. It was also the lastterritory of India that hadn’t fallen to thehands of British Imperialists.

The son of a Misl (Sikh clan) chief,Ranjit was only 10 when his father died ina battle and he had to step into his shoes.Struck by small pox, the young Chieftainlost sight in one eye, developing a charac-teristic feature that would distinguish hispersonality throughout hislife. The Misls at the timewere warring with each otherover territorial claims. Usingwily diplomacy and wilfulforce, Ranjit Singh unitedthem into a considerableforce to reckon with. He thenproceeded to sack Lahore,capital of the Punjab, anddeclared himself itsMaharajah in 1802. Hedefeated the mighty Pathansand expanded his empirefrom the Khyber Pass to theborders of Tibet, addingmore to his already substan-tial treasury, including the

Kohinoor. Recruiting European military officers

after the end of the Napoleonic wars inEurope and combining them with thefighting prowess of the Akali forces, led atthat time by the charismatic Akali PhoolaSingh, Ranjit’s army was the most sophis-ticated in Asia and a formidable adversaryto the British who remained frustrated forover forty years until his death in 1839, torealise their designs of imperial expansioninto the Punjab.

Ranjit Singh had tried to guide andmentor his heir, Kharak Singh; but the eld-est son was never up to the task. In facthe only remained on the throne for lessthan two years before being murdered byhis ambitious siblings. The Sikh Empiresoon crumbled and what once was a king-dom worthy of the attention of worldpowers, got disposed as a corner in Britishcolonial India.

The respect for Maharajah RanjitSingh is perhaps best demonstrated bythe Sikh Empire's foreign minister, aMuslim named Fazir Azizuddin who said,“The Maharajah is like the sun and thesun has only one eye. The splendour andluminosity of his single eye is so muchthat I have never dared to look at his othereye." The period of Maharajah RanjitSingh's rule was the Golden era of Punjab,where Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs reaf-firmed their Punjabi roots. The kingdomunder Maharajah Ranjit Singh was one ofthe most peaceful time Punjabis had everseen.

The lion of Punjab: Maharajah Ranjit Singh

He belongs tothoseextraordinarymen whocreate empiresout of nothing

Maharajah Ranjit Singh meeting Sir William Bentinck at Roper

Maharajah Ranjit Singh

Information contributedby the Anglo SikhHeritage Trail- aregistered charityaiming to promotegreater awareness ofthe shared heritagebetween the Sikhs and Britain

�� Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:31 Page 11


BritishPunjabis

Evershine Group of Companies wasfounded in West London in 1970.The company began as a small high

quality double glazing supplier andexpanded gradually and steadily into related areas of business such as kitchensand construction. Having a reputation forquality and customer service, they are acompany well known and respectedthrough greater London and the homecounties.

Hailing from Jalandhar district,Punjab, founder of Evershine Group Mr Kulwant Toor came to the UK at ayoung age. Before Evershine, Mr Toorworked in the financial business as aRegional Manager. Utilising his skills fromhis financial background, he was able tohelp the family business owned by hisbrothers. “My brothers were already inbusiness and they had a partner who ranaway with all the money, and then financially I just got involved. It all took offfrom there. We started off from these oldpremises, now we have two offices.”

With so many Punjabis enjoying suc-

cess in business, what is their secret?“Our secret is hard work and no fear factor in terms of doing any kind of work,whether its hard labour or anything else.People talk about “time is money”, but wetend to be spending more time, that's whywe're more successful. And as familieswe tend to help each other a lot more.”

But Mr Toor says, “For the sake ofgoing into business don't go into business,you need to do your Market Research. Isthis the right market and am I actuallyqualified to go into this business? What Ifound is people who have a lot of moneyjust set up businesses, but a lot of peopleare struggling with their businesses,because they're not capable. Hence making losses as well.”

Evershine currently imports fromItaly but sees great potential in India'smarket. “We're hoping to collaborate withother companies to export to India. Thegrowth in India is phenomenal at themoment so that's one area we're lookingto expand in.”

Evershine Group of Companies, Kulwant Toor

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BritishPunjabis

At the age of five years, DuleepSingh was crowned Maharajah ofPunjab, one of the most powerful

independent Kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent and a thorn in the advancementof the British Empire. A kingdom built byhis father, the legendary one-eyed Lion-of-the-Punjab, Maharajah Ranjit Singh whoruled the region by the power of his swordand with the fear of his name.

In 1843, after the assassination ofDuleep’s half brother Maharajah SherSingh, the minor Duleep Singh wasfavoured by the Lahore Durbar and anoint-ed the new Maharajah.

In 1845 with the provocation of Warwith the British, the treachery of two SikhGenerals who ordered their troops intobattle and themselves fled to the Britishside sealed Punjab’s fate. The Britishmarched into Punjab. After the close ofthe First Sikh War in 1846, MaharajahDuleep Singh was placed under the careof an army doctor John Login and a biblewas placed in his hands.

The mistreatment of the QueenMother Jinda, the constant interferenceby the British in the affairs of Punjab andthe Sikh Court's lack of control, led to arevolt in the Multan province whenDewan Mulraj was ordered to hand overthe charge of his Fort to the British. Theskirmish escalated into a full scale battleleading to the Second Sikh war of 1848-49. The British were victorious after aseries of ferociously fought battles andthe young Maharajah was deposed.

As per the terms of the Treaty of theAnnexation of the Punjab, Duleep Singhwas to cede all his territoriesand possessions. He wasallowed only to keep his titleand a pension was allotted tohim provided he remained obe-dient to the British.

He was to surrender thefamed Koh-i-Noor diamondand was ousted from Punjab.In 1854 he was effectivelyexiled to England and neverallowed to return back. But astime went by the Maharajahbecame more and more awareof the circumstances surround-ing him.

But in the late 1880’s the Maharajahtook a stand and openly spoke out againstthe British, remonstrating about the short-fall of his stipend, and also his privateestates which had been wrongfully confis-cated from him as a child. He broke all histies with Britain and decided to head toIndia, but was arrested at the port ofAden. He was not allowed to proceed toIndia, so the Maharajah travelled to Francewhere various anti-British factionsapproached him, each wanting to use theMaharajah for their own gain. Proposedplans to meet the Tzar of Russia for raisingan army to march into India failed as oneby one the leading conspirators support-ing him died suspiciously – apparent vic-tims of British intelligence.

In 1890 the Maharajah suffered astroke and his left side was paralysed. Helingered on with poor health and on thenight of the 21 October 1893 theMaharajah suffered an apoplectic fit inParis. He was found dead in his hotelroom the following morning. His deathwas a stark contrast from the joyousmoments in Punjab where he was bornmany thousands of miles away, on 4thSeptember 1838, in the zenith ofMaharajah Ranjit Singh’s power. Gunswere then fired into the blue sky, and thefiring of cannon saluted the seventhPrince of the Punjab. Offerings weremade from Nankhana to Nanded, bless-ings from Hindu temples and Muslimmosques sought and bestowed alike. ThePalace at Lahore was illuminated and fire-works filled the sky as if Diwali had arrivedearly. Sweetmeats and gifts were distrib-

uted among the city, the capi-tal filled with nobility, comingto greet the lion’s new cub tothe world. Who would havepredicted that this newly bornheir would die tragically, alone,penniless and without a men-tion in a hotel room in Europe!

Peter Bance is an inde-pendent researcher, historian.and author of ‘Sovereign,Square and Rebel: MaharajahDuleep Singh’ Coronet House2009.

Images courtesy of Peter Bance

Maharajah Duleep Singh

Maharajah Duleep Singh

By Peter Bance

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:32 Page 13


BritishPunjabis

India is the sum of its cultural and ethnicparts, a miracle of unity in diversity thathas confounded legions of foreign critics

and given hope to the country's numerousadmirers. Punjab, a principal gateway toIndia's northern plain, is watered by theIndus and its tributaries, the Jhelum, Sutlej,Chenab, Beas and Ravi. Until Partition, itwas home to three religious faiths: Islam,Hinduism and Sikhism, sprinkled with aChristian presence. Out of the destructionand chaos of foreign invasion and internaldiscord in 18th century India, emerged theindependent kingdom of Maharajah RanjitSingh, a Sikh ruler who presided over thedestinies of a polyglot society. A French vis-itor to Mahrajah Ranjit Singh's court inLahore, Victor Jacquemont, described theMaharajah as a miniature Napoleon.Maharajah Ranjit's successors, however,were unable to manage the inheritance,and following two hard-fought wars, Punjabwas absorbed into the British dominion in1849.

Under a century of British rule,Punjabis as a whole acquired a reputationas a tough and resourceful people,equipped to take the rough with thesmooth, whether as migrants abroad or asenterprising farmers working the land athome. Punjabis, Sikhs, Mussalmans andHindus, especially the former, were adeptsoldiering with the British Indian Army.Indians fought under British colours in twoworld wars. Indian troops in the SecondWorld War won 31 Victoria Crosses, 20 ofthem with the Fourteenth Army in Burma.On March 12, 1944, Naik Nand Singh ledthe charge of his platoon on a wellentrenched Japanese position, killing 36 ofthe 40 enemy, which earned him theVictoria Cross. General William Slim in hismemoir, Defeat into Victory, wrote: “MyIndian divisions after 1943 were among thebest in the world. They would go anywhere,do anything, and it on very little.” Mostwere from Punjab.

At India's Independence from Britishcolonial rule, on August 15 1947, the bulk ofPunjab including, its most prosperous agri-cultural areas, fell to the new Islamic stateof Pakistan. Punjab suffered terribly in theensuing communal holocaust: a flood-tideof Sikhs and Hindus left Pakistani Punjab forIndia, while Muslims in India moved in theopposite direction. Within a few months of

freedom, India was at war in Kashmir,where Pakistan's Pathan levies sought towrest the state from the local Maharajah.Colonel Ranjit Singh Rai, a Sikh died,defending the Kashmir capital, Srinagar,with his unit, the first Indian soldier to makethe supreme sacrifice for the new state.Since then, Punjabis of all communities,Sikhs, Jat Hindus et al have been in theforefront of Indian defence.

Punjab emerged in time as India'sgranary. Sikhs and Hindu Jats are amongthe world's best farmers; they were a hugehuman asset, even as the old Punjab wasdivided into Haryana and HimachalPradesh, all three today vibrant symbols ofsuccess.

Punjab ledthe rest of Indiain infrastructure:metalled roadsand power wereto be seen inevery hamletwithin a decadeof independ-ence. WhileP u n j a b i sretained their tra-d i t i o n a lstrengths asfarmers, crafts-men and soldiers,

taking advantage of the opportunities avail-able in the new India, many broke themould by seeking a life in industry, businessand the professions.

In the armed forces, Generals DeepakKapoor and Joginder Singh were recentChiefs of the Army Staff, Air Chief MarshalsArjan Singh, Dilbagh Singh and O.P Mehraled the Indian Air Force in their time;Satinder Kumar Sikka designed, in recordtime, India's thermonuclear device for thePokhran II tests in May 1998; and RajKumari Amrit Kaur (health minister), BaldevSingh (defence minister), Swaran Singh (for-eign minister), Zail Singh (president), andnow Cambridge and Oxford-educatedPrime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, thedeputy chairman of India's PlanningCommission, Oxford-educated Dr MontekSingh Ahluwalia, have been, and remain, inthe forefront of politics and government.

Hard work, enterprise and enduranceare central to the Punjab story.

Success story that is Punjab

While Punjabisretained theirtraditionalstrengths asfarmers,craftsmen andsoldiers, takingadvantage oftheopportunitiesavailable in thenew India,many broke themould byseeking a life inindustry,business andtheprofessions

Premen Addy

VC Premindra Singh Bhagatsingle handedly defused an

entire minefield in Eritrea in 1941

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:32 Page 14


BritishPunjabis

Migration from Punjab began in ahistoric manner, if somewhatforced. Maharajah Ranjit Singh

was the last ruler of Punjab who con-trolled his kingdom with a well disciplinedand well trained army. It was during hisrule that Punjab or North India did notface any invasion from the North. WhileRanjit Singh consolidated his reign inPunjab, the East India Company wasexpanding its rule and area of influence allover India.

Following the death of MaharajahRanjit Singh young prince Duleep Singhwho was only a young boy at the timewas proclaimed as the Maharajah and hismother Maharani Jindan ruled Punjab inhis name. There being thus no powerfulruler to succeed Ranjit Singh, in the twowars that were fought between the forcesof East India Company and the armies ofPunjab in 1845-46 and 1848-49 thePunjab forces led by Maharani Jindanwere defeated. Under a treaty youngMaharajah Duleep Singh who was onlyfourteen was taken to England along withseveral senior generals and other officersof the Sikh Army ostensibly to look afterthe young Maharajah.

The young Maharajah Duleep Singhwas entertained by Queen Victoria andPrince Albert at their Osborne House in1854. Later as he grew up he wasattached to Queen Victoria. At theOsborne House one can see an imposingportrait of the Maharajah which was com-missioned by Queen Victoria fromWinterhalter. The house also has smallpaintings on porcelain of the Maharajah

and his wife Maharani Bamba and theirson Victor Albert.

Thus young Maharajah DuleepSingh decided to stay on as did theentourage that came to Britain with him.They thus became the first migrants toEngland from Punjab even though theyhad been brought under duress. PrinceArthur, Duke of Connaught used the serv-ices of Bhai Ram Singh in carving the inte-rior of his billiard room at his house inBagshot. Bhai Ram Singh also worked onseveral carvings and interiors of theDurbar Room of the Osborne House.

Back in Punjab the Sikh forcesbecame an important part of British Indianarmy and were known for their valour.They made huge contribution during thetwo World Wars. The battle of trenches inFrance that saw huge number of soldiersfrom Britain lay down their lives also sawa big contribution by the forces fromPunjab. When many of them came toBrighton for rest they are said to havemade friends with British young ladies,much to the dislike of many in the city.Some of them are said to have stayedback in England after the war.

The main immigration of Punjabis toBritain, however, came about after WorldWar II and following the independence ofIndia. There was shortage of labour inBritain to rebuild the country at the end ofthe war and many came here to take upjobs to help rebuild Britain. There wereothers who being unsettled as a result ofdivision of Punjab in 1947 came to Britainto find new home.

The Punjabi immigration in the1950s and later consolidated the commu-nity’s presence in Britain. The census of2001 in the United Kingdom recordsPunjabi as the 2nd most widely spokenlanguage after English.3

Once in Britain the Punjabi immi-grants settled themselves as industrialand building workers. There were otherswho were into business and specialised indoor to door sales. Those who went fordoor to door sales were known as “boxwallahs”. With their hard work and zest foreducation and enterprise, today thePunjabi community is a vibrant part ofBritish society.

The next phase of immigration of

A history of Punjabi migration to the UK

In today’sBritain,Punjabis aremaking a hugecontribution inall walks oflife. Many ofthem arepresent in theHouse ofCommons andin the Houseof Lords

Bhai Ram Singh: At work in Osborne House

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:33 Page 15


British

Punjabis

Punjabis after the 1950s came from East Africa. Theycame from countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.These immigrants from East Africa were highly skilledand better educated.

Yet another wave of Punjabis that came intoBritain were those who came here after being uproot-ed in Afghanistan. Today it is the largely “Kabuli” Sikhand Hindu who are seen in good numbers in Southall.This segment of Punjabis is highly business orientedand are bound to make a major mark in the economyof the country in due course.

Having settled down in this country, Punjabis havemade a contribution on the cultural scene of Britainwith their vibrant Bhangra rock dance and music. It istoday part of the mainstream dance and music scene.

The Bhangra wave was led by Malkit Singh and creditmust be given to him that what he achieved in Britainhad its influence in India.

In today’s Britain, Punjabis are making a huge con-tribution in all walks of life. Many of them are presentin the House of Commons and in the House of Lords.The most well known Punjabi among them is LordSwraj Paul. Justice Mota Singh who grew up in Kenyamade his mark in law and has since been Knighted forhis services.

In the culinary scene of Britain today Indian cook-ing is considered to be extremely popular and is domi-nated by North Indian dishes largely Punjabi. ThePunjab Restaurant in Covent Gardens established in1946 is perhaps the oldest recorded and most popular,authentic Punjabi eatery. The Restaurant’s walls are avirtual portrait gallery of the famous faces of Punjab.

It can be said that the hard working and enterpris-ing Punjabis today are as much a part of Britain and arewell merged into the nation. There is a persistentdemand by a section of the community that the BritishArmy ought to have a Sikh Regiment. Time alone willtell whether such a regiment will be created in theBritish Army. What can be said for sure is that thePunjabis are now proud citizens of United Kingdom andvery much part of the pluralistic society of the country.

Prem Prakash, senior journalist from India is thefounder Chairman of ANI Media, South Asia's premiermulti media organisation. He was also part of the teamthat founded Reuters Television.

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Newly arriving Sikhs, London 1948. Image courtesy of Peter Bance (c)

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:35 Page 16


BritishPunjabis

From the middle of the 19th century to the begin-ning of the First World War, several hundred Sikhscame to Britain, ranging from long term visitors,

such as lascars and ayahs to short term visitors such asstudents and members of Royalty, and thus the firstsign of Sikh migration began in Britain.

In Britain, Sikhs came in four significant waves ofmass migration; the first was between the World Wars,consisting of enterprising businessmen, students andpedlars. The post-Independence of India, witnessed sig-nificant young labourers to fill the labourshortages and the families of pedlarsarrived from the partition-hit Punjabforming the second phase of migration.The third phase saw the greatest numberof Sikhs via chain migration, and in addi-tion to more families, the subjects of for-mer British Colonies arrived before theImmigration restrictions. The fourth waspredominately from East Africa, witness-ing the expulsion of Indians in particularfrom Uganda in the 1970’s.

The East End of London was the first port of callfor the earlier Sikhs, and by the 1950’s Southallbecame the next hub for Sikhs to descend upon inLondon. This was partly helped by the Woolf RubberFactory, makers of rubber articles on contract for theautomobile trade and were largely responsible in bring-ing Sikhs to Southall. The Hayes Bridge Plant opened in1951 and its early workforce was made up of newlyarriving Indian workers, most of whom were labourers.By 1960, 40 per cent of Sikh men living in Southallworked there. The Sikh population there was furtherenhanced with opportunities for Indian labourers at theNestles factory, Bechnal in Bridge Road, and T.Waltz &Kraft. The 1961 census showed 1200 Indian male and478 Indian women in Southall, but the arrival of wivesalso indicated that many Punjabis had changed theirminds about returning home because they were mak-ing good money in Britain. As the Sikh settlement inSouthall grew, the first Indian grocery shop opened in1954, paving the way to make Southall, UK’s Asian

shopping capital.With the fast growing Sikh population in Southall

in the late 1950’s, the need to establish a Gurdwara ora Sikh body within close proximity was necessary. TheDharamsala at Shepherds Bush was not practical forthem to commute to daily. In 1959 the ‘Southall SikhCultural Society’ was formed to accommodate andmaintain these religious needs. The Society would holdprayers once a month, and later once a week atShackleton Hall in Southall. In 1961, they purchased 11

Beaconsfield Road at a cost of £4,200,to use as a Gurdwara, and Southall’sfirst permanent Gurdwara was estab-lished. But with complaints from theneighbours and also the local authority,the religious services were revertedback to the school halls.

In Southall, the Sikhs arrivingfrom Singapore and Malaysia hadformed the ‘Sri Guru Nanak SatsangSabha’ in 1962, and purchased ‘The

Green’ at Southall with the generosity of GurbachanSingh Gill, and opened the Gurdwara on the anniver-sary of Guru Arjan Dev’s Martyrdom Day in June 1964.Both the ‘Southall Sikh Cultural Society’ and the ‘SriGuru Nanak Satsang Sabha’ ran simultaneously, untilthey were merged to form the ‘Sri Guru Singh Sabha’under the Presidentship of Gurbachan Singh Gill.

In May 1966, a local dairy on Havelock Road wassecured and converted into a Gurdwara. TheGurdwara’s opening was planned for the 300th

Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday, and onthe 22 January 1967 a large procession was organisedto mark the opening, with the Guru Granth Sahib takenfrom The Green to the new premises, led by five tradi-tionally dressed Sikhs, who went barefooted in thefreezing January weather.

Since then Southall has flourished with the influxof newly arriving Sikh communities including latterlywith the Sikhs from Afghanistan, who have regenerat-ed the area and made Southall into a globally knownIndian shopping centre.

Peter Bance is an independent researcher, histori-an. and author of ‘Sikhs in Britain: 150 years ofPhotographs’. The History Press 2007.

Sikhs in SouthallBy Peter Bance

Mohinder Kaur at Shackton Hall

Southall’s first Nagar Kirtan (Vaisakhi Celebrations)

The Green Southall

Images courtesy of Peter Bance (c)

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:37 Page 17


BritishPunjabisBritishPunjabis

With dedication and zeal, Mr Nirpal SinghShergill has been working in a most difficultarea. He has been collecting data with

regard to the Indians abroad. To accomplish the task,he has visited several countries. Though settled inLondon, Mr Shergill is a frequent visitor to India. Hebelongs to Patiala district.

He started his career in London by publishing amonthly magazine in English, "The Politics". Politicalissues concerning India were given prominence in thatmagazine. However, later, he started writing in Punjabiand became a freelance writer. He has written about1,000 articles on various issues concerning the NRIs inthe UK, Canada, the USA and other countries.

And the work done by him with regard to the col-lection of data about Indians abroad is worth appreciat-ing. He first published a directory of information regard-ing all important Indians, especially Punjabis, settled invarious parts of the world. In that directory, he also pro-vided information regarding various Sikh and other reli-gious places of Indian communities abroad.

That directory has now turned into a big book. MrShergill has published the ninth edition of the directoryunder the title, 'Indians Abroad and the Punjab Impact'."I have included A to Z of the Sikh world that is a com-plete list of Sikh organisations from Afghanistan toZambia and Australia to the USA. It is an internationalpublication", he says. "Through the book, I have alsotried to highlight the new developments in the Indo-European relations and India-UK business partnership",he adds.

He has provided international codes of all coun-tries and their important cities, addresses of allembassies and high commissions in New Delhi, Indiandiplomatic missions abroad and other informationregarding India and the European Union.

There is also detailed information of telephonenumbers of Indian organisations, newspapers, lawoffices, immigration services, insurance consultants,manufacturers, travel and tour consultants, hotels,restaurants, caterers and banquet halls outside India.

N S Shergill: A trulyglobal Punjabi

The two leading Punjabis living in Britain: Lord S Paul (left)Chancellor of Universities, leading industrialist in Britain and

Deputy Speaker of House of Lords in London with internationalPunjabi journalist and author – Mr N S Shergill

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

news weeklies are very grateful to

Exquisite Events UK

for sponsoring delicious Punjabi food for the

launch of “British Punjabis 2010” magazine

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:37 Page 18

Perhaps no other organisation has contributed to the wel-fare of the immigrant community in the United Kingdomas much as the Indian Workers’ Association, Southall.

The service rendered by the organisation is in fact the singlebiggest factor that has helped the development of huge socio-economic Indian structure that we see in Britain today.

Founded in 1956 by a group of dedicated Punjabi facto-ry workers and labours endowed with the spirit of selfless serv-ice to their fellow countrymen, the Indian Workers’ Association,Southall, soon earned the confidence and trust of the commu-nity and grew into a powerful organisation. They took up anumber of campaigns for the rights and welfare of the newly-arrived immigrants from the Punjab struggling to settle in andaround Southall.

The biggest hardship the early immigrants faced was inthe field of employment and housing. The sources where thejobs could be secured were fewer. The majority of people arriv-ing lacked fluency in English. Working conditions were harsh.Racial discrimination made the things worse. A situation ofhelplessness prevailed.

The Indian Workers’ Association (IWA), Southall, was thesole source where people could turn to for help and advice.Most of the founding leaders of the organisation were political-ly conscious people and had the background of active associ-ation with progressive and workers’ movements back in India.They soon realised that in order to fight for the cause of theirpeople it was necessary to seek the support of British workingclass. That could only be possible by joining and becomingpart of the Labour movement. The companionship thus formedhas remained firm to-date, benefiting both the immigrants andthe Labour movement.

The British government had in early 60s planned toenforce new immigration rules. This saw a big influx of peoplefrom the Indian sub-continent eager to seek entry before newrestrictions were imposed. This resulted in huge increase in thenumber of problems, particularly in the fields of employment,housing, education and medical facilities. Being strangers tothe new environment, the newly-arrived immigrants neededhelp and advice which the governmental authorities were notable to provide.

The Indian Workers’ Association had in the meantimeestablished itself into an organisation where people couldexpect to have necessary help. The organisation had grown insize and stature. It had come to be recognised as a force. TheIWA leadership initiated a number of activities, such as holdingregular meetings, so that people could meet and share theirproblems. It was realised that without a proper platform of itsown, the organisation will not be able to perform as effective-ly as the situation demanded. The enlightened leadership per-suaded people to pool their resources and at a time when itwas impossible for any immigrant to even dream of buying ahouse, the Indian Workers Association made headlines whenit purchased the then most famous cinema hall, The Dominion,on The Green, Southall, at a huge cost of £90,000, partly fund-ed by the generous donations by its members. The Dominionlater became the biggest socio-political platform for the Indiancommunity in Britain to celebrate national events addressed byprominent leaders, both Indians and British, including late

prime minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi. It was a big achievement. The Dominion Cinema

became a symbol of pride, not only for the IWA but for theentire Indian community. It proved a big morale-booster, infus-ing confidence among people who until then had remainedconfined to the factory life. They now felt encouraged to ven-ture into their own businesses. It was a turning point.

The mid-60s witnessed the influx of Asians forced out ofEast African countries, and also the arrival of immigrant fami-lies from the Punjab. The IWA took upon itself the responsibil-ity of providin much help to the new immigrants without seek-ing any monetary assistance from the government. The pro-ceeds from the Dominion Cinema were all used for the welfareof the community, providing free services, particularly on immi-gration which has earned it the reputation of being one of themost expert advisory centres on immigration matters.

The organisation conducted a number of successfulcampaigns during 70s forcing the government change its dis-criminatory immigration policies and fought against racismthrough organising marches and demonstrations locally andnationally.

The organisation has since its inception remained politi-cally active and has to its credit producing leaders, who haveattained national and international fame. Its offices on TheGreen, Southall, are visited daily by a large number of peopleseeking advice on immigration, passport and welfare problems.


BritishPunjabis

The Indian Workers’ Association, Southall – symbol of pride

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Baroness Prashar, known to her family andfriends as Usha Prashar was born on 29thJune 1948, in Kenya and moved with her fam-ily to UK in 1960s. She was made aCommander of the British Empire (CBE) in1994, and in 1999 was made a life peer, sit-ting as a cross-bencher in the House of Lords.A student of political studies and then social administration,she has had a long standing career in public service and not-for-profit sector.Baroness Verma, born in Amritsar, India shemoved to England with her family in 1960.Sandip Verma a businesswoman, wife andmother of two, is a member of the House ofLords and was created a Conservative lifepeer of Leicester in the County ofLeicestershire in 2006. She sits in theOpposition Whip and Opposition Spokesperson forEducation and Skills for Health.Baroness Flather, born on 13th February1934 is the first Asian to receive a peerage.She has been a life peer for the Conservativeparty since the 11th June 1990 as BaronessFlather, of Windsor and Maidenhead in theRoyal County of Berkshire. She has held sen-ior posts in numerous organisations involvedin refugee, community, carer, race relations and prison work.Lord Paul of Marylebone is an Msc in MechanicalEngineering from MIT and was awarded thePadma Bhushan by the Government of Indiain 1983 and elevated to the British peeragein 1996. Swraj Paul was born in a town inPunjab and he started his career with a hum-ble beginning at Apeejay Surrendra Groupand has since founded the now large, CaparoGroup of companies.Lord King of West Bromwich , was born in 1937 and wasraised to the peerage as Baron King of WestBromwich, in the County of West Midlands in1999. He attended Khalsa High School andPunjab University in India. He also attendedNational Foundry College, Aston University,Teacher Training College and Essex University.He is a member of the National Policy Forumand the Black Country Consortium. He had special interestsin local government, education and small businesses.Lord Diljit Rana, was created a life peer asBaron Rana of Malone in the County ofAntrim in 2004Lord Diljit Rana MBE is aMember of the House of Lords. He is thePresident of GOPIO International (GlobalOrganization of People of Indian Origin) andthe elected President of the Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce and Industry. He is India's honoraryconsul in Belfast. Founder and Chairman of Andras HouseLimited, his company has substantial interests in hotels,restaurants and commercial property in Belfast, NorthernIreland.Alok Sharma is one of the newest additions to the list ofparliamentarians of Indian origin. He was elected in 2010 asan MP for Reading West county constituency. Sharma is cur-rently a governor of a local primary school in Reading. He is

also a Fellow of the Royal Society for theadvancement of the Arts, Manufacturing andCommerce. Previously he served as a chair-man of the political think tank Bow Group'seconomic affairs committee.Parmjit Singh Gill was the first ever ethnicminority from the Liberal Democrat party. Hewas first elected to the House of Commons atLeicester South. Born on 20th December 1966 inLeicester, he has lived all his life in the UK. He hasexperience in the fields of crime prevention, taxilicensing and racism. His political experience cov-ers ten years. He is highly committed to fightinginequality and injustice. Parmjit Dhanda, born in London to Indian immigrants of SikhPunjabi background on 17th September 1971,was the MP for Gloucester from 2001 to 2010for the Labour Party. He was educated atMellow Lane School Hayes, Middlesex, beforeattending the University of Nottingham, wherehe received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in1993, and a MA in information technology in1995.Piara Khabra, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall was the fifthAsian, and the first Sikh, to become a BritishMP. Originally from the Punjab in India, MrKhabra came to Britain in the 1950s and waselected as a Labour MP in 1992. Khabra wasthe oldest MP sitting in the House ofCommons, and at the end of his career was theonly sitting MP to have served in the forcesduring the Second World War. He served the Labour partyuntil his death in 2007.Marsha Singh has been the MP for BradfordWest since 1997 from the Labour party. Prior tohis political career he worked for the BradfordCommunity Health Trust and was also a part ofthe Directorate of Education for Bradford coun-cil. He has a degree in Languages, Politics andEconomics of Modern Europe fromLoughborough University.Paul Uppal is a Conservative Party politicianwho was elected as the Member ofParliament for Wolverhampton South West inthe 2010 general election. He has the distinc-tion of being the first Punjabi to represent theConservative Party in the House ofCommons, after winning the elections thisyear. He holds a season ticket for WolverhamptonWanderers Football Club, and is a trustee of the secondlargest Gurdwara in Wolverhampton.Virendra Kumar Sharma was born in Indiain 1947 and came to England in 1968. Hestarted out as a bus conductor before study-ing at the London School of Economics. Heis a British Labour politician who has beenthe Member of Parliament for Ealing Southallsince 2007. Sharma held on to the seat atthe 2010 General Election. He is a local school governor atthe Three Bridges Primary School as well as a member ofthe International Development Select Committee and theHuman Rights Committee.

Punjabis in Parliament

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In 2003, His Honour (as he then was)received a Lifetime Achievement Awardat the Asian Jewel Awards. During his

acceptance speech he not only thankedthe panel of judges but congratulatedthem on arriving at the right decision,before being silent for a few seconds andstunning the audience into silence.Laughter then broke out amongst hisfriends and the audience realised that hiswas yet another example of his wickedsense of humour.

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya,79-year-old Sir Mota Singh became theUK’s first Sikh and Asian Judge in 1982.Since then he has received numerousawards and commendations.

In the New Year’s Honours List of2010, Sir Mota was accorded the highestcivilian accolade for his contribution to thejustice system when a knighthood wasconferred on him.

Born on 26th July1930, he completed thethen equivalent of GCSEsbefore leaving school at17 to be part of theKenya police force.Shortly after, he joinedthe East African Railwaysand Harbours Board as aclerk and enrolled as anexternal student for aBSc degree, beforechanging direction andreading for the BarFinals. Sir Mota arrived inEngland as a student tocomplete his studies in law, before return-ing to Kenya where he practiced for eightyears. He became an MP and Secretary ofthe Law Society of Kenya, before returningto England in 1965 where he started prac-ticing at Bar. Within just 11 years, he wasappointed a Deputy Judge, Queen’sCounsel, a Recorder of the Crown Courtsand then a Circuit Judge.

Unfortunately, Sir Mota’s father hasnot been around to witness his outstand-ing achievements. At the age of 36, hisfather was unjustly robbed of his life whenhe was stabbed in the chest after trying toapprehend a thief who had robbed awoman of her jewellery outside his housein Nairobi. He died on the spot. Sir Mota

became the head of the family at the ten-der age of 16, shouldering the responsibil-ities of caring for both his siblings andmother.

As well as raising a family and devel-oping his legal career, Sir Mota dedicatedmuch time and effort to other activities,both during his time in Kenya and in theUK. He was a Member, Councillor andAlderman of the City of Nairobi, and theyoungest ever Member of the City Councilto have elected an Alderman. Whilst inthe UK, within six weeks of joiningChambers, he made his first appearancebefore the Court of Appeal and soonacquired a reputation as a civil law expert.He was appointed Examiner of theSupreme Court, Member and laterChairman of the London Rent AssessmentCommittees and a Member of the RaceRelations Board.

His integration into western society,whilst living his life in accordance with thetenets of the Sikh faith were no betterdemonstrated than by his appointment asa Circuit Judge in 1982; wearing a whiteturban instead of a wig. EveningStandard cartoonist, the late great Jackdepicted Sir Mota giving a lenient sen-tence to an elderly white person. Sheresponded by thanking Sir Mota and hop-ing that his head would get better soon!The cartoon was well received by theAsian community and showed our com-munity felt sufficiently comfortable to beable to laugh at ourselves.

Sir Mota Singh’s achievements havebeen far too many to be able to list in a

Sir Mota Singh QC

His integrationinto westernsociety, whilstliving his life inaccordancewith thetenets of theSikh faithwere no betterdemonstratedthan by hisappointment asa Circuit Judgein 1982; wearinga white turbaninstead of awig

Sir Mota Singh became the UK's first Sikh and Asian judge in 1982

By Ramesh Vala

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short profile but the following are good examples.In March 1999, Sir Mota was invited to address

the Home Management Board Race Relations EqualityWorkshop. He went as a Trustee of the WindsorLeadership Trust to address a conference on personalinsight into leadership. The object of the Trust is toinspire individuals from across the society to developtheir leadership qualities and emphasise qualities suchas personal integrity, probity, openness and honesty thatare needed by the strategic leaders of the future.

On 6th December 2001, Prince Philip invited SirMota to attend a private dinner at Buckingham Palaceand thereafter to a discussion on the ‘Multi-racialSociety.’

Such dedicated and selfless work indicates thatSir Mota truly deserves to be held in such high esteem.Through all of the praise and awards, he has remainedhumble and grounded whilst maintaining a strong senseof tradition and cultural heritage. His knighthood will notbe the only celebration of 2010; he also has his 80thbirthday, Diamond wedding anniversary and his moth-er’s 97th birthday to look forward to. This suggests thatSir Mota will also be with us for a long time to come(that will be a celebration for all of us!).

Ramesh Vala OBE is one of only a handful of sen-ior equity partners of Asian origin in the top 100 lawfirms in the UK. He is recognised for his significant serv-ices to the Asha Foundation, Cancer Relief MacmillanFund, Anti-Slavery International, CancerBackUp, GetKids Going and Food for Global Life.

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Paul was elected MP forWolverhampton South West thisMay in the General Election, with a

swing of 3.5% towards the Conservativeparty, and winning over 16,000 votes.Born in Birmingham, he spent much of hischildhood in Wolverhampton, and hasbeen involved with work in the voluntarysector for the past 14 years. Even thoughnow he runs his own business, in his timehe has worked as his own builder, secre-tary, account, cleaner and lawyer. How do you feel about your heritage?I think the key for me is, and my nameembodies this with my first name beingPaul and the surname being Uppal, thatI’ve always lived by the adage that I com-bine the best of both worlds. I think thatfor second generation or third generationPunjabis, that if they combine both ofthose values and take the best of bothworlds, what you are left with is some-thing that is infinitely superior that can beapplied to many situations. For example,I’m the trustee of a Sikh temple inWolverhampton. When I go there, every-one knows my father, who my grandfatherwas and who my great grandfather was.At one stage in my house we had fourgenerations living in one household. Forme, I don’t think I would be here if I had-n’t been through that experience as itenriched me and broadened my perspec-tive.

Family dovetails very much withwhat the Prime Minister is talking about interms of community and society, and thestrength of our personal happiness; weseem to be very wealthy, but people arefeeling a lot more miserable.

So how did your apply these val-ues in your campaign, and how doyou apply them now you are an MP inWestminster?

If you can manage an Asian familywith all the internal politics of that, thenthis place is a piece of cake really. If youcan keep your bhabhi, your mami, yourbuas and your chachis happy, then keep-ing Tory grandees happy is walk in thepark really. If you come from a largeextended family, it teaches you the abilityto compromise. You become mindful thatyou are part of a team first and that it is acollegiate effort.

The campaign was a practicaldemonstration of my values, because itwas a marginal seat; my constituency wasbrought under the umbrella of two others,and we worked them together as oneunit.

What do you see is the role ofmodern British Punjabis today? Whatdo you think they have to offer inpublic life in public service that isunique?

A member of parliament said this tome on my first day when I was beingsworn in. He asked me how I was findingit? And I said, “It’s a bit daunting.” Hisresponse was that you have a wonderfulopportunity here to express your own per-sonal story and your own values, and thatis what the chamber is there for.

The Punjabi voice is very strong,especially in the urban West Midlandswhere I’ve grown up; it comes back to theoriginal point that I was making, whichwas that I see myself as a bridge betweentwo cultures, embodied in one voice. I amsure there are many more British Punjabisout there, who as they become involved inthe political process, will echo thoseviews and probably take them forward.

I’m actually meeting the Indian HighCommissioner about creating an Anglo-Indian relationship, which is a win-win sit-uation for both sides; I would love to beinvolved in that, or advise anyone whowould want to be a part of that. Do you think there are any aspects ofbeing a British Punjabi, that hascaused you hindrance or problems?

When growing up in the WestMidlands as a child in the 1970s, beingcalled a ‘filthy smelly dirty Paki’ six timesbefore you even got to school, was verytough. They say that anything that does-n’t destroy you makes you stronger, andfor me that was the spur, as it burns thatfire inside of you in terms of being ambi-tious. I don’t mean to sound sanctimo-nious, but I can tell you there is no nobili-ty in poverty, and most people who haveexperienced it are very anxious to get outof it.

In terms of my political experience, Ihaven’t encountered any racism; butmaybe that’s just me because I do havethat Christian name. Also society has

Paul Uppal: The man who took Enoch Powell’s seat

If you cankeep yourbhabhi yourmami yourbuas and yourchachis happy,then keepingTory grandeeshappy is walkin the parkreally

Paul Uppal

By Anshul Gupta

Anshul Gupta is aBritish born Indian whostudied medicine atUCL. He retrained witha masters in financeand entered the privatesector working infinance and marketing.He is also a Governorof an Academy School

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changed, things have been moved on from what theywere. Speaking again as a Punjabi, it’s a straight talk-ing culture, pretty direct and say it as you see it sort ofattitude, which I do think people like that in terms ofbeing yourself and being genuine. What would you like to see the future for BritishPunjabis in the UK?

To play their full part in society, and that just does-n’t mean politically; I would love to see the Captain of

the England football team be of Punjabi descent. Thereare also the arts, culture, journalism, theatre; Weshouldn’t be so prosaic as to confine that to business,medicine and science.

I mean one of the greatest things that I found wasthat for the first Cabinet meeting, all the newspaperswere talking about that one of the Ministers was wear-ing a Punjabi suit – that’s a great story! It just goes toshow that those avenues aren’t closed in life.

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Baroness Sandip Verma ofLeicester, born 1959, is a busi-nesswoman, member of the

House of Lords and currently a frontbench spokesperson for the CoalitionGovernment . Born in Amritsar inPunjab, she moved with her parents in1960 to England. She has been mar-ried to Ashok Verma since 1977, withwhom she has a daughter and a son.

She stood for Parliament in 2001and 2005, both times unsuccessfully.She was made a Conservative life peerin May 2006. She is now aGovernment Whip, and speaks onbehalf of the Cabinet Office,International Development andWomen & Equalities since the generalelection earlier this year.

How would you describe yourheritage, and how has it influ-enced your values?

I am extremely proud of the factthat I am of Indian origin, and of myheritage because there are so manypositive things about the Indian com-munity. In fact we have been ratherpoor at translating it across to the restof the world. I am proud of being ableto be in a country, Great Britain, whereI have been allowed to explore thestrengths of my own heritage, but alsochallenge the negative parts such asdiscrimination against gender andother issues and fit into a forum in thiscountry where I have been able toattain the levels of political achieve-ment. It is a good balance betweentwo massively influential nationalitieson me – my Indian heritage plus myBritish nationality and the synergybetween the two of them has beenincredibly positive.

How has it influenced you interms of your values, especiallyyour Punjabi heritage?

The great thing is that I was bornin Amritsar, the city of the wonderfulGolden Temple, I was born a Sikh. Thefirst thing you learn in childhood is theart of seva, which is service to others.Although maybe when you are chil-dren, you do it begrudgingly – you go

to the Gurdwara and your mother tellsyou to go and wash some dishes – youactually understand the reasoningbehind it later on life. I think that hasreally influenced on how I havefocused on whatever I have done inmy life. The other thing that it hasmade me realise is that the discrimina-tions that you face inherently, perhapsthe difference between how boys aretreated and girls are treated.

There is a spirit within the Punjabicommunity that is found that gives youa level of commitment to others intrin-sic to how our culture is formulated.

How did your values and her-itage influence your campaigns,where you stood for Parliament in2001 and 2005?

The first one in 2001 was in HullEast, where the majority of the popula-tion was all white, and I just wanted tomake sure that I was willing to stand ina seat regardless of the nature of theconstituency or its population. I wasreadily accepted, I did not face oneday of anti-Asian or discriminatory typeof nature there, I found the northerncharacter very welcoming. That wasvery heartening because firstly itshowed that I could be selected in aseat on the basis of my potential abili-ty, and secondly there was a faith with-in the selection processes were look-ing at you as a person, rather than asa gender or an ethnicity.

In 2005, I stood inWolverhampton South West which hada 30% population of Punjabis – whichof course now Paul Uppal has won –and that campaign was about trying toconvince the ethnic minority popula-tions there that they could be repre-sented by somebody of a backgroundsimilar to theirs. The challenges that Ifaced, and I am sad to say it really,because I did not have the difficultieswith broader community, the chal-lenges were trying to convince peoplefrom your own community that youhad the ability to represent them asequal as to any other person or candi-date standing. That was a culturalshock to me, it made me realise how

The Battling Baroness, Sandip Verma

There is aspirit withinthe Punjabicommunitythat is foundthat gives youa level ofcommitment toothers intrinsicto how ourculture isformulateds

Baroness SandipVerma, front benchspokesperson for theCoalition government

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totally unengaged minority communities can be inthe political process.

When I didn’t win, that led me to ensure thatan incoming candidate, regardless of who it was,would have a much better opportunity to win theseat; so I made internal changes to the make-up ofthe constituency association. But I also wanted thepublic to understand that we have to have confi-dence and faith within our own communities tohave them represent us; and I am glad and veryhappy that, although it is a small majority, thatPaul has managed to become the MP forWolverhampton South West.

Times are very different in politics; whereasonce before people were very tribal, that is not thecase now. People will look at what is offered tothem and what benefits them as individuals, aswell as something that is collective.

Now that you are a member of the gov-ernment, how has your heritage, your valuesand your family – how have they influencedyou?

What I was instilled with very early on wasthe confidence in myself, the ability to believe thatI was able to do what anybody else in this countrycould do, and there should be no barriers to it . Ifthose barriers do exist , I was taught to think thatfirstly if those barriers are self -imposed, how do I

remove them? ; secondly, if those barriers areplaced externally, how do I get rid of them?Throughout my political career I have tried to dowhat is not in my self interest, but for the greatergood, the greater community. So if one is going todo that, then once in a while it of course becomesnecessary to raise one’s head above the parapet,and take some of the flack that comes with it .However I see raising gender issues, or issues onrace or colour as a must, they have to be done.

Wherever I go, I always firmly put theresponsibility back on the individual. We cannotconstantly harp on about not having representa-tion, not having an equal opportunity if we aren’twilling to first “try it” for ourselves, secondly if weare not prepared to support others who are tryingto do it , and thirdly being persistent that we dohave the ability to do it . What we cannot be doing,is blaming others for our own failures to challengeinequality time and time again. I think that is some-thing that as a community we have collectivelyfailed to do. When we have had a good story totell about individuals in our community, we arereluctant to actually talk about it and celebrate it .

Anshul Gupta is a British-born Indian whostudied medicine at UCL. He retrained with a mas-ters in finance and entered the private sector work-ing in finance and marketing. He is also aGovernor of an Academy school.

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This is the story of undying spirit. Of discipline andardour. Of iron will and of skyward ambitions.This is the story of a man who dared to dream

big, Mr. Surinder Arora, Founder and CEO of the AroraHotels groups.

Born on 22nd September 1958 to a loving andaffectionate family in Punjab, Mr. Arora grew up withhis maternal aunt and uncle as his parents took off tobig make it in UK. But just as the family found that theboy was wiling his time and skills away towards gam-bling and other such vices, he was soon shipped to theUK to his parents. Taking life with an air-light approach,he instantly accepted two sets of parents in his life andconsiders himself extremely fortunate for the same.

He was 14 years old when he landed on the UKsoil and possessed zero English speaking skills. Withhis efforts, genius and family's guidance, he soon learntthe ways of the Queen's land.

His first job was at the British Airways, where heworked for 11 long years. Not afraid of hard work ever,he used to work 20 hours a day. While working fulltime at one place, he would take up part time jobssimultaneously and soon learnt the ropes of the busi-ness. His excellent communication skills, knowledge ofpublic dealing and sales and negotiating qualitiesbrought him great success and recognition at his job.But the dormant entrepreneurial skills in him soon sur-faced and he dared to start his own business. Hestrongly feels that there is nothing greater than workingfor yourself. It seems like the destiny is in your hands.

With a sense of achievement he recollects howhis bank managers warned him against the industry hewas wishing to venture into, but hedefyied all their views and divedstraight into it. They told him how riskythe hotel business was. But this deter-mination saw him through all odds.From a humble start with one AroraHotel converted from an erstwhileB&B, he now owns multiple hotels atGatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.He is Europe's top hotelier to the avia-tion industry. His entrepreneurial nichehas been deep carved in the UK busi-ness arena.

He is however a businessman with a conscience.He aims to achieve the highest and the best, but not atthe cost of his people. When one of his female workerof two years was diagnosed with cancer, his companyirrespective of the statutory regulations, continues topay her a full salary. He says this is his preferred way ofgiving back to the society as against making a blinddonation for a charity. His humane leadership stood thetest of economic crisis too. Under his chairmanship, thegroup has not had to lay off a single employee out of

his big family of workers. His giv-ing does not end there. He hasbeen associated with a charitywith BA where terminally ill chil-dren are sent on a once in a life-time trip to Disneyland Paris,since many years. He is also onthe board of 'West LondonWorking', where they are trying toget the youth back to work by cre-ating opportunities, working inco-operation with the localauthorities. This speaks a lot of

not only the business acumen this British Asianbeholds but also of his 'Punjabi' generosity and bigheart.

Mr. Arora well aware of his family responsibilities,admits of his sincere but not always successful effortsof spending time with them. He is very grateful to hiswife, Sunita for being the supportive homemaker andsharing the business with him. In doing so, she compre-hends the pressures and sacrifices of running a familybusiness.

To summarise this great man's life, we share withour readers a few important life lessons he lives by.Gen-Next could well learn and imbibe into their livesearly on as guiding light and as a mantra to success. AsMr. Arora says, “You should always respect elders, lis-ten to everyone, never be too full of yourself and say,'well I know everything', but listen to everyone”. Hebelieves that one must do what one thinks is right. Andthe biggest tip of all is to never give up in life! Because

if Mr. Arora had done so, he'd havenever built his first hotel. He says that“life is all about challenges, and thatthere are two different types of people,there are folks who will walk awayfrom challenges, just take the easyroute and there are folks who standthere and face the challenges and say,look it's a challenge, let's climb up thehill and get to the other side.” The wayI've always worked in life is I'd ratherwork as a farmer rather than a hunter.

People out there look for a quick kill and say we don'treally care what happens, as long as I can get to mygoal, I just want to be there and I want to be success-ful and I want to get to x,y,z results. And then there arepeople who say actually I'd rather work as a farmer,step by step and be there for a long, long time. And Mr.Arora has stood by the same, he has always tried to bethe farmer rather than the quick kill hunter!

We wish this true farmer from Punjab all the suc-cess in his life's endeavours and hope he continues tomake the British and the Indian community proud alike!

Be a farmer, not a hunter

Surinder Arora

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30 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar - 2010

Joginder Sanger sits amongst the crème de lacrème on the list of the most successful Indianentrepreneurs in the UK. From owning a small

travel agency in East London in 1965, his business hasexpanded to owning four prestigious hotels in Londonwhich include The Bentley in Kensington, TheWashington in Mayfair, Courthouse Doubletree byHilton in West end and recently acquired Palms Hotel,various properties, travel agencies and a life insurancecompany. He has two more hotels under developmentin London and another two in India. He has also recent-ly been awarded a community award from the Houseof Commons in recognition of his outstanding and life-long dedication to philanthropic work in the UK andabroad.

Like many, his success didn't come easy. Hailingfrom village Apra near Jallandhar in Punjab, JoginderSanger came to England in 1961 in search of a betterlife and opportunities. After settling in England for afew months, his father called him back to India. "Oncemy father found out that I was working in a factory hewanted me to come back. He said, I sent you for stud-ies and now you are working in a factory, why can't youstay here and work on the farm or do some business ."However, working on the farm full time as well as look-ing after other affairs was not difficultexcept that sometime he used to feelthat people feel that he failed in Englandand that is why his is back in Punjab. Hesaid “I was unable to answer why I cameback when people were begging to go toEngland for better future”. He had biggeraspirations. He reached a point where hesaid "Enough is enough, I'm going backto England.”

After experiencing life in England,where even an ordinary working personcan live a decent comfortable life, differ-ences in the lifestyles became veryapparent to him. "I saw everything isvery disciplined. Whereas in India every-thing was in short supply and moredemand and without knowing someoneyou could note get things done. Here inEngland, one thing that impressed me is if you workhard and you work honestly, there is opportunity foryou. You will be a successful man. But in India you canwork as hard as much as you like, but unless there'ssome side pull you cannot succeed, you cannot getyour job done."

And Sanger certainly worked hard. His first jobwas in a factory and during his first three-four years inEngland, he worked in various jobs including as a busand a train conductor. "I used to make £8.50 a weekfor a forty four hour week and on the weekend I was

always available to work becauseovertime rate used to be time andhalf." Whilst most would creditthe hard work of the first genera-tion, in establishing Punjabis inthe UK, Sanger believes different-ly. "In my time we used to say,earn a little money and we'll goback. Our children will nevereven get the job of a bank man-

ager. But now because they aregood in their studies, our recogni-

tion is not our work, it is the earning of our childrenwho have not only bestowed upon themselves withtheir hard work, education, and capabilities, they've alsomade the recognition good for their own parents. Thisis what I think the community should recognize and thecountry should know. The first generation should feelproud of their right decision to educate their children asthe same has earned the recognition not only for theirchildren but also for their parents."

Nevertheless, Sanger has done his fair share ofhard work, and has also participated community workand projects. From the 1960s, Sanger helped theIndian Workers Association as well as Hindu society in

South London. Up until 1993, he waschairman of the Indian Sports and CulturalAssociation to promote kabbadi andPunjabi hockey. Today, he is most wellknown for his role as chairman of thefundraising committee of Bhartiya VidyaBhavan, which promotes the rich Indianarts and culture and that of Balaji Templenear Birmingham which promotes theIndian vedic culture and traditions as wellas inter faith harmony. He is also one ofthe patrons and/or trustee/donor of vari-ous other cultural/religious/social soci-eties/organisations such as Gujarat Hindusociety in Preston, Khalsa College inHayes, Singh Sabha Gurudwara inSouthall, Sanatan Hindu Cultural Society &Temple in Bradford and Indian GymkhanaClub in Hounslow etc.

With much experience in the field of business andcommunity work, we ask him what is it about Punjabisthat make them one of the most successful communi-ties in the UK? He replies, “Punjabis are hard workingand honest but they are gullible. You can easily misleadthem because they believe in virtues of truth. What ison their tongue the same thing is in their head and theirheart, unlike many others. Maybe in todays crafty worldit's not a good thing. But in my opinion its a virtue,they can stand in front of a mirror and say yes, I didn'tlie or deceive.”

Sanger on Success and Seva

The first generation

should not forget

that the right for

education for their

children has earned

the recognition not

only for their children

but more for

their parents

Joginder Sanger

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:47 Page 30


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Punjabis

From years of factory work to fulfillinghis dream of owning a Rolls Royce,London based clothing importer,

Gurdip Gujral has made his fortune of anestimated £10 million. His import mar-kets range from India, Pakistan, Thailandto Afghanistan. Honourably he has builtup a noble reputation for his contributionsto charity.

Ariving at Gurdip Gujral's office I aminstructed to make my way down whatseemed like an endless corridor. At thevery end I see Gujral walking towards mewith a smile beaming from the very end.As we approach he greets me as 'beta', anaffectionate Punjabi term meaning 'mychild', and even before we enter his officehe apologies for the mess. Lookingaround, there was a sense of haphazard-ness, papers everywhere, but on the wallswere mounds of inspirational and motiva-tional quotes, with tips for success andprosperity. Obviously for Gujral it's thesesentiments that have propelled him toestablish himself in the garment businessin the UK. In 2001 he received the covet-ed Asian of the Year award and in 1998received the honourable CBE from theQueen.

These royalties were not bestowedupon him until years of hard work andadjustment to life in the UK. Hailing froman agricultural and religious family back-ground in Punjab, after graduating hecame to England in 1965 in search ofopportunities. He says, “I realised that Ididn't have money or resources to start myown businesses, so keeping that in mind,I thought let me get out of India and Imight be able to do something with mylife. So with that intention I came to theUK.”

Talking about hisexperiences in the UK,Gujral talks about the dif-ficulties he faced in thedays where the popula-tion of Asians was notas vast as today. “I wentto a few factories andthey refused me,because of my colour.In one place they gaveme an ultimatum; Wewill give you a job if you

come without your turban. So that wasvery serious and it did hurt me,” he says.After some time, Gujral began to meetother Asians who he was able to confidein. One of his friends recommended thathe should try pursuing market trading. Hefound that many Asians were going intothis profession simply because it was aneasier way to make a living than goingthrough mainstream jobs. Gujral decidedto give it a go, so his friend invited him tocome to a market he also traded at. “Wewent early one morning to Petticoat Lanein Aldgate and I saw one market trader –a Jew, taking clothes out of a Rolls Royce.He then started hanging the clothes andthen went to park his Rolls Royce. I wasvery impressed and surprised to see thisand then I thought; there's no problem, Ican do that too.”

Today he has made a name for him-self off of his own back. Reflecting on hisproblems he says, “Though initially I hadproblems with my turban, it actuallyturned around when I got working withinour communities. With a turban I had anextra advantage, wherever I went I wasrespected. Once I was in the business, Inever had any complaints about my tur-ban as such, and I didn't experience anyproblems after that. Punjabis are veryhard working, they are in many differentfields; property, clothing, banking, theyare doing very well.”

Today, along with running his ownsuccessful business, Gujral, is a memberof various social, cultural and educationalorganisations. He’s president of theInternational Punjab Society (IPS), as wellas the Nargis Dutt Society for CancerResearch and Relief. The IPS aims to pre-serve Punjabi culture, language and histo-ry as well as propagating Punjabi issues.Members meet once a year on an interna-tional basis to discuss problems faced byPunjabis all over the world, as well asdoing their share of charity work.

I ask him what being Punjabi meansto him, to which he replies, “Punjabimeans everything to me. I love beingPunjabi - Punjabis by nature are hardworking. They are liberal, broad minded,open hearted, and they're everywhere inthe world.” Then with a smile he says“plus they're the 'badshaah' type!”

The 'Badshaah' of his business

They gave mean ultimatum,we will giveyou a job ifyou comewithout yourturban

Gurdip Gujral

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:47 Page 31

BritishPunjabis


The last decade has seen Punjabiwomen take front lead in occupa-tions ranging from medicine to mil-

itary. Kamel Hothi, the first Asian womanto have a management position in bank-ing is just one of those examples. She'sbeen in the industry for 30 years, andhas worked her way up. Inspite of noplans to have a banking career, she iscurrently the niche markets' director atLloyds TSB. Talking to Hothi about hercareer motivations and family life, it wasrefreshing to know that whilst sheenjoys a successful career, she has atight hold of her values and culture.

Even though Hothi came from ageneration where women didn'twork, she always aspired to be a

Paediatrician. “I loved working with chil-dren. But for some reason I didn't discussthis with my father until the final crunchcame and he realised it meant livingaway from home and just said, no that'snot for you!” But with much encourage-ment from her brothers, who wantedmore for Hothi than falling into the life offactory work, she applied for a job atTSB, and out of 300 other applicantsmanaged to get the job. And althoughtoday working in a bank is a commend-able job, there was much nervousnessfrom her family, with Hothi stepping intothe unknown. “It was more the issue ofhow my job would effect the familyrather than being proud of someone whoworks in a bank. I mean my brothersused to drop me and pick me up fromwork, so it was quite policed!”

When Hothi had her marriagearranged within a couple of years ofworking there, she had a similar reactionfrom her in-laws. “There was an implica-tion that if you change your ways,become very westernised, cut your hairor start wearing a skirt then we may askyou to leave the job. Or even worse, stayat home or work at the local factorywhere the aunties are. So it was a bit ofa juggling act.”

Despite difficulties of careeracceptance, Hothi talks fondly of herfather-in-law. “He was a wise and gen-uine person, he really helped me. It washe who said to me you know, Kamel ifyou want a career in banking and want to

make an easy life for yourself, keep thetwo worlds completely separate. Don'tcome home and boast or tell anybodyespecially the women what you do,because they've never seen that world.So it was a bit of the wonder woman actyou know, come home, change from thecorporate gear into the salwaar-kameezand straight into the kitchen and makethe rotis.” Hothi reflects that whilst thatwisdom may not be what the next gen-eration would appreciate, for her it wasthe best thing her father-in-law couldhave taught her and she has kept it toher heart. “I think for the first ten, fifteenyears that's what has helped me surviveand pursue both my career and my dutyas a daughter-in-law, which is what myparents have brought me up to be.”

For Hothi things were different forher generation from the present dayyouth, as their parents came here for onepurpose, which was to better their fami-lies' lives. As a result, her parents wellinstilled those hard working ethics in hertoo. She proudly remarks her contempo-raries who have similarly worked veryhard, made a lot of money and accumu-lated reasonable wealth and achievedsuccess at their jobs.

Hothi who took 15 years to workher way up to a management position,regretfully attributes the long time taken,to the lack of degree education at thattime. She feels that with the requireddegree she too could have had thedesired jump in her career. Without anysense of regret she speaks of the womenof her generation who invested a sub-stantial amount of time in their childrenalong with the responsibilities at work.

Interestingly, most of her genera-tion thought of education as thepanacea to eliminate poverty from theirlives. And while she believes that herself,she is quick to point the uni-focussedthrust that they end up putting on theirkids as a way to compensate for theopportunity they never had, and vicari-ously trying to live 'their' dream ofbecoming a doctor or a solicitor throughtheir kids. Only to find that their kidsupon coming out of university and col-lege are lot more westernised, assertiveand a lots less risk averse. As a result,

From Bhaji to Banking

It was a bitof the wonderwoman act;come homechange fromthe corporategear into the

salwaar kameezand straight

into thekitchen and

make the roti's

Kamel Hothi: An unassuming rolemodel for the young

women

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:48 Page 32


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Punjabis

Hothi believes children may not understand the valuesof the extended family system and are much morechallenging than previous generation in demanding toask why do we do certain things and why they haveto attend weddings with 600 people when they don'tknow three quarters of them.

So in that sense it's quite a divide that shesees and feels and that as parents they need toreconnect with their children and spend some timein helping them see the value of family commit-ments and support structures that they createdthemselves and which have helped them to thisday. But at the same time allow them freedom togrow in a western society such that they can flour-ish and pursue the careers of their dream.

This woman of great success feels veryuncomfortable when asked about her 'role modelwithin the banking and Asian community' status, asshe really never got into this career thinking she willsomeday become any sort of 'role model' and thatshe will be flying the flag for everybody else to fol-low. All she knew is that she struggled to getwhere she is and the reason for her setting up theEthnic Minority Network was purely because shethought that she had something to pass on. It firstoccurred to her when she got some e-mails formyoungsters who'd say, “Aunty, I'm struggling here;I'm going to have an arranged marriage, I haven'ttold anybody at work, I'm doing all these longhours, how do I explain that to my in-laws?” That's

when it really opened her eye and she thought thatthere actually was a role that she could play, nowthat she is older and wiser and has been through allof that! She says that the network has made herreally proud, helping and mentoring many womenand men within the group. She feels very privi-leged in the role that she plays. In her words, “Imeet a lot of people like CB Patel, who I feel havedone a lot of work for the community and it givesme the opportunity to network. We can nominatethese people and give them the platform and theprofile that they really deserve. I'm just doing whatI've been asked to do, and I'm just very privilegedthat I've got the opportunity to do it .”

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Punjab National Bank (PNB) wasestablished in 1895 at Lahore, thecapital of undivided Punjab by

nationalist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai, S.Dayal Singh Majithia and others, as apart of Swadeshi movement. In July1969, the bank was nationalised alongwith thirteen other banks. Today, thebank has grown to become one of thefront runner banking institutions in Indiawith a business of around Rs. 436000crores. Boasting over 56 million cus-tomers, 5000 offices, around 4000ATMs, as well as being ranked one ofIndia's top service brands, PNB is thesecond largest public sector bank inIndia.

In May 2007, Punjab National BankInternational Ltd (PNBIL), started its oper-ations in UK with two branches inLondon and Southall. In 2009, theyadded two more branches at Leicesterand Birmingham. They have recentlyopened a branch at Ilford and have plansto add two more branches at Wembleyand Wolverhampton in 2010. ManagingDirector of PNBIL, Mr S.R. Sharma spoketo us about his role, and services offeredby PNBIL to the community.

Tell us about your background androle at PNB.

I'm originally from Amritsar(Punjab), but now settled in Chandigarh.Having joined PNB thirty two years backas a Management Trainee, I've worked invarious parts of India such as Punjab,Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh andHimachal Pradesh, and then came toLondon in December 2008 as head ofUK operations of the Bank. PNB haspresence in nine countries such as HongKong, Dubai, Kabul, China, Nepal,Bhutan, Afghanistan, Norway andKazakhstan. We are in the process ofopening a subsidary in Canada and weintend to open a representative office inAustralia. In India we have 5000 branch-es, virtually present in each and everystate of the country with more concen-tration in Northern India. In Punjab wehave more than 500 branches. The UKis the major initiative of PNB outside thecountry

With branches worldwide, whatmakes PNB stand out from the rest?

Customer service and relationshipbanking are the hallmarks of PNB.Because of that, we are the naturalchoice of Indian diaspora in UK. We wel-come customers to our branches andthere are no entry barriers. Our doorsare always open and customers caneven walk straight to the Managerwhereas in other banks, you cannot gobeyond a point of interaction. Our satis-fied customers are our best ambassadorsand we get a lot of fresh customersthrough them. Because of our attractiveinterest rates, we are also attracting a lotof local customers.

Tell us about the services offered byPNB.

We are into retail as well as corpo-rate banking. On retail side, we opendeposit accounts such as savingsaccounts, current accounts, fixed depositaccounts, business accounts etc in threecurrencies i.e. Pound Sterling, US Dollarand Euro. We are the only Indian PublicSector Bank in UK issuing Chip and PINbased debit card to our current accountholders, which is operable on all Maestroenabled ATMs and POS Machines. Wealso provide internet banking facility. Ouraccount maintenance and cash handlingcharges are quite low in comparison toother banks. Same way, our exchangerates and remittance charges are quitecompetitive and we allow free remit-tance facility to PNB accounts in India.On lending side, we are not into residen-tial mortgages, but we do lend for busi-ness purpose with low LTV ratio.However, our main lending is toCorporates, both Indian as well as local.

What's next for PNB?In India,we have a five year busi-

ness plan according to which we are tar-geting to reach business of Rs.10,00,000 crores and 150mn. cus-tomers by 2013 through 100,000 touchpoints. As far as UK is concerned, withseven branches we hope to reach a busi-ness of around $1.35 billion by March2011.

Banking with a Punjabi touch

Mr S.R. Sharma,Managing Director ofPunjab National BankInternational Limited

Sec 2 to 34_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 10:45 Page 34


BritishPunjabis

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BritishPunjabis

Focused, passionate, quick-thinking,always on the go, are just some ofthe words which begin to describe

the man that is Dalip Puri. As we meet,he informs me that over the past threeweeks he has been in Singapore,Bangalore, and Amsterdam. For him theworld is indeed a small place! Dalip Puriis Head of Multicultural CommercialBanking UK and Global Head of IndianBusiness for HSBC Group; and he veryproudly informs me this month marks his30th year working for HSBC.

What exactly is MulticulturalCommercial Banking? The model is exclu-sive to HSBC, where dedicated teams ofrelationship managers are positioned inlocations where large immigrant businesscommunities exist in the UK. At presentthe business communities covered are ofIndian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan,Chinese, Turkish and Polish extraction. AsPuri explains, “We are ableto give superior relationshipcoverage as a number ofthe relationship managersare from the same ethnicityas the customer and areembedded within the com-munity at large. They areculturally aligned and areable to engage at all levelswith the customer.”

“Focused activity with-in target communitiesallows specific campaignsfor acquisition and helpsbusinesses use HSBC’sglobal network.” Puri feelsthat HSBC has a servicewhich can provide, and isbest in class because of theglobal footprint of HSBCwhich is unique. “We have a naturaladvantage over our competitors and bysetting up these Multicultural CommercialBanking teams, we can really open up thegateway and enhance engagement forboth our existing customers andprospects.”

Last July Puri was appointed as theGlobal Head of Indian Business for HSBCGroup, an international role. In this capac-ity Puri is aiming to take the concept ofMulticultural Commercial Banking and

rollout the model to other countries wherelarge Indian Diasporas reside. “Once wehave Multicultural Commercial Bankingunits in number of geographies we willconnect them to form a web which willenhance our service delivery.”

With Puri's successful endeavours,what are his secrets of success? He recol-lects his father giving him one crucialpiece of advice which was, “Son, hardwork has never killed anybody, so don'tcome home and say I'm working veryhard.” It seems that working hard hasbecome a trait innately ingrained in manyPunjabis, perhaps the reason why we seethem excel in almost all fields of work. AsPuri reflects on the Punjabi community, henotes “they're very entrepreneurial, hardworking and robust in their businessendeavours. They don't feel scared to goanywhere and this is why they are able tocreate a space for themselves wherever

they go. Boundaries andbarriers don't usually existfor them.”

Puri's Punjabi dedica-tion is reflected in his timeat HSBC. In a recentreunion of his MBA batchin Bangalore, he found hewas the only one to haveworked for the same com-pany for 30 years. “I some-times start wondering is itbecause nobody else wantsme or is it because I'm inmy comfort zone? I thinkthe answer to me is thatHSBC has always given meopportunities when I want-ed them. They've never letthings get stale and that'sthe organisational strength

which makes HSBC great.”With these values and passion, it is

clear that Puri will continue to excel in hisfield. In his words, “my work gives me alot of thrill because to me, it's me. As Ikeep achieving, I feel a little bit lessstressed.” As Dalip sees me out of theHSBC headquarters in Canary Wharf, hetells me that in half an hour, he's off toaddress a young entrepreneurs’ seminarin the HSBC Leeds office. A man trulyalways on the go!

Dalip Puri: Punjabi passion to stop at nothing

My work givesme a lot ofthrill becauseto me, it's me.As I keepachieving, Ifeel a little bitless stressed

Dalip Puri, Head of MulticulturalCommercial Banking

at HSBC

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:43 Page 36


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Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 14:46 Page 37


BritishPunjabis

Leaving no stoneunturned, Punjabishave even made their

mark to last generations tocome in the field of con-temporary Art. With aninternational standing,British Punjabi artists, TheSingh Twins have revealedthe potential in Indian art;challenging stereotypesand encouraging areas ofdebate. Their intelligentwork is instantly recognis-able with a witty style that

transcends cultural barriers. With workdisplayed in private and public collectionsworldwide they continue to be in highdemand to speak on their work. TheSingh Twins aka, Amrit and Rabindra Kaurtalk to us about their roots, motivationsand inspirations.

Tell us about your upbringing in aPunjabi home.

Although we grew up in a predomi-nantly white British community and wereeducated in a Convent school, we havealways been very proud of our Punjabiroots, thanks to the influence of ourextended family. But the Punjabi aspect ofour heritage was really strengthenedwhen we went to India for the first time asteenagers. We had the opportunity,amongst other things, to visit all of the keyheritage sites associated with Sikhism,where we gained a much greater under-standing and appreciation for Sikh historyand values. Also, our Punjabi backgroundhas shaped our personality and art. Wehave inherited the Punjabi high spirited-ness, exuberance, colour, humour, as wellas its characteristics as a hard working,resilient, adaptable and determined com-munity.

What has been your motivation forpursuing a career in the arts?

Our decision to become professionalartists was influenced by the prejudice weexperienced at university where art tutorsdismissed our interest in the Indian minia-ture painting as backward and outdated.We felt this attack on our art heritage wasan extension of the kind of pressure we

had faced as young Asians (from ourpeers and negative media stereotypes ofAsians), to assimilate or conform to west-ern values and lifestyle. It seemed to us toreflect colonial attitudes of ‘West is best’.We decided to challenge those attitudesthrough our art, which promotes the valueof non-European and traditional art formsand cultures as being just as valid in con-temporary art and society, at the sametime also exploring issues of shared, crosscultural heritage and identity that invitepeople to reassess how they view andevaluate their own identity in relation to‘the other’.

Where do you draw your inspirationsfrom?

From our personal experience ofbeing British Asians, to politics, religionand pop culture - mostly responding toparticular events around us.

Do you find any conflict betweenbeing Sikh and Punjabi?

The emphasis on personal and col-lective dignity, self worth, community andfamily are common to Punjabi culture andSikhism. We believe they have shared astrong sense of and commitment to jus-tice and fair play, which is why Punjabis ofall faiths have generally been at the fore-front of India’s Freedom movement forexample. The core values are inseparableto some extent but slight differences dooccur when it comes to day-to-day life andsocial practice. For instance it is sad to saythat drinking is a common characteristicof Punjabi culture whilst it is clearly unac-ceptable in Sikhism. And many of the tra-ditions practiced around the Punjabi wed-ding are more cultural than religious. Soit is possible to separate culture and faithat times.

Why have you chosen to bring outpolitical issues in your work?

Because we believe in the power ofart to communicate ideas and challengethe way people think about the worldaround them and are particularly inspiredor moved to paint things that we feelstrongly about. Politics is a very emotiveand important subject for us in thatrespect. Works on political themes enable

The Singh Twins: Politics in Art

Works onpoliticalthemes enableus tocontribute toexpress ourown views onthings thatanger us in theworld today

Amrit and RabindraKaur aka

'The Singh Twins'

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:44 Page 38


BritishPunjabis

us to contribute to express our ownviews on things that anger us in theworld today, and to contribute to thewider debate on issues that affects usall. For example in our NineteenEighty-Four painting and our portraitof Bush and Blair we wanted to createworks that expose what we see as thecorrupt politics and injustices sur-rounding those historical politicalevents. The atrocities perpetratedagainst the Sikhs in 1984 is some-thing that we should all be concernedabout regardless of faith or racebecause it resulted from a pattern ofhuman behavior, rooted political greedand thirst for power. That has hap-pened before and can happen to anyof us, any time.

What is your message to theyoung generation of BritishPunjabis in the UK?

Be proud of who you are asBritish Punjabis, without loosing sightof your traditional heritage. It is possible to gain a bal-ance between a respect for tradition and the need toprogress in a modern world seeing the positive contri-bution that our traditional values can offer moderneso-ciety. Remember for instance that Guru Nanak Dev ji

was promoting equal rights for women, centuriesbefore the Suffragettes came on to the scene. It’s nota case of having to choose between two cultures, orthrowing the baby out with the bath water. Pick thebest from both worlds

The Singh Twins' most recent work, titled 'EnTWINed'

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BritishPunjabis

Glasgow's most famous Sikh,Hardeep Singh Kholi has achievedsuccess as a writer, TV presenter

and comedian in mainstream media, afield we rarely see British Punjabis takefront running.

After training with the BBC, Kholiwent on to write, direct and star in televi-sion programmes such as Channel four’sMeet the Magoons. But he is probablybest known for participating in a celebrityversion of The Apprentice as well asreaching the finals of BBC one's CelebrityMasterchef. We talked to Kholi aboutbeing Punjabi, his inspirations and savingon hair-care products!

Did you have any Punjabi influencesin your family life?

My family life was fairly straightfor-ward and uncontroversial. We went to thetemple every Sunday, we went to a doublebill of Bollywood movies every Sunday.The thing about being Punjabi is that it'snot a culture thing you are aware of every-day, it's a general sense that permeatesinto every part of your life; food, party-ing....heavy drinking!

Has your Punjabi background influ-enced you personally and profession-ally?

Yeah absolutely. We are the partypeople, the 'good times' people and sothat's kind of influenced me. You know thelive show I do now, is basically cooking foran audience of three hundred. My Mumused to cook for three hundred withoutticket prices! We’re a kind of fun lovingpeople, and you know it surprises me thatthere aren't more Punjabis working in com-edy, because we are you know, fundamen-tally a funny kind of people and we are thebest dancers in the world.

Growing up in the UK, how did youfeel about your Punjabi roots?

Very proud. Out of all the identities inIndia, I think its one of the strongest. ThePunjab, because its cross religious, there'sHindu Punjabis, Muslim Punjabis and therewas a Punjab before there was Sikhism orIslam, and probably even before Hinduism.

Is there a lack of British Punjabis inthe media?

There are people working behind the

scenes. People have been here fifty years.Things are still changing in the industryand it’s taking time to wake up to the real-ity of the television industry. The mediagenerally isn't ahead of things as much asit thinks it is and in terms of real positionsof power in the industry, that's still prettymuch dominated by white men.

Punjabi culture and Sikhism are con-sidered by many to be inseparablyintertwined. Sikhism was born in Punjab and is part ofthe soil of Punjab – Sikhism wouldn't havebeen founded anywhere else because ofthe geographical position of Punjab, andthe political situation of the time. To beSikh is to be Punjabi, and to be Punjabi isto be Sikh. But also, I think it’s reallyimportant particularly in this day and agethat we understand Sikhs have no exclu-sive orientation of being Punjabi. BeingPunjabi is bigger than any single religion.

What does wearing a turban mean toyou?

I'm very lucky to have been born intowhat I believe to be the most forwardlooking religion in the world. My identityis who I am, it’s what I've grown up with.It’s a sense of great pride that I come froma line of such great people, and maybeone day I might live up to the expectationsof being a Sikh. And it’s saved me a for-tune on hair care products!

Which British Punjabis have been aninfluence on you?

Gurinder Chadha has definitely beena visionary for an entire generation, youknow not just as a Punjabi, not just as aSikh, but as a woman in a man's world –at the the very top of her business and Igain a great deal of inspiration from her.But to be really honest with you, I'minspired by the Punjabi families that workin shops seven days a week and runrestaurants seven days a week, do the verybest for their families and their children.That's more inspirational than anythingelse. That's where our work ethic comesfrom - you know I'm getting goose bumpsjust talking to you about it . I'm very proudto be Punjabi, I'm very proud to be Sikh. Ijust wish we lived up to it a little bit morethan we do.

Breaking the media mould

I think itsreally importantparticularly inthis day andage, that weunderstand,Sikhs have noexclusiveorientation ofbeing Punjabi.Being Punjabi isbigger than anysingle religion

Hardeep Singh Kohli,TV personality and

writer

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:45 Page 40


BritishPunjabis

The largest UK public funded law firmDuncan Lewis Solicitors is owned by aPunjabi. Nikki Bhogal, Marketing Executiveat the firm writes about Duncan Lewis andsome of their key Punjabi players.

Duncan Lewis is one of the country's fastest grow-ing firms of solicitors, servicing both corporateentities and private individuals. This growth has

been derived from a simple mission: to provide a reli-able, accurate and practicable legal service. In 1998Amarpal Singh Gupta (more commonly know asShany), Nina Joshi and one other, set up Duncan Lewis.Shany qualified in 1996 and practised as aLitigation/Public Law Solicitor for over eight years. AsC.E.O Shany Gupta is now involved in the day to daymanagement and direction of the Company. TheCompany operated from one office specialising in onlyfour areas of practice and has, under his directiongrown to become the largest supplier of Public Fundedwork in the UK with over 400 staff in six different loca-tions of London and the Home Counties. The firm nowprovides services in 18 practice areas and representsover 20,000 clients per annum. Turnover figures forDuncan Lewis for the last financial year was just under£18 million. Projections for the next financial year antic-ipate an increase to more than £20 million; thus show-ing that hard work and determination does pay off.

It is apparent that Duncan Lewis is much largerthan a high street firm and the management board con-sisting of seven and the firm’s thirty partners arerequired in order for the firm to continue to grow. Thereis a strong Punjabi influence throughout Duncan Lewis,from admin support, caseworkers, trainee solicitors andsolicitors to partners and the management board.

Duncan Lewis’ key areas of law include Familyand Child Care. These areas are headed by partnersAmanjit Lalli and Jitender Birah who are both Punjabiprofessionals and have seen the department grow sig-nificantly over the past few years to make Family andChild Care, Duncan Lewis’ largest and most profitabledepartment.

Our Crime department has more than doubledover the past 18 months and partner Hardeep Dhaliwalwho has been at Duncan Lewis since 1999 has over-seen this department grow and develop, to cover Crimein all of our offices.

Our Immigration team is another key practice areafor Duncan Lewis. Gurpreet Vagha, who joined as acaseworker in 2001 and progressed to solicitor, head ofdepartment and now is the Partner at Duncan Lewis,has worked with the Harrow team and has shown howeffective a business model can be worked efficiently todevelop a small team to what is now - the largest teamin terms of employees at Duncan Lewis. Gurpreet

Vagha has now moved to theEmployment team in theHackney office to transfer hermanagement skills to this keyarea of law. Our Immigrationteam still has a Punjabi influ-ence, with Parminder Sandhuheading the department inHarrow. Gurpreet Chaddha,Angela Rani, Harpreet Sihra andSatvir Mann carry outImmigration work across ourother offices.

Duncan Lewis has a con-veyancing department, whichhandles both commercial andresidential property and is head-ed by Rupinder Kang. Sheundertakes a considerable

amount of high value secured lending and acts for bothborrowers and lenders in the purchase, financing, leas-es, subleases and leaseback of significant valued com-mercial properties. In addition to acting in traditionalcommercial property related transactions, Rupinderalso acts in the sale and purchase of franchises, nurs-ing homes, warehouse units and the property aspect ofmergers and acquisitions of companies. Rupinderadvises residential property developers and individualclients on a wide range of transactions including port-folio building, residential freeholds, leaseholds, share offreehold, extension of leases, right to buys, re-mort-gages, shared ownership, transfer of equity, transfer ofpart, key workers scheme and new build properties.

Landlord tenant disputes are dealt with by our lit-igation team. Sundeep Oberoi, based in our Harrowoffice deals with both contentious and non-contentiousmatters and has a broad range of legal experienceranging from preparing commercial agreements forclients to engaging in complex litigation or dealing withregulatory matters. He comes from a private practicebackground, where he has spent a great deal of time,acting for owner managed businesses and other highnet worth private clients. Shany Gupta, CEO of Duncan Lewis comments:

‘We have a strong influence of Punjabi employeesat Duncan Lewis from admin levels through to manage-ment. However we have a very diverse working envi-ronment with over 60 different ethnic groups workingat Duncan Lewis. This makes it a diverse and interest-ing environment for all to work in.’

The strong Punjabi influence at Duncan Lewis is aprime example that British Punjabis are succeeding inthe business world.For more information about Duncan Lewis please visitour website www.duncanlewis.com, email [email protected] or phone 020 7923 4020.

Giving Punjabi’s a Voice

Amarpal Singh Gupta(more commonly knownas Shany), CEO DuncanLewis and son of SarabjitSingh Gupta, Mbarara,

Uganda

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 11:29 Page 41


BritishPunjabis

Born in Mullan Pur Garib Dass, a vil-lage near Chandigarh, ProfessorNathu (Nat) Ram Puri studied

Mathematics followed by Law andPsychology at Punjab University. Hecame to London in 1966 where he stud-ied Engineering, before working at aNottingham engineering company, FGSkerritt. In 1975 he left the company toembark on his own career as an engi-neering consultant. Within eight yearshe returned to FG Skerritt, only this timeas the owner. In his words he says, “Itsmuch cheaper to buy a company thantrying to build them up.”

His empire now spans paper, engi-neering, and plastics with operationsbased in UK, USA, Germany, China,Mexico and Hungary, collectively employ-ing more than 2,500 people. At onestage the Group employed near 10,000people. In 1983, he consolidated his var-ious businesses into Nottingham basedparent company Purico. Today, he's popu-larly cited as one of the richest man inNottingham, and has even entered theBritain's Richest Asians List.

These days he spends most of histime on voluntary and charitable projects.He is well known for his philanthropicwork, giving something close to £1/2million a year to charity. We spoke toPuri about his successes and tips fortoday’s youth.

With an impressive resumewhat’s the secret of your success?

Nobody sells a good business for acheap price. I didn’t have much moneyso I could only buy businesses which Icould buy cheaply and I had one criteriathat it should have a good market. Theirproblem was manufacturing; I hoped toimprove the manufacturing and startmaking profits. They were all loss mak-ing, or at best break even when I boughtthem. Being a consultant, I knew how tolook at things. You have to solve whythings aren't working and what's wrong,so I carried that into manufacturing. Ifound that a lot of people never learnthow to plan a manufacturing operationand still, it is the same in many compa-nies. They manufacture one piece herethen move it to the other end, from therethey will move it back, instead of having

a production line installation or as closeto it as possible.

What is the most common mis-take people work in acquiring newbusinesses?

Whatever you did yesterday, youmight be number one in the quality man-ufacturing process but today you're not.Between yesterday and today, other peo-ple have caught up, so now you've got tostart all over again to be number one.This is what most people don't under-stand, it is a necessary process requiringcontinuous improvements.

Tell us about the various com-munity projects you are involved in.

We have schools and supportedprograms in the Nottingham area Wealso have scholarships for Indian stu-dents at Nottingham University,Nottingham Trent and London SouthbankUniversity. I have set up a research insti-tute in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. I built aschool in my village, and done manyother things in villages around that area.We have 700 one teacher schools run-ning in Nepal, which we fund.

How do you feel when you'recited as one of the most successfulAsians in the UK?

I don't look at it as myself being suc-cessful or unsuccessful. Every day is anew day, you go out and do your best. Idon't worry about the result. Results willcome if I do things right. Money is a byproduct of your success in doing things.Don't make decisions because you wantto gain something quickly, make thembecause they are the right decisions.

What would be your advice toBritish Punjabis in UK today?

I think my advice would be do what-ever you want to do and do it well, butdon't give up lightly because the differ-ence in effort between success and fail-ure is small. People give up after 99%effort, and the extra bit is what makesyou succeed, so persevere, but not blind-ly. However if you believe in what youare doing, you have got to carry itthrough. Something will happen, it maynot be exactly what you thought wouldhappen, but something else may happen.Keep your eyes and ears open and makethe best of whatever comes your way.

I don't look atit as myselfbeingsuccessful ornotsucceessful.Every day is anew day, yougo out and doyour best. Idon't worryabout theresult.Results willcome if I dothings right

Nathu (Nat) Puri, founderof Purico Group

Perseverance and that extra effort is key to success

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 11:02 Page 42


BritishPunjabis

Puja Saggar is the Founder andManaging Director of Shreem EventsLimited which earlier this year suc-

cessfully launched the Zee Asian Pavilionsat the UK’s leading home consumer exhi-bition, the Ideal Home Show.

Puja, a UK born Hindu Punjabi, is aBA (Hons) Accounting & Finance graduatewho qualified as an ACCA accountant withPricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). After anumber of years, Puja left her role as aCorporate Tax Consultant with PwC to ful-fil her long standing ambition to join theEvents & Exhibitions Industry. Puja’s father,Vijay Saggar, has an association of over 35years with the Exhibitions Industry and hasbeen a service partner at many of the UK’stop exhibition venues. It was the manyyears that Puja had spent helping herfather as a youngster that has given her apassion for organising live events.

Puja’s first exhibition was as Finance& Operations Director of the AsianLifestyle Show – a three day exhibition cel-ebrating British Asian lifestyle & culture.Puja undertook the full hands-on manage-ment and day to day running of the AsianLifestyle Show from its launch in 2004 to2007. With over 300 exhibitors and40,000 visitors annually the AsianLifestyle Show exceeded allexpectations and was praised asone of the most successful showsever staged at Olympia’s GrandHall and was even a finalist for theBest Launch Show award at theAEO Excellence Awards. Workingon the show for four years gavePuja a thorough industry knowl-edge and in 2007 she set up herown company Shreem EventsLimited - an events & exhibitionsmanagement services companythat provides unique, innovative &cost effective event solutions forits clients and other bespoke sup-port services in sales & sponsor-ship, operations, logistics, healthand safety and marketing. Inorder to provide her clients withthe most comprehensive serviceshe went on to gain the highlyregarded IOSH & NEBOSH health

& safety qualifications – held only by a fewwithin the Events & Exhibitions industry.Puja believes that continuing professionaldevelopment is the key to offering the bestservices to her clients saying “we neverrest on our laurels but actively seek outnew ways to better ourselves. This is defi-nitely a work ethic that stems from myPunjabi roots – to work smarter, beresourceful and to always offer our clientsvalue for money in whatever we do.”

It is this professionalism that led toPuja’s appointment as the co-ordinator ofthe newly launched Asian Pavilions at thenew-look Ideal Home Show earlier thisyear which attracted over 250,000 visitorsover its new seventeen day show format.The Asian Food Pavilion and the AsianLifestyle Pavilion were specially created torecognise the ever increasing popularity ofAsian food, culture, fashion & lifestyle inthe UK homes. This show is only one of aline up of many new & exciting events thatShreem Events is currently working on.Those wanting to find out more aboutupcoming events can visit www.shree-mevents.com or can register their interestby emailing [email protected].

Puja Saggar – Event Organiser Passionate to promote British Asian Culture

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Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:50 Page 43


BritishPunjabis

Named one of the twenty mostpowerful Asians in England in2005, broadcaster/entrepreneur

Dr Avtar Lit is the owner and chairman ofSunrise Radio Group. With the first airingon November 5th, 1989, Sunrise hasmade its reputation as one of the greatestAsian radio station in the world.” Today,the Lit corporation has expanded toPunjabi Radio, Kismat Radio and SunriseTV, with an average weekly reach of483,000 listeners.

Talking about his roots, Lit describesliving in Punjab as the type of life youcan't really get in Britain. He left the worldof fresh melons, sugar cane, vegetables,and mangoes, at the age of eleven. Hearrived with his family in Tilbury and withtypical British weather, they were wel-comed with three inches of snow!

After settling in the UK, Lit pursueda somewhat unconventional career byPunjabi standards, in broadcasting. Heexpressed the need for an outlet torepresent the Asian community andfelt at that time there wasn't enoughstrong Asian media. “There wereone or two Punjabi newspapers,mostly talking about back home.The print media never really tookhold in the Asian community in theUK, even today. And my interest wasin the electronic media, I wanted tocommunicate to the masses. Butmore importantly, I was interested inthe editorial control, as opposed tosimply doing programming, andplaying music anthems. I thought itwas essential for the well being ofAsians then, and the future genera-tion of Asians to get a foothold inthe media.” Quickly recognising this gapin the market, Sunrise instantly became aplatform for Asians in the early stages ofits airing. It had a phenomenal followingand today has paved the way for manyradio stations that have come into exis-tence since then.

As well as serving the Asian commu-nity, Sunrise has also launched it's veryown Punjabi Radio, catering to all thingsPunjabi. Speaking about Punjabi culture inthe UK, Lit says, “I think we've come to ahappy state in the UK today because ofthe Punjabi music beat and the North

Indian cuisine. The third and fourth gener-ation of Asians, whether they'reBangladeshis, Gujaratis or Marathis, theyare all beginning to relate to Punjabi cul-ture, food and music. What's happening isthat because the Punjabi culture is so richin all those things, the Gujaratis haven'tmanaged to transpire Punjabis intoGujaratis which they did in East Africa. InEast Africa, a lot of the Punjabis that werethere, they remained Punjabis, butbecame very familiar with the Gujarati cul-ture because they were the majority there.Whereas in the UK, I think we have suc-cessfully turned the other communitiestowards the Punjabi way of life!”

Talking about the the future of thenext generation Lit expresses the impor-tance of acknowledging the contributionsmade by previous generations. “They sac-rificed their lives to settle the Asian com-munities here, but nevertheless progressshouldn't be held back, because people

who are older don't have a monopoly onwisdom or ambition and I think the youngAsians should enter public politics and notstick to these safe havens. For example,we have a lot of Asian lawyers. What I'msaying is there are so many professionswhich are still under-represented by theAsian community because those profes-sions don't provide the accepted respectwithin the Asian communities. Probablybroadcasting was one of them up untilrecently. My mother still asks me, whenare you going to get a proper job!”

Making waves on radio

My motherstill asks me,when are yougoing to get aproper job!

Avtar Lit,the entrepreneur whohas 'lit' the lives ofmany with radio

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:50 Page 44


BritishPunjabis

Dr Rami Ranger MBE, FRSA hasworked his way up the entrepre-neurial ladder to become one of

the most successful Punjabis in the UK.Hailing from Gurjanwala, Punjab, Rangergraduated from Punjab University in 1971.Arriving in the UK he initially worked in afast food industry, before becoming a selfmade man. In 1987, Ranger set up hiscompany Sea Air and Land, followed bySun Mark Ltd three years later. One spe-cialises in shipping and forwarding andthe other in marketing of consumer prod-ucts. His companies quickly became oneof the fastest growing companies inBritain, receiving the Queens award forenterprise in 2010.

As well as running his own business,Ranger is actively involved in a range ofsocial and political activities. He is chair-man of the British Sikh Association thatpromotes interfaith dialogue. He also setup the British Asian Conservative Link tomake Asians more publicly and politicallyinvolved.

With countless achievements, wetalked to Ranger about his success, chal-lenges and take on the Punjabi communi-ty.

What was life like for you when youcame to the UK?

When we first came, understand-ably, these people were miles ahead ofus. When you come to someone's coun-try, language is a barrier, their culture,there are many obstacles. So naturally,we did not enjoy as much respect as weare enjoying today because we never hada track record. But now we have a trackrecord of success, people know exactlywho we are.

What motivated you to start yourown business?

Many of us were forced into ourbusiness, when a bad employer doesn'tlook after his staff he goes and works forthe competition, but in our case, even thecompetition didn't want us. So we had nochoice but to start our own business.Punjabis are a success story. I don't think

there is any area where you will not findPunjabis doing excellent or excelling.

How has the UK changed now?The changes have come because

we have bought about changes, becausethe community has worked very hard.Before we came nobody used to opentheir corner-shops after 5.30pm – theysaw the Asians are taking away all thebusinesses. We were competing withthem. At that time people used to hatecurry, now they can't get enough of it. Sothat shows how far we have come.

What is the secret of Punjabis' suc-cess?

Punjabis are from a border state,they were under attack from peopleacross the world, whether they werePersian, Turkish, Arabs. So for that reasonPunjabis are always hard workingbecause every-time they would makesomething, they would lose everything, sothey had to start all over again.

Our community by working hard, bybecoming asset, by adding value , theymade it much easier for the next genera-tions. The biggest asset for us is our nextgeneration community. So, we are proba-bly the most effective community in termsof benefiting society, because we invest alot more in our children.

What meaning does being Punjabihold for you?

Punjabi means free spirit: work hard,play hard, a liberated community. Thereare no barriers to “Punjabiness,” greatsense of humour, a vibrant community.They're even great farmers, great soldiers,great athletes. They are the drivers in allfields. If you remove Punjabis, there wouldbe nothing left.

Rami Ranger: The biggest asset for

us is our next generation community

Dr Rami Ranger

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:59 Page 45


BritishPunjabis

From dabbling his hands in variousoccupations such as IT strategy,property development, fashion and

even resident DJ, Kulveer Ranger has set-tled for director of transport policy for theMayor of London. He's the man behindsome major transport projects in London,including the introduction of the oystercard and King's Cross redevelopment.With much debate over the identity crisisamongst British Asians, Ranger talks tous about his personal experiences of strik-ing a balance between his Punjabi andBritish roots.

What does the Punjab homelandmean to you?

Punjab doesn't really mean thatmuch to me - the names of all the townsand the villages, all these kinds of placesdon't really resonate with me. I wouldsuggest also, not with a lot of my genera-tion of Punjabis, who probably like me,know that their grandparents came fromPunjab, pre-partition, and a lot of that is inPakistan now, so don't go there thatoften. And then when families moved outinto different parts of India as with mydad's family to East Africa, followed by afurther transition maybe to the UK,America or Canada, home for you iswhere you were born and brought up, soyou have kind of two or three differentjumps to get back to Punjab.

And although in your hearts ofhearts you would like to feel this roman-tic sense of belonging to the homelandand you can romanticise that, butwhether you have that emotional link toit, I suggest we don't because we've beenmoving around the world over these lastfifty years and I think the challenge forour generation is to have that link withwhere we are, whichever part of theworld we now live in and are born in.

Do you think there are any draw-backs to the Punjabi culture?

There is one thing we may be slight-ly guilty of and that is gagging success asa community by the amount of moneywe have. Not necessarily in the bankaccount, but by the car you drive, theamount you can pave over your garden tocreate a car park in the front of your

house so you can put more cars in there,and how you can keep the main loungein the house extra special for whenguests come and you never use it unlessguests come! All these things we laugh atbut our parents take pride in, a bit of thatwill always get passed down to us.

So now, I think we have to startlooking at how we evolve our prioritiesand what is important to us. Whether itreally is material goods or whether it isalso a primary function of the Sikh ideol-ogy which is seva (selfless service). Andseva is not just about going to theGurdwara, making langar (free foodoffered by the Gurwara) and ensuringthat the Gurdwara works. It’s actuallyabout the whole community we live in,not just the Sikhs. And I think that'swhere our new generation, young gener-ation may want to start thinking about.What does it mean to be part of the com-munity and what does seva mean in 21stcentury Britain.

Who has been your biggest inspira-tion?

People are inspired by seeing otherAsians involved in something, its allabout role models and inspiring people.

I think probably the first Sikh whoinspired me, which just began to crossthat media divide was Tony Patti. TonyPatti is a DJ on Sunrise radio, but he wasone of the first guys that actually didsomething at the BBC, and I rememberwhen I was young, seeing Tony Patti andwhenever he'd play out he'd have thisintroduction which introduced him asTony Patti, the man from the BBC, and Ithought oh god yeah, Tony Patti's work-ing at the BBC.

But then you've got to look back fur-ther as well, my great inspirations havealso been my grandparents, especially mygrandfather, who played a huge role inbeing involved in a broader segment ofthe society. For example, he was advisingthe BBC on ethnic issues in the 70s, andwe come along and we think it’s the firsttime we're doing this, but people havebeen doing this for donkey number ofyears and our grandparents did try. Mygrandfather was the president of theShepherd Bush Gurdwara for almost 10

Kulveer Ranger: Proudly Punjabi

The challengefor ourgeneration is tohave that linkwith where weare, whicheverpart of theworld we nowlive in

Kulveer Ranger, a progressively rooted

British Punjabi

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 02/07/2010 17:53 Page 46


British

Punjabis

years in the 90s, set up the Punjab times newspaperin the 60s, first Asian newspaper in the UK. So youknow there was a lot that they were doing to help theircommunity and also cross over the boundary ofexplaining to a broader public, a broader community ofthe UK, what Sikhs were about and who they are.

How important is wearing a turban to you?Up until a few years ago, in the mainstream

media through my entire youth, I didn't see anybodywith a turban. I didn't see anybody in major publicactivity or events or anything, and it wasn't until I feelMonty Panesar emerged as an English cricketer, youknow that suddenly, oh look this guy, firstly there wasthat oh look he wears a patka but as soon as it wasjust he's a great spin-bowler, that all disappeared andthat was a real watershed moment. I feel followedclosely, by the emergence of someone like Hardeep SKholi, in mainstream British television as not just char-acter who wears a turban but as a really funny guy, aintelligent articulate person and in the sixty years thatSikhs have been in here those are the two people youcan point to, and they've only emerged in the last threeor four years, so what was there that was giving ouryouth and our young Sikh males even the Sikh commu-nity, something to say, we are here and we're quitehappy to be turban wearing Sikhs – there was a gapthere. And now more people can see more Sikhs get-ting involved in those areas, whether it be politics,whether it be media whether it be sport, I think thatwill generate self confidence amongst the Sikh com-munity, and I think it will be better for how we gener-ally interact in the world around us, and feel more con-fident about who we are.

What does being Punjabi mean to you?As you grow up, being Punjabi plays a large

part of who you are. Its why I love my mirchaa, spicyfood, our music, culture and although we live in avery mixed environment with lots of different cul-tures, whether it be African, Chinese, English what-ever, we have such a great diversity to revel in. Wecan bring our community to that and have all theseinfluences on you. And its great to feel confident inwho you are because then you can enjoy all theseother cultures around you. I think the challenge isabout handling the insecurity within, I mean if youdon't feel secure about what it means to be aPunjabi/Sikh, or if your identity isn't clear to you thenyou find it difficult to understand how to relate toother cultures. I'm just quite happy that I had a greatfamily and community around me within which Igrew and then its up to you to make the most of it.

What would your advice be to the young generation of Punjabis living in the UK?

My advice to the younger generation would beto revel in being who you are especially if you're aBritish Punjabi. Take pride in your history, your cul-ture, your food because other people do. The nonPunjabis or non Sikhs take pride in what we and ourancestors have done. And make the best of who youwant to be. Never feel there is anything you cantachieve - be inspired by lots of people but never feelthat you are disadvantaged. You are actually advan-taged to come from a rich history of which a lot ofpeople are proud of, not just the Sikhs. In a way wehave a lot to live up to, but in another way we havea great platform to keep building on and lets keepdoing that.

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Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 12:03 Page 49


BritishPunjabis

Lakshmi Mittal is the richest man inBritain today and he is a Punjabi. Hisstory says it all! Punjabis have come

a long way from being the sturdy farmersand the tough hardy soldiers who havebeen fighting invaders for centuries on thenorth western frontier of India. Exposureto advanced western societies as free citi-zens of proud and independent India inthe post war period has given themunprecedented opportunities to translatetheir creative skills and enterprise into suc-cess in many areas of professional andcommercial life.

For nearly two centuries, Punjabiswent to a large number of British coloniesas civil servants, skilled craftsmen, police-men, soldiers and small businessman. Butnow, there are settler Indian communitiesin most countries of Europe, Middle East,Caribbean and even south America. FromAustralia to the west coast of America it isdifficult to find a country where we do nothave small or large number of Punjabimigrants. During a visit to Britain in theearly seventies of the lastcentury the late Mrs. IndiraGandhi paid tribute to thePunjabis for their skills ofenterprise and adventureby saying that she hadfound Punjabis living andworking in even remoteareas of many countries ofthe world.

Einstein once saidthat ‘a bag of belongings isnot the only thing a refugeeand a migrant brings to hisnew country’. And, Punjabis have literallyproved this to be true! Punjabis who cameto Britain after the second world warbrought only three pounds in their pock-ets. The newly independent India couldnot afford more at the time because of for-eign currency shortages. Short on cashbut rich in hard work, enterprise, ambitionand creativity...Punjabis have reached forthe skies in every field of life in Britain.And, now the richest man in Britain is aPunjabi!

But he is not alone in the field ofbusiness and industry. There are others,too, Lord Swaraj Paul and Lord Bagri whoare also billionaires. And there are hun-

dreds of multi millionaires including Mr.Sanghar, Mr. Gurdip Singh Gujral, Mr.Gurnam Singh Sahni, Mr. Loomba, KaranBillimoria...The Sunday Times Rich List is aroll call of the great Indian success story.

Punjabis have crated huge influencein Britain’s political parties also. The latePiara Singh Khabra became the firstPunjabi MP in 1992 which was a greatbreakthrough for the entire non whitecommunity in Britain. He was soon joinedby Dr. Ashok Sharma, Paramjit Dhanda,Marsha Singh and more recently byVirendra Sharma all of whom representedthe Labour Party. Paramjit Dhanda madehistory when he was appointed a Ministerof State in 2003 by Tony Blair. Mr. PaulUppal has the distinction of being firstPunjabi to represent the ConservativeParty in the House of Commons after win-ning in the elections this year. LordTarsem Kang is a member of the House ofLords. Lord Swaraj Paul was one of theDeputy Speakers in the upper house untilthe recent parliamentary elections.

At the local council lev-els, there are approximately200 councillors of Punjabi ori-gin. Many have served asMayors and cabinet mem-bers. Others have achievedsuccess as Leaders andDeputy Leaders of localLabour councils. There arealso a large number ofJustices of Peace in localareas who serve as magis-trates. Judge Mota Singh hasserved as a judge of the

Crown court. A large number now serveas Tribunal and District Judges, QueensCounsels (QCs) and Crown Prosecutors.

Punjabis have also distinguishedthemselves as academics, medicos andscientists. In fact, it would be difficult tofind a university which does not havePunjabis on its staff. In the media field,there are dozens of daily, weekly andmonthly magazine together with radioand television stations. Punjabis featureprominently in the annual awards list hon-ours by the Queen. All in all they havedone India proud with their achievementsand the contribution they have made toBritish society.

An overview of Punjabis in Britain

About the author –The author Cllr RanjeetDheer is the DeputyLeader of EalingCouncil. He is also aJustice of Peace andhas served theBorough as Mayor in2001 and 2002.

Einstein once saidthat ‘a bag of

belongings is notthe only thing arefugee and a

migrant brings tohis new country

Councillor Ranjit Dheer

By Councillor Ranjit Dheer

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 11:31 Page 50


BritishPunjabis

Over the last fifty years, Punjabis have left theirmotherland, venturing to come to the UK hopingfor a better life. Many looked to England for a new

adventure, economic prosperity and even opportunitiesfor educational advancement for their children. I was anMA postgraduate myself and a college Lecturer inLudhiana, Punjab teaching Economics. Many Punjabiscame from India, but many also came from Uganda andKenya to make a life in the UK.

As well as the many professionals who came herethere were also unskilled workers who found goodemployment, education and prosperity in the UK. But thebeauty which made settling into the UK so successful foreveryone was the remarkable spirit of friendship andcamaraderie that bound the community together. Friendsand neighbours, family or not, helped each other with self-less abound to ensure that each other were looked afterand able to put down roots in this new land. It wasn't longtherefore, before the Punjabis started to create communi-ty centres and religious places to continue this spirit andkeep the traditions of their motherland alive, forever intheir hearts. Those early arrivals made sure they helpedtheir fellow immigrants to settle in well and helped themfind work.

The Labour Party, then headed by Harold Wilsontook very appropriate steps to open doors to immigrantsto gain employment in the civil service - in fact there wasno shortage of jobs in the 60’s and early 70’s. Many high-ly qualified people accepted white collar jobs just to gaina foot in the door, and then went on to make remarkableefforts to seek promotions so that within a few yearsmany were holding very responsible positions within theirfields. Entrepreneurs established their own businessesand were soon flourishing. They started to buy their ownproperties, which the local community found hard tobelieve. For some it was too much to fathom that their oldAsian colleagues were now so wealthy.

In the last fifty years, Punjabis, along with all otherAsians, have become an incredible force in the UK, in allwalks of life from the economic contribution they havemade and continue to make, as well as the politicalinvolvement and progressivesness that has made Britainwhat it is today. There's even the massive cultural contri-bution they have made to British life, through the mediaand the arts. Further generations of British Punjabis havenow been able to build upon the solid foundations theirparents set up and have brought Punjabi culture and pro-file well into the British mainstream. From introducing tra-ditional classical forms of art and literature into British life,we now see bhangra being played in mainstream clubsand celeb parties. Names that have made it in interna-tional music such as Jay Sean, from my own borough ofHounslow as well as actors and writers like Meera Syaland Sanjeev Bhaskar, also a Hounslow Punjabi lad.Punjabi Radio stations abound and there is the famous

Sunrise Radio headed by Avtar Lit.Kuljit Bhamra MBE is one of themost inspiring musicians on theBritish Asian music scene workingon many famous British Asian filmslike Bend it Like Beckham and Bhajion the Beach, and also AndrewLloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams,another example of how the Indianculture has been taken to the heartsof the wider British public. Punjabishave made their niches in every walkof life in the UK.

In politics, there are many bril-liant and dedicated people of Punjabi descent who havemade a significant contribution to the House of Commonsand Lords, the European Parliament and in positions asMayors and Leaders of the Councils across the country. Iconsider myself privileged to have served the LondonBorough of Hounslow as the UK’s first Asian Mayor backin 1979 and inviting the Queen Mother to open one of ourschool sports halls here, and now leading the Councilthrough significant times of change in 2010. It amazes meto see how the Punjabi community as well as other com-munities have flourished before my eyes from the dayssince I first arrived and became involved in politics. I amalso proud to see the efforts of the community in provid-ing social outlets such as those to the elderly and needyand the tremendous contribution of numerous philanthro-pists.

Punjabis are indeed fully integrated into British soci-ety from the wonderful food to films to politics to commu-nity to music, sport and culture, enjoying their new andnow established home away from home. For the youngerones this is the home they know, but imbued with theprints of their heritage.

I am pleased to pay tribute to my fellow Punjabis inthis special edition in order to commemorate a wonderfuljourney in this country from the days when I first camehere and was helped by loyal friends to the present daywhen one can look with pleasant happiness at the greatcontribution we have made to this country and the greatplace this country has in our hearts.

Jagdish Sharma was first elected in May 1974 asCouncillor for Hounslow West and became the UK’s firstAsian Mayor in 1979. Married with two sons, he spentthirty years as a teacher, mostly as a Head, and thirty-twoyears as a magistrate. He has been and is involved innumerous voluntary and charitable activities. CouncillorSharma became Deputy Leader of the Labour administra-tion in 1992, Leader of the Labour Group in 2006 and waselected Leader of the London Borough of Hounslow inMay 2010. In 1995 he was awarded an MBE for servicesto Local Government and in 2000, was given Freedom ofthe Borough to mark twenty-five years service.

Making their mark in a foreign land

Councillor Jagdish Sharma is

the leader of LondonBrorough, Hounslow

By Councillor Jagdish Sharma

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 11:31 Page 51


BritishPunjabis

That one word that got spoken,eventually, between us twoPunjabis, made all the difference.

It was that word that is never as rude tosisters as those who don't use it seemto think; those who do are only sponta-neously respecting the traditions set byour forefathers and shared by so manyothers that we share a world with. Theword that's like a punctuation mark thatmarks also the tone of the languagebefore and after, the word of onlyapparent abuse that more oftenannounces endearment, the word thatcaptures a world, at least the world ofthe north Indian male. The word thatbrings down barriers and opens hearts.

I do here report my exhilarationwhen Mr Sidhu said it to me, but don'treally expect everyone to understandmy feelings on hearing it. Or the factthat Mr Sidhu and I really becamefriends only after that. Up until thattime we had only shared some trans-planted similarities of separately landedIndians; then on we became connect-ed, rediscovered ourselves as membersof a bonded community in a placewhere it could have been so easy notto.

It was an unforgettably blissfulmoment. We'd gone out shopping inHounslow for dinner that Mrs Sidhuwas going to put together for us. I wasstruggling with something as simple asopening a plastic bag. Can't do eventhis, Mr Sidhu said, and that mild exas-peration provoked the magic moment.Sometimes the banal, if not the ridicu-lous, can produce the sublime. In anycase, we all have experienced thosetimes when the expression of little irri-tations throw people apart, and less fre-quently, pull them together.

Time and place had of course tobe in place for the rest to become pos-sible. We were both categorised NRIsbecause our separate postmen knewour address by heart by now. What weshared through what others saw as ourmutual NRI-ness lay less in our adoptionof both India and England than, in theirseparate ways, their formal but uneasyadoption of us. Or, the unacceptance.Indians disliked us for leaving, maybe

for getting to be the ones who left. TheBritish, mostly, accept us the way someBJP moderates accept Muslims on thegrounds that they can't after all bethrown into the sea. In India you call thiskind of acceptance secularism, inBritain multiculturalism. Neither arisesfrom the heart. It's like turningGandhian because you've run out ofammunition.

This state is quite commonly spo-ken of as a spanning of two worlds, oreven a shunning by them. But it is real-ly not about either or both, but a third.Our occupation, and the perception ofothers, creates something other thaneither, just as looking through different-ly coloured slides creates a new colour.Rather than a bit of both, the NRI reallyhas citizenship of a third state, and it'sa little surprising why this has not so farbeen duly recognised as Enaristan. It isour common citizenship of this thirdspace, state really, that made it sodeeply significant for Mr Sidhu to callme, yes, that.

A word from one land spoken onthe land of the other can take on quitedifferent meanings; or at least, becomemeaningful in different ways. Like thismagical connector of a word. But inLondon it had progressed from connec-tion to mark a fusion of land, locationand experience. That defining word ofthe Indian male unfettered by shynessor sahibdom had been spoken inLondon.

On the well-established scientificand sociological principle that thewhole is usually greater than the sumof its parts, this word too, in travellingfrom one world to find voice in another,developed into something more than alinking word between individuals; intravelling like us it became the lan-guage of our third world because itinformed itself that in moving from onesoil to another, it too had changed totake on a new meaning beyond inor-ganic juxtaposition. Anyone who isn'tsqueamish about these things will notquarrel with a suggestion that in Indiause of the world is traditional. In Indiathose traditions are safe (as we hear allaround us). In foreign lands you have to

The Magic Idiom

Sanjay Suri

By Sanjay Suri

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 15:20 Page 52


BritishPunjabis

work at them because you need to connect withothers who are also reworking these traditions intotheir lives. It is a deliberate means of rediscoveringfellow humanity in a newly installed world.

In saying it, Mr Sidhu had reached out.Because he said it deliberately, and not by way ofreflex release of cultural baggage; that might havebeen the case had he spoken it spontaneously on,say, dropping some of the shopping accidentally. MrSidhu said it like he was almost imploring apprecia-tion over its use, in the full confidence that I'd takeit as distance-cutter, not abuse. The word was deliv-ered self-consciously – like a verbal hug that carriesthe depth of a cultural bond.

The essential NRI never ever gives up sayingthe word – or something else of which it is themetaphorical equivalent, though somehow thereisn't quite another bridging word as this one. And hemust say it a little self-consciously, to emphasize lin-guistic rootedness that triumphed over physicaltransportation.

Regular countries don't know these things. It'sonly the accompanied but immeasurable baggagemigrants carry that can build new worlds withincountries, with old building blocks that take on anew shape through the transportation. Mr Sidhuand I could theoretically have left that word behind,and England is of course too ignorant to know it. Butthe NRI is forever trapped between the business of

shedding selectively and preserving carefully.There's no preservation like self-preservation, and noself-preservation that does not include a connectionwith accepting others -- because that is then thesame thing as solitary confinement. At least asmuch as the hard currency he left for, the NRI seeksthe currency of human connection and acceptance.Society gives us a few magic words sometimes thatare a shortcut to acceptance.

Between Mr Sidhu and me, one word, onemoment, transported us from circumstantial similar-ity to cultural commonness. That magic momentworked for me and Mr Sidhu; no doubt other words,other ways have worked for others. But essentially,it's quite the same thing. The NRI is not just somebeing out to make money; he is essentially a beingin a new habitat searching hard, even desperately,for connections and commonality.

I shall for long carry the regret that I failedimmediately to honour Mr Sidhu as he had hon-oured me. I did make up for this lapse later, but onlywell past the magic moment. I can only say in mydefence that I was overwhelmed at the time.

Mr Sanjay Suri is the Political Editor, EuropeTelevision Eighteen UK Limited

(Excerpt from 'Indian Essentials' published in July byPenguin India.)

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Rickie Sehgal is Chief Executive ofTransputec computers, foundedin 1984. Transputec computersoffers Professional services,Product fulfillment, Softwaredevelopment, Managed servicesand many other services.Through traditional Punjabi styleof sheer hard work and determi-nation, Sehgal has worked hisway up the entrepreneurial ladderwhere he now enjoys the successes of his IT solutionscompany.

Apart from being his own boss, he is involved inmany cultural organisations such as the EthnicMinority Voluntary Organisation, the Hindu Forum ofBritain as well as being the brains behind the nowprestigious Diwali in London.

Talking to Mr Sehgal about the Punjabi standingin today's society he says, “They have begun toaccept that we as Hindu Punjabis are quite valuablemembers of society, our ethics are very strong, welike business, we like to succeed and we're very com-petitive. Not that we've expanded from Southall we'rein every part of the country. We've got everythingthat we want, we really don't need them, I think theyneed us more!”

Rickie Sehgal, Transputec Computers

Rickie Sehgal

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 16:54 Page 53


BritishPunjabis

Punjabi’s and Asians have con-tributed to the rich history and suc-cess of the NHS since its inception

on 5 July 1948. It has been estimated byhistorians that in 1945 there were somethousand Asian doctors working in theUK, of whom approximately two hundredwere in London, most of them GPs. Thegreatest influx of Indian qualified doctorsdid not begin in the UK until after 1948.These doctors were well suited to work inthis country as their training had been inEnglish and based on the UK MedicalCurriculum. In order to deliver the healthservices envisaged by the NHS, especiallyafter the end of the Second World War,Britain needed trained doctors from over-seas and this initiative was ironicallyspearheaded by Enoch Powell. India-trained doctors have worked in the NHSsince 1948 serving patients with respect,empathy and with conviction.

Indian-trained doctors and nurseswho came to work in the NHS oftenended up practising in areasand clinical specialities whichwere not attractive to the UKtrained health professionals.These areas included innercities with high indices ofsocial deprivation or speciali-ties that were not financiallyattractive. Rosina Visram inher book ‘Asians in Britain’documents many examples ofthe selfless work of Indiandoctors in deprived areas andthe reoccurring trend of theirinvolvement in local politics.Notable examples include Dr BaldevKaushal (1906-1992) who worked inBethnal Green and was awarded an MBEin 1945 for his gallant services during theblitz in East London; Dr Sukhsaggar Datta(1890-1967) who worked in Bristol, and asan active Labour Party participant second-ed the resolution at the 1945 Labour PartyConference calling on the BritishGovernment to withdraw from India; DrHarbans Gulati (1896-1967), who workedtirelessly for over 40 years in the workingclass district of Battersea and was the pio-

neer of “meals on wheels” service. The role of doctors trained in the

Indian sub-continent in the NHS has beenlong recognised, as evidenced by thecomments of Lord Cohen of Birkenhead inthe debate in the House of Lords in 1961:

“The Health Service would have col-lapsed if it had not been for the enormousinflux of junior doctors from such coun-tries as India and Pakistan”

Lord Taylor of Harlow in the samedebate said:

“They are here to provide pairs ofhands in the rottenest, worst hospitals inthe country because there is nobody elseto do it”.

Many of those doctors who have set-tled in the UK since 1948 and particularlythose who arrived in the 1960’s eitherhad retired or were approaching retire-ment in the earlier part of this century andit was difficult to find doctors to ‘step intotheir shoes.’ This, combined with theexpansion of the NHS since 2000 meant

that again the UK HealthService had to look overseas forrecruitment of doctors andnurses. Prime Minister TonyBlair said in an interview in2003:

“More staff are beingtrained and recruited withinBritain, but that takes time, sowe are now working with othernations to welcome well quali-fied health professionals fromother countries to work in theNHS whether it be for a shortstay or an extended period”

It is estimated that currently nearlyone third of doctors practising in the NHSare from the overseas and that the major-ity of these overseas doctors are from theIndian sub-continent. This is quite a sur-prising statistic given that the ethnicminorities only represent 8% of the gener-al population.

Doctors and nurses from the IndianSub-Continent, including Punjab, havehelped to make the NHS a success storyof which the world is envious and contin-ue to form its back bone.

UK National Health Service –the contribution of Punjabi and Asian Doctors

Dr Onkar SahotaMBA FRCGP

About the Author -Born in Punjab and DrSahota came to the UKwith his parents in1961. Schooled inEngland he qualified inmedicine fromSheffield University,later specialising inFamily Medicine. In1999 he obtained anMBA from LondonBusiness School andhas worked on WorldBank and DFID fundedprojects in Russia andUzbekistan. He waselected Fellow of theRoyal College ofGeneral Practitioners in2009. He heads agroup of NHS practicesin West London,striving to work in thecommunity for socialreform and is active inpolitics.

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 12:27 Page 54


British

Punjabis

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BritishPunjabis

Over one million Punjabis now liveand work in the United Kingdom.Many are among the most suc-

cessful and widely respected entrepre-neurs, writers and parliamentarians.

The size of the community through-out the UK, including Northern Ireland, theregion where I have lived since 1966 anddeveloped one of Ireland’s biggest chainof hotels, has resulted in Punjabi becom-ing the UK’s second language. This is alsoreflected in the fact that the number ofentrants for GCSE and A-level examina-tions in Punjabi exceeds those for all otherAsian languages.

After almost 50 years in GreatBritain and Northern Ireland, we can lauda thriving Punjabi community. The indus-trious and enterprising first generation isnow giving way to self-confident andincreasingly successful second and thirdgenerations.

Punjabis are now at the forefront oflife in the public, private and communitysectors. In virtually every walk of life,members of the Punjabi community areprominent and successful. They are alsodistinguish themselves by their commit-ment to the well-being of the UnitedKingdom.

They include industrialist and parlia-mentarian Lord Paul, Lord King, business-men Dr Avatar Lit and Ramjet Singh Bali,politicians such as Virendra Sharma MP,former Mayor of London, and BaronessSheila Flather, the first Asian woman togain a seat in the House of Lords,Baroness Usha Prashar, Chair of the UKJudicial Appointments Commission andmany others.

What sets Punjabis apart from othercommunities in the UK is their entrepre-neurial achievements and their willing-ness to be bold risk takers in business.This characteristic can be traced back totheir native Punjab, a state in which peo-ple have had to surmount the turmoil ofinvasions stretching back into the mists oftime, back, in fact, to the era of the his-toric Indus River Valley Civilisation in2000 BC. Invasions through the KhyberPass by the likes of the fearsome Hunsand Mongols have given Punjabis a steelydetermination to survive and overcome.

This gritty characteristic is now evi-

denced in the willingness of Punjabis totake calculated business risks, to be boldwhere others are hesitant. It underpins myown approach in business. Over 30 yearsI’ve seen my businesses destroyed in theterrorism that gripped Northern Irelandfrom 1969 to 1994.

I was determined not to be beatenby the terrorists and focused on rebuildingmy businesses, investing in property, fash-ion shops, restaurants and building astrong chain of hotels under establishedbrands such as Ramada, Holiday InnExpress, Ibis and Days.

Punjabis have been residents ofNorthern Ireland since the 1930s, settlingin Belfast and many other urban areas.They began in business, selling clothes,textiles and other products door-to-door,then moving into their own factories andcatering businesses. Today, Punjabis inNorthern Ireland make a major contribu-tion in business, creating jobs particularlyin shirt making, as well as in education,medicine and law. Punjabi’s are integratedand are highly regarded in NorthernIreland.

Over the past decade, with the sup-port of the Government, but driven large-ly by the voluntary efforts of the Punjabicommunity, our culture has blossomedand spread throughout our whole society-from dance, Bhangra, music, traditionaland modern, to film, drama, theatre andtelevision.

Punjabis also play an important rolewithin the Indian Community Centre inBelfast, an organisation now completelyintegrated and widely respected by localpolitical leaders and other sections of thecommunity. Leaders from other sections,including civil representatives and localpoliticians of the Northern Ireland commu-nity regularly join in celebrations at thecentre such as Diwali and IndependenceDay.

A further measure of the integrationof and respect for Punjabis in NorthernIreland was my election as President ofthe Northern Ireland Chamber ofCommerce, the region’s pre-eminent busi-ness body and my elevation to the Houseof Lords in recognition of my work to pro-mote peace and political progress in theregion.

Punjab shining in Northern Ireland

Lord Diljit Rana

By Lord Diljit Rana

Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 16:08 Page 56


British

Punjabis

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Sec 35 to 66_A4 Temp 05/07/2010 16:58 Page 57


BritishPunjabis

Dr Gunveena Chadha, Director of theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII), who hasbeen posted at the UK chapter on a two year

secondement has a slightly different story to tell of hertransition to UK. Unlike how immigrants felt when theymoved here decades ago, with no friendly or familiarface, miles away from home and having distanced allcommunal ties, Gunveena settled in quite comfortably.She says, “I don't feel out of place, out of country or outof home at all. Every street I walk into, I run into PunjabiIndians. Anytime I think today I want to eat roti, I cansmell the roti. I just walk into the restaurant and some-one would definitely come and speak to you in Punjabi,so culture wise and family wise, it's been very easy tosettle down here.”

At times she does reminisce about the wonderfulgrape vines outside her grandparents' house and themango trees which she and her friends used to pluckfruits from. She remembers the many wonderful vaca-tions she spent in Punjab. But this is more of a reflec-tive recollection of an adult.

Dr Chadha spoke of her delightful and serendipi-tous encounter with the CII ten years ago. It was whenshe was working in Dar-e-Salaam that CII had organisedone of its 'made in India' shows, where they organise

The Punjabi kuddi who 'just keeps going'trade fairs acrossthe world, show-casing Indianindustries, Indianproducts etc. Asa business par-ticipant from hercompany of thattime, she firstgot into contactwith CII. Shesays, “Honestlyspeaking, I wasreally impressedby the way theo r g a n i s a t i o nworked, by theway it just didsuch amazingwork for theindustry. And

this was my expe-rience as a person

who did not know about CII, was not working with CIIat that time and then when I was thinking of relocatingback to India – CII was right there at the top of mymind.”

She has done a variety of work at the CII andeach experience began with a challenge at first, how-ever these very challenges have kept her interest inher work alive. Being an economist by qualificationher first work was in the economics division. It wasexciting at that time as India was bringing around alot of changes in the industrial policy and the CIIwould actually sit with the Government and the indus-try leaders and work with them. All this used toamaze Dr Chadha who was then new to the business.But today, she is a proud Director at the same organ-isation with over a decade's experience and has suc-cessfully organised an international meet of UK andIndian businesses and government just as we speak.Her success can be attributed to her hard work, per-severance and her Punjabi spirit of 'just keep going'.

Talking about Punjabis she says, “My Mom sayswe are perhaps an amalgamation of everything that isbest in the Indian culture. We have everything thatbelongs to the Indian culture, at the same timePunjabis are so free because we are not tied down byanything in our religion which tells us not to do this orthat, or this is right and this is wrong.” To her, beingPunjabi is like the concept of religion – gives you free-dom to be yourself and excel. “I think that the freedomof idea and thought is really amazing.”

Lastly this Sikh Punjabi kuddi bids adieu say-ing,“Be fiery as Punjabis are, always be that and justkeep going as Punjabis have always done.”

Dr Gunveena Chadha, a strong womanwith undying spirit

Walk supported by

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It was early 1980's. My English col-league introduced me to this visit-ing young Punjabi Journalist that

evening, when she sprung a surpriseon us. She took out from her bag anewly printed passport and a pack ofcurrency notes of the "Republic ofKhalistan". She had been gifted these;invited to a secret meeting when visit-ing Canada. My colleague saw theforeboding of trouble for his friend butI kept explaining to him not to worryas this pipe dream of a few fanaticscould never materialize.

The news from Punjab kept grow-ing like an ominous shadow day afterday. The danger looked imminent foranyone, any day over there. I explainedto my colleague: mixing religion withpolitics has always been the mostlethal virus. Even the most sophisticat-ed, the most intelligent, lose theircommonsense when poisoned. Indiahad been partitioned in the name ofreligion in 1947. My colleague askedme "HAD PEOPLE NOT LEARNT ANY-THING FROM HISTORY?" Then yetanother capital of the " Republic ofKhalistan" was inaugurated inBayswater. The people of Punjab, themost prosperous state of India, suffer-ing bouts of violence, blamed sinisterelements active abroad.

I was invited by my English col-league to meet his family in Cornwall.They were curious to find out thebackground of the trouble that my col-league's Punjabi friend was in. ThePunjab which had ushered in thegreen revolution in 1960's became theanvil of terror with so much bloodshed for nothing. I had to go into his-torical background as his grandfatherwas in the Punjab in the British Armyduring the Raj . He knew whyBangladesh seceded from Pakistan.He was mystified how then the trou-bles in Punjab flared up. I had to tellhim how the ISI devised a plot to cre-ate mayhem in the Punjab so thatKashmir along with that state wouldsegregate from India in one throw.The unemployed youth there werebeing brainwashed, herded, trained,armed and funded from somewhere

else, definitely not in Punjab.When my English colleague

returned from his posting in Africa in1990, we met again. The trouble inPunjab had become a memory; thenightmare disappearing like a shadow.He kept asking me why his Punjabifriend's family had remained confidentthat Punjab could not break apart . Ihad to take him to a Gurdwara Langarto show him how an outside conspira-cy could not tear apart the two com-munities who were so intertwined.They prayed together at each other'splace of worship , observed commonfestivals, shared common inheritance.He could observe there that bothHindu and Sikh families had sons-in-law or daughters-in-law in intermar-riages. I told him that traditionally inthe Punjab, in very many Hindu fami-lies the first born son became a Sikh.That is how there was no trace leftnow of the bitterness anywherebetween them that had been injectedand infected by sinister vested inter-ests from abroad.

I inquired later whether he waskeeping in touch with his Punjabi jour-nalist friend. What he told me shockedme to my bones. I knew how closethey were. During the troubles he hadbeen advised every time by hisPunjabi journalist friend to cancel hisplanned visit . When he did not hearfrom her for a while, he was reallymystified and worried. Then one dayto his horror he was confided, onphone, by the younger sister of hismost beautiful friend that she hadbeen brutally murdered by somegoons accusing her of being aninformer.

Kailash Budhwar is aInternational Consultant , PoliticalAnalyst and regular Commentator onSouth Asia. He is a member of theExecutive Committee of theCommonwealth Journalist Association(UK). Budhwar has worked with AllIndia Radio and the BBC in London,where he was Head of Hindi and TamilSections. He currently engages in reg-ular lectures at International centres,seminars and conferences.

Untraceable Nightmare

Kailash Budhwar

By Kailash Budhwar

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Punjabi cuisine, known for its diversedishes and rich food originates fromNorthern India. In rural India,

Punjabi food is mainly served at a dhaba,a roadside food joint that is visited bytruck drivers and travellers. When theBritish conquered Punjab, they found thaton the periphery of every village there wasa special Dhaba where food was offeredto most by passers. Even today you can'tcome out of a Punjabi home without hav-ing enjoyed and in some cases, forced itshospitality.

The aroma and spice of Punjabi foodhas travelled around the world and todayhas become ingrained as part of Britishculture, with restaurants brimming all overthe UK. Whilst holding a great reputationfor being pioneers of good food, perhapstheir even greater reputation lies in theirindulgent consumption of these mouthwatering foods.

Dishes of PunjabPunjabi cuisine means no fuss, frills, orfancy accompaniments. Punjabi food is allabout flavour to the max! The winter therebrings about the defining dish of thePunjabis; Makki Di Roti and Sarson DaSaag. In many a Bollywood films we are

taken to the endless yellowmustard fields of Punjab whichmakes this characteristicPunjabi dish. Saag, a gravymade out of mustard leaves, isenjoyed with Makki Di Roti, anIndian flatbread made out ofcorn flour. But no meal wouldbe complete without a sizeableserving of Lassi (sweet or saltedcurd drink), a popular andrefreshing drink amongst thePunjabis.

Other dishes, which belong exclu-sively to Punjab, are Maah Di Dal’ (lentils),Rajma (kidney beans) and Parathas (ashallow fried type of bread). It's cuisine isdefined by its flavoursome masalas(spices) and liberal use of desi ghee (clari-fied butter), probably why many of ourPunjabis sport a fuller figure!

Also known as the land of ‘milk andhoney,' milk and its products are an essen-tial part of every day cookery, with curdand buttermilk being a essential accomp-niant with every Punjabi meal.

Punjabi tandoori cooking is also cel-ebrated as one of the most popular cui-sine's throughout the world. Huge ovens,half buried in the ground and heated witha coal fire, cook marinated meat, paneer,rotis, naans and many other scrumptiousvarieties of food!

Punjabi cuisine in BritainFood in Punjab is tailor made for thePunjabi lifestyle in which most peopleburn up many calories while working inthe fields. For us UK residents however,eating just one dish is enough because lifein the cities is rather inactive in compari-son.

Today a typical British Punjabihousehold meal would consist of roti(chappati), daal, yogurt and curried veg-etables or meat. The base of thesePunjabi meals known as the thurkhaincludes onions, tomatoes, cumin, turmer-ic, ginger, masala, and spice all cookedwith oil or butter.

Taking home cooked food torestaurants, Punjabi food has come to beamongst one of the favourite cuisines inBritain today. And Punjabi food hasproven to stand the test of time with theoldest Punjabi restaurant in the UK - 'ThePunjab' established1946, still serving thetastes of the land even today. ‘The Punjab’restaurant has served generations of din-ers in Covent Garden London, and haseven attracted the likes of Martin Short,Raj Kapoor and Kulveer Ranger. Speakingto Sital Maan the owner of ‘The Punjab’ hereveals the success of his restaurant issticking to the traditions of Punjabi cook-ing; strictly no deviation from authenticPunjabi food! He says, “When you puthaldi (turmeric) and all the other masalas,its a different flavour. You get addicted toit.” And let's hope Britain continues to beaddicted to this well travelled and distinc-tive cuisine for many generations to come.

Tadkas and Tandoori: Punjabi cuisine goes global

Sital Maan, owner ofthe oldest Punjabirestaurant in UK, ‘The Punjab’

The famous Sarson DaSaag and Makki Di Roti

Punjab’s Parathas

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Whether you love it or hate it,there's no denying that Bhangramusic has become a phenome-

non worldwide. It's injected it's shoulderrising, light bulb busting and feet thump-ing sound to the masses. The UK hasbeen home to some of the top Bhangraartists and producers, who have come toexpress a new style of Bhangra throughthe sounds of Punjab and the West.

Taking it rightback to its roots, it isspeculated thatBhangra has existedas far back as 300B.C. There was atime when Bhangraonly existed amongstwheat farmers in thePunjab, who used todance in the fieldsand sing Bhangrasongs to pass time.People sang Punjabi

bolis (small couplets written in the Punjabilanguage) with the beat of the dhol drumand instruments such as the tumbi andchimta. Gradually it became more wide-spread and people used Bhangra for cele-brating diverse occasions, such as wed-dings and the new year.

Bhangra then travelled to the UKwith the migration of Sikh Punjabis in the1960s-1970s. It was then that the firstwave of Bhangra began with groups suchas Heera, Alaap, Apna Sangeet and A.SKang. Their success created a fanbaseboth in the UK and Punjab and became away of keeping their culture alive in theforeign land.

The 1980s inspired an era known asthe “bhangraheads” which refers to theage of Bhangra music which lasted from1985 to 1993. emphasis during thesetimes was on the melody played on a syn-thesizer, harmonium or guitar. This erasaw the first Bhangra boy band TheSahotas come together as well as the leg-endary Gurdaas Maan and the “Goldenvoice of Punjab” Malkit Singh.

In the nineties, artists began to returnto the original folk beats incorporatingmore dhol and tumbi sounds. The newgeneration of British Punjabis began toexpress a style of Bhangra by infusing it

with western styles such as dance, hiphop, garage, and pop music. It soonbecame a vessel to explore their culturalidentity and Punjabi roots in the UK.Prominent artists include DCS, BallySagoo, Jazzy B, B21 and Panjabi MC.

But it was in 2003 that Bhangrareached mainstream recognition withPanjabi MC's track ‘Mundian To Back Ke,’which got to number five in the UK chartsas well as topping the charts aroundEurope and the US. The Rishi Rich projectfeaturing Juggy D and Jay Sean also con-tributed to Bhangra’scrossover into themainstream. Theirtrack ‘Dance WithYou,’ mixed rap andPunjabi lyrics whichshows just howmuch Bhangra haschanged from whenit originated in the Punjab. But with all itschange, have we come to lose the truesound of Bhangra music? Speaking tomusic producer Rishi Rich he says, “Thething with Bhangra music is if you stick tobeing traditional, its always going to be tra-ditional. If you fuse it out with differentmusic and collaborate with differentartists, its going to reach a different audi-ence, otherwise its gonna remain in fourboxes, and its not gonna step out of that.”

But Bhangra is certainly taking newdirections, in the form of theatre. Thisyear saw Bhangra crossover to the stagewith ‘Britains Got Bhangra.’ The leadsinger from DCS, Shin fronted the showlending his superb vocals. Speaking toLouise Rogers from Rifco arts, who pro-duced ‘Britains Got Bhangra’ said, “I don'tthink there's anyone who doesn't really likeBhangra music, I was on the train theother day with a friend chatting. Therewas quite an elderly white man sittingopposite us who was listening to what wewere saying and he said, 'Oh are you doinga show about Bhangra music?' and I gavehim a flyer and he said he loved Bhangramusic!”

With Bhangra transcending cultural,racial and age barriers, it has come tomake it’s way into the homes and heartsof both Punjabis and non Punjabis. Andsuffice to say, Bhangra is here to stay.

Bhangra: Punjabiyaan di Shaan

The newgeneration ofBritishPunjabis beganto express astyle ofBhangra byinfusing itwith westernstyles such asdance, hip hop,garage, and popmusic. Itsoon became avessel toexplore theirculturalidentity andPunjabi rootsin the UK

Rishi Rich, music producer

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The 2010 Commonwealth Games are the nine-teenth edition of the Commonwealth Games, andthe ninth to be held under that name. The Games

are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India between3 October and 14 October 2010. The Games will be thelargest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi andIndia generally, which has previously hosted the AsianGames in 1951 and 1982.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to take placeat the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi. It will also bethe first time the Commonwealth Games will be held inIndia and the second time the event has beenheld in Asia (after 1998). In addition to theCommonwealth Games, the city of Pune,India hosted the 3rd Commonwealth YouthGames between October 12 and 18, 2008.The Youth Games offered nine sports : athlet-ic, badminton, boing, shooting, swimming,table tennis, tennis, weightlifting andwrestling.

Delhi already has many international fea-tures of a modern and well-planned city.However, to get ready for the huge influx oftourists visiting Delhi during the Games, theGovernment of India has taken many steps to improvethe city. This includes city beautification, transportationdevelopment, upgrading of many old structures.

According to official estimates, two million foreigntourists and 3.5 million domestic tourists are likely toarrive in Delhi in 2010 as a result of the Games. Tomake these games even more special, the organisingcommittee has taken upon itself the mission to host'Green Games' by using effective carbon emission miti-

gation, reduction and offset techniques.India is know for it's rich artistic heritage and

these games are no different. Expect a slew of eventscelebrating the diverse cultural panorama of Indiaincluding its folk and classical dances, classical music,theatre and films as well as other creative skills, artsand crafts. Events displaying Indian culture, heritageand folklore will also be held throughout the Games atseveral locations across the city.

While taking the time to enjoy Old Delhi andChandni Chowk, one can also enjoy modern parts of

Delhi like the Khan Market and Oxford book-store. Delhi is a city filled with many incredibleparadoxes and Pune is a must visit area, mak-ing the trip to witness the games even morespecial. Visiting the Golden Traingle of Agra,Jaipur and Delhi, during this season will makefor a very insightful trip that is a feast for theeyes.

The Queen's Baton Relay is a major part ofthe whole experience for commonwealth famesand it will commence from Buckingham Palace,London and travel through 70 other nations andterritories of the Commonwealth – a historic

journey that will cover a distance of more than 170,000kilometres in 240 days. On its 100-day national tour,the baton will visit the capital of each of India's 28states and seven union territories, plus many othercities along the way, covering more than 20,000 kilo-metres. By the end of its journey, the baton will havetraversed over 190,000 kilometres in 340 days, makingthe Queen's Baton Relay 2010 Delhi one of the longestrelays in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

COMMONWEALTH

GAMES 2010

“Sport is big business now and not just a game any more.Sportsmen and women must realize the world over that withfame and fortune come an incredible responsibility whichmay affect the lives of people in different countries” Vijay Amritraj, TENNIS CHAMPION, HUMANITARIAN

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SHOPPING IN DELHI

If we think of shopping in India we think of beautifulcrafts fashioned from the hands of artisans. Delhi'sshopping delights are no exception. Taking its name

from the Sanskrit word meaning 'close to perfection,'House of Ishatvam on Mathura Road sells everythingyou could possibly need for the home, as well as beau-tiful gifts. The stores sells products such as babyGaneshas, cushions, rugs and decorative art laid out ina way to help customers with thecreative planning of their ownhomes.

If you are looking for those per-fect Feng Shui items for the home inDelhi try Kirti Creations in Khan Market where gifts aresuited to most budgets and start from a matter ofrupees. Meanwhile lifestyle store Bandhini, stocks anexquisite range of products, from cushions, bolsters,and bedspreads to throws, tableware and fabric toname a few. A popular with celebrities such as interna-tionally acclaimed actresses Jane Fonda and ShabanaAzmi, Bandhini is a must if you're looking for some finehome furnishing.

First established in 1990, Kala Mandir in KirtiNagar, offers its customers elegant, comfortable andstylish wooden furniture along with a vast range ofhousehold accessories including mirrors, diwans, gar-

den furniture and dining ware. All products in the storeare exclusive, whilst in-house designers can createunique, tailor made collections at excellent prices. Aperfect if you're looking to pick up some one-off piecesfor your home.

Over the past few years, Delhi has seen a steadyincrease in the number of foreign designer boutiquesopening around the city. Whilst cladding yourself in

designer wares at home often breaksthe bank, shopping in a designer Delhiboutique will leave you with morethan enough loose change in yourpockets.

Bon Ton one of Delhi's leading opticians offers anumber of sleek and stylish designer sunglasses atcompetitive prices when compared to the UK andAmerica. With five stores in Delhi itself, including abranch in Janpath Marker, Bon Ton premium collectionincludes international labels such as Giorgio Arman,Calvin Klein, Cartier and Christian Dior.

South Extension is home to many a departmentstore including the Ebony a one-stop shop, selling every-thing from clothes, home-ware to children's toys.Ebony's has an extensive fragrance and cosmeticdepartment, stocking designers such as ElizabethArden, Escads, Gucci, YSL and Bulgari.

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THE DELIGHTS OF DELHI

The perfect place to start exploring the North is ofcourse Delhi. The capital of India is a city of fascinatingcontrasts. And the first thing is to set off sight seeing.Look out for the Qutab Minar, the tall victory tower builtin 1199, the splendid Red Fort and the majestic JamaMasjid with its striped domes and tall minarets. Amongother architectural delights are Humayun's Tomb, theJantar Mantar, the Purana Qila and the magnificent gov-

ernment complex on Raisina Hill – the RashtrapatiBhavan framed by the secretariats ad the circularParliament House.

Then after a little shopping at its fascinatingbazaars – and of course one of the best Indian meals inthe world – take off on the Golden Triangle Trail to Agraand Jaipur for glimpses of historic India. At Agra gazein awe at the Taj Mahal – a memorial to immortal loveand meander through the amazing perfectly preservedghost town of Fatehpur Sikri, built by the Emperor

Akbar in red sand-stone. Jaipur will stickin your mind becauseof its vivid colours. Youmight like to stay inone of its manypalaces or mansionsthat are now heritagehotels and ride off onan elephant's back toview the Amber Fort orthe Hawa Mahal, animposing buildingframed for its delicate-ly filigreed red sand-stone construction.

Beyond Jaipur, inRajasthan are fabuloustowns with magnifi-cent forts and palaces

The Golden

Triangle

l The Lotus TempleLocated in the south of Delhi this is a place of worship for the Bahai faith. Builtin the shape of a lotus, consisting of three ranks of nine petals thought to rep-resent the manifestation of god. The temple can be seen from many parts ofDelhi and is a marvel of modern architecture with a 2500 person capacity.

l India GateBuilt by Edwin Lutyens in honour of the soldiers who fell during World WarOne and the Afghan Wars, stands 42 metres high and tributes the sacrifice ofIndian soldiers. Situated on the Rajpath, names of the soldiers are inscribed onthe walls of the monument whilst an eternal flame known as the Amar JawanJyoti is lit.

Located at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Northern region of India is richly blessed with a num-ber of tourist attractions. The Golden Tourist Triangle that includes Agra, Delhi and Jaipur falls intothis region. It offers some of the best and most visited attractive destinations in India. Some of theseare the Taj Mahal, Lal Quila, Qutub Minar, the Amber Fort and many other places of significance.

other places to visit nearby

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that reflect the state's old feudal spirit. Among them arethe familiarly named Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner andUdaipur. If you'd like to go off the beaten track, why notdiscover the beauty of the desert on a camel safari andsleep under the stars at night?

And if you feel like heading for the hills, there isan entire panorama of magical retreats waiting for youalong the Himalayan ranges. Beautiful resorts in themountain state of Himachal Pradesh include Shimla –once the “summer capital” of British India – KulluManali, Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Sarahan and a wholerange of other scenic spots such as Kufri, Naldehra,Chail, Naggar and Narkanda.

Te state of Jammu and Kashmir is a region ofwidely varying people and geography. In the south,Jammu is a transition zone from the Indian plains to theHimalayas. Correctly, the rest of the state is Kashmirbut, in practice,this title is reserved for the beautiful valeof Kashmir in the North where a spell on the houseboaton Dal Lake has always been one of the India's finesttreats. Kashmir also offers some delightful trekkingopportunities among unsurpassed scenery.

The major city in the Punjab is Amritsar, the holycity of the Sikhs. Many get a real sense of history there,and visit the Golden Temple.

Haryana, which has a proud history, dates back tothe Vedic age. The state was once home to the leg-endary Bharata dynasty, which gave the name Bharatto India. Historically, Haryana goes back to Mahabharattimes, for it was then, at Kurukshetra, that Lord Krishnapreached his divine message The Bhagavad Gita.

Haryana has a network of 43 tourist complexes,named after birds. These have been set up along thenational / state highways and at districts , towns and atplaces around Delhi.

Ready for something new? Then make forMadhya Pradesh, the heart of India, which has an entirerange of new experiences, including medieval citiessuch as Gwalior, Orchha, Mandu, marvelously-carvedtemples at Khajuraho, little hill stations and the forests

that Kipling so faithfully described inthe Jungle Book.

Lucknow, the famous SiegeCity, is the ultimate remnant of theRaj and capital of Uttar Pradesh,which also offers an entire pilgrimagetrial along the holy river Ganga.

From the foothills of theHimalayas to the pilgrimage centresof Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is a vastterritory of rivers, monuments andtemples. It is also a state ofrenowned workmanship. Hand-knit-ted wollen carpets from Bhadoi andMirzapur, terracotta from Gorakhpur,wood carving from Saharanpur,brassware from Moradabad, glass-ware from Firozabad and hand print-ing from Farrukhab – all are proof ofthe amazing craftsmanship that isalive in the state. And is home to

Uttaranchal, one of the most beautiful and enchantingregions in the area.

l The Golden Triangle Delhi – Agra – Jaipur6 day trip involves taking in the sights and soundsof Old Delhi taking in the Red Fort, Rajghat memo-rial of Mahatma Gandhi, a rickshaw ride throughthe silver street in Chandani Chowk. From Delhidepart for Agra stopping en route at Sikandra tosee the Tomb of Mughal Emperor Akbar and theTaj Mahal. Don't forget the Agra Fort, the PearlMosque and the Tomb of Itamad-ud-Daula. FromAgra drive to Jaipur en route visit old desertedtown of Mughal Dynasty – Fatehpur Sikri. In Jaipurexplore the Pink City with an excursion to AmberFort, visit City Palace, Central Museum and JantarMantar.

l Palace on Wheels Delhi – Jaipur –Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Ranthambhor – Chittaurgarh– Udaipur – Bharatpur – Agra – DelhiThis exquisite 14 saloon train described as a mobilepalace starts its journey in Delhi and stops atJaipur, where you can see the Hawa Mahal or thePalace of Einds. Don't forget the Amber Fort, CityPalace and the Jantar Mantar, then depart forJaisalmer in the heart of the Thar Desert. The yel-low sandstone fort is an imposing sight, as are thelatticed havelis or mansion. Jodhpur is the nextstop renowned for its Mehrangarh Fort.Ranthambhor's Sawai Madhopur follows with a tripto the Ranthambhor National Park and its tigers.Chittaurgarh Fort leads on to Udaipur, the LakeCity. Enjoy the dream-like marble Palaces – the JagNiwas and the Jag Mandir. From here the return isset for Agra then Delhi after a trip to Bharatpur'sworld famous bird sanctuary at Keoladeo GhanaNational Park.

essential tours

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Corporate & Stage Entertainers

Diva Entertainers is a Bollywood production house of dance

and entertainment, creating theatrical and inspiring

performances for Television & Film Productions, Corporate

Events, private Functions and the Stage.

To Learn More about Diva Entertainments and view online

video performances visit www.divaentertainments.com

Phone : 020 8590 8050

Honey Dance Academy

H.D.A. is the UK's leading Bollywood Dance Academy.

With over 15 Dance Studios across London our

Bollywood Choreographers teach students from the

age of 4 and up in the art of Bollywood, Classical

Indian and Contemporary dance.

To find out more about H.D.A visit us online at www.honeysdanceacademy.com

Phone : 020 8590 8050

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www.incredibleindia.org

For more informatione8mail [email protected]

call 020 7437 3677 (Monday 8 Friday)or visit our website

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