Press Release
The British Sikh Association (BSA) hosted its most memorable Annual Dinner at the SAS Radisson Portman Hotel, Portman Square, London W1 on 14th November 2011 to celebrate the vision of the Sikh Gurus for the good of mankind.
Over 450 elite guests attended this glittering dinner which included: The Rt. Hon Keith Vaz MP, Mr Virendra Sharma MP; Mr Tony Baldry MP; Mrs Valerie Vaz MP; Mr Alok Sharma MP; Mr Stephen Pound MP; Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM; Brigadier Andrew Williams;, Mr Bhupinder Singh, Managing Director of Punjab National Bank (Intl) Ltd; Cllr. Sachin Rajput, Prospective GLA Candidate, and Mr Ravi Gidar, General Secretary of the British Asian Conservative Link, as well as members of the press and media.
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| Speakers Left to Right: Dr. Sukhbir S. Kapoor OBE, Dr Rami Ranger MBE FRSA,
Mr Virendra Sharma MP and Mr Tony Baldry MP. |
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| Speakers Left to Right: Mrs Valerie Vaz MP, Mr Sukhdev Sidhu, Mr Alok Sharma MP,
Mr Stephen Pound MP and Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM. |
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| Speakers from Left to Right: Brigadier Andrew Williams, Commander of 49 (East) Brigade,
Mr Bhupinder Singh, Mr Ravi Gidar, Cllr. Sachin Rajput and Mr Hardyal Luther |
Dr Sukhbir Kapoor, General Secretary of the British Sikh Association, in his welcoming speech gave a quote in Urdu and on the ideal of Sikhism: ‘Mazab nahin sikhata aapas mein beir rakhna’; meaning that religion does not teach hatred rather it teaches love and harmony. He spoke on the Sikh principle of ‘Mann Haali Kirsani Karni’ which is the need to live an honest and truthful life. He cited Dr. Mohammed Iqbal who wrote in praise: ‘Phir uthi aakhir sada tauheed ki Punjab se, Hind koi k mard-e-kamal ne jagaya khaab se’; meaning then arose a sound of revolution from Punjab and India was awakened from a long slumber by the greatest of the great - Guru Nanak.
Dr Rami Ranger MBE, Chairman of the British Sikh Association spoke about the hardships Sikhs are facing after 9/11 at airports and ports due to their turbans. He said that people need to be educated as to why Sikhs wore turbans in the first place. They wore turbans not to oppress or to terrorise anyone, instead, they wore turbans to identify themselves as people who liberate those who were being oppressed in the name of their religion. He asked that the Sikh Turban be recognised by the United Nation as a symbol of “Human Freedom” and accorded dignity and respect throughout the world. He added that the Sikh religion is based on interfaith teachings to eliminate religious conflicts and to uplift mankind. The Sikh Gurus dedicated their lives for human freedom and paid supreme sacrifices to liberate people.
Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall, Mr Virendra Sharma MP, said that the initiatives started by the Sikh Gurus over 500 years ago, are still relevant today. He added that issues such as equality for women, poverty and child labour are still being discussed today and we should learn from the Sikh Gurus to work collectively to eliminate the ills of society.
Member of Parliament for Banbury, Mr Tony Baldry MP, thanked the British Sikh Community for the work they do in enriching British society. He commemorated Sikh war heroes for standing and fighting shoulder to shoulder with the British in the last two world wars for freedom.
Member of Parliament for Walsall, Mrs Valerie Vaz MP, spoke about the positive contribution Sikhs make to the British economy and the incredible charitable work the community does in the UK & abroad. Mr Sukhdev Singh, Minister of Co-ordination at the High Commission of India in London, stated that there are approximately 27 million Sikhs Worldwide and out of that 70% live in India. Sikhs are known for their hard work, bravery and loyalty. Sikhs played an exemplary role in protecting London in the recent riots.
Member of Parliament for Reading West, Mr Alok Sharma MP, thanked the British Sikh Association for promoting equality and inter-faith dialogue in Britain to improve social cohesion. He said we must learn from the teachings of Sikh Gurus to benefit mankind.
Member of Parliament for Ealing North, Mr Stephen Pound MP spoke of the time he went to Jalian Wala Baag, Amritsar where one of the worst atrocities by man against man took place. Just around the corner he also saw the Golden temple a symbol of tranquillity and people in the service of mankind.
The New Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM, spoke about his vision for London in which his force will deliver policing through humility, integrity and transparency. He added that he would like the Met to exemplify the values of the Sikhs: courage, community spirit and integrity.
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| Recipients of the Sikh Jewel Award. Left to Right: Mr Channi Singh, Mr Resham Singh Sandhu MBE DL and Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon CBE, OBE |
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| Recipients of Honorary Docorates from the World Sikh University. Left to Right: Mrs Kamel Hothi, Dr Mandeep & Jyotika Lamba on behalf of Mr Tarlochan Singh and Mr Amarjit Chandhiok, Additional Solicitor General of India. |
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| Sapnay Dance Group amazing the audience and on right
Mercian Regiment Drummers with their astounding performance. |
The Sikh Jewel Award was given to those who brought honour to their community and country by living up to the ideals of their Gurus. The citations of the awardees were read by Mrs Indy Aujla. The first award went to the Bhangra King, Mr Channi Singh for making Bhangra popular in Britain and beyond; the second award was given to Mr Resham S. Sandhu MBE, DL for being the first turbaned High Sheriff in Britain and the third award was given to Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, OBE for being the first turban wearing Sikh peer in the House of Lords.
Mr Channi Singh, whilst accepting his award, gave guests a brief history of his band Alaap and spoke of their vision to bring back Punjabi culture to its diaspora at a time when it was almost forgotten. He thanked the BSA and the Sikh community as a whole for recognising his achievements.
Mr Resham Singh Sandhu MBE DL, the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, whilst accepting his award, said that he is a proud Sikh and is proud to be a citizen of Great Britain. He said that one must not expect anything in return from doing voluntary work. He used Bhai Kanhayia (Disciple of Guru Tegh Bahadur) as an example of a role model for voluntary work.
Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, OBE, when accepting his award, stated that he was humbled to be recognised as being the first turbaned Sikh in Parliament and thanked the BSA and Sikh community for this recognition. He added that when he became a peer in the House of Lords, it was the Sikh faith being honoured rather than him personally. He added that he was happy to see the teachings of Sikh Gurus being celebrated in such high profile events.
After the award ceremony Brigadier Andrew Williams of the Mercian Regiment spoke about the long history of Sikhs with the British military and about the battles fought as opponents and as well as allies. He reminded the audience of the fact that many courageous Sikh warriors are still fighting on the battlefield to protect the good from evil in the British Armed Forces. He then introduced the drummers of the Mercian Regiment who gave a spectacular performance leaving their audience spellbound.
Honorary doctorates were awarded by the Vice Chancellor of the World Sikh University, Dr. Sukhbir S. Kapoor OBE to Mrs Kamel Hothi, Asian Markets Director at Lloyds TSB Bank for her services to the banking Industry and Asian community affairs. Mr Tarlochan Singh, Member of the Indian Rajya Sabha was awarded for his services to Politics and Sikh Affairs. Mr Amarjit S. Chandhiok, Additional Solicitor General of India was awarded a doctorate in Law and Sikhism.
Guests enjoying the evening
Whilst accepting the honour Mrs Kamel Hothi spoke about the hardships the Asian community had suffered when they came to Britain. She thanked her parents and elders for their advice and determination to push on and never give up, making her the leader she is today.
Dr. Mandeep Lamba, whilst accepting the Honorary Doctorate on behalf of his illustrious father in law, Mr Tarlochan Singh, thanked the World Sikh University for recognising the work he has been doing for the community over many decades.
Mr Amarjit Singh Chandhiok, Additional Solicitor General of India, was proud of his community for bringing honour to mother India with their achievements. He was pleased to see Indian investment in Britain growing considerably, signifying the shared values of both the countries.
Mr Bhupinder Singh, Managing Director of Punjab National Bank International, said that he was delighted that his bank could sponsor the dinner to show the commitment of the bank for the community. He was impressed in the way the community had excelled in every field.
Mr Ravi Gidar, General Secretary of the British Asian Conservative Link said that we must take on board Guru Nanak’s message of community and everybody to love each other from the heart. He also congratulated award recipients for their achievement and thanked the organisers for holding such a wonderful event.
Cllr. Sachin Rajput, Prospective GLA candidate for Brent & Harrow praised the hardworking mentality of the Sikh community for being the beacon and example of a society that looks after itself first before it asks the state for assistance. He added that we must work together to fight this current economic downturn.
The Vote of Thanks was given by Vice Chairman, Mr Hardyal S. Luther. He thanked guests, VIPs and the media in attendance. He praised the Sapnay School of Dance for their memorable dance performances, Ritzy music for their fantastic Audio/Visual setup, Mr Ramesh Popat for his wonderful flower arrangements, Rashpal Bhachu for capturing the scene, the staff and management of the SAS Radisson for their arrangements and Laguna for providing a delicious meal. He closed by giving a special thank you to the event sponsors Punjab National Bank and Lyca-Mobile for their generous support.
Speech delivered by Dr. Rami Ranger at the British Sikh Association Annual Dinner. |
| Distinguished guests, ladies & gentlemen,
Welcome to the British Sikh Association's annual dinner which is held to celebrate the vision of the Sikh Gurus for the greater good of mankind. After 9/11 it has become even more important to host these high profile events to enlighten the public about the Sikh faith as many still think Sikhs are relics of the past. Regrettably, Sikhs are facing inconvenience at many airports due to their Turbans. As a result, we need to educate people as to why Sikhs wore Turbans in the first place. They wore Turban not to oppress anyone or to commit terrorist acts against anyone. Instead , it was worn to liberate those who were being oppressed and terrorised in the name of their religion. In two great wars 84,000 turbaned Sikhs sacrificed their lives and many more were injured fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Brits more than any community in comparison to their numbers and help changed the course of history. If the Sikh Turban was good enough then, it must be good enough now, unless of course, we are ungrateful. The world owes Sikhs a debt of gratitude and, therefore, the Sikh Turban should be recorded in the United Nations as a symbol of human freedom and accorded full dignity and respect throughout the world. People need to be educated that Sikhs are modern, progressive and a peace loving community who punch above their weight to benefit society. According to the Office of National Statistics, 82% of Sikhs in Britain own their own homes, more than any other community. Those who own their own homes pay higher taxes and claim less from society. Above all, Sikhs believe in the universal brotherhood of mankind. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder, was puzzled to see disparity in society. He could not understand the difference in the status of people based on religion, caste or gender. He found it hard to believe that to find God people had to divorce themselves from their normal family life and endure extreme hardships for long periods of time in jungles and mountains. In any case, if God was the creator of us all, then surely he must reside within us and surely all his children must all be equal. Guru Nanak travelled the length and breadth of India and beyond, in search of truth and to discover the true meaning of life. He even travelled to Mecca the holy place for Muslims in his quest to find answers. During his travels, he met many holy and wise men which led him to the conclusion that no one religion could have a monopoly on truth. He said whatever was fundamental and right, must be the language of God and should be adopted without hesitation to realize the benefits. So he brought teachings of Saints and Holy men and helped compile the most appropriate and relevant book on Truth, the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes the teachings of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslim Saints as well as that of ordinary learned men regardless of their caste or social status making it a truly inclusive holy book based on inter-faith teachings. The result, the Sikh holy book enables the followers to lead fuller lives, thereby making them the most progressive and prosperous in the world. Let's see how progressive the founder was. They realized that if people are suppressed either by state or religion, then they then cannot develop wholesomely. As a result, they cannot contribute much to society except for behaving like obedient servants. They championed religious freedom as a fundamental right for every individual to practice faith of their choice for peace of mind.
They said, I shudder to think what would have been the future of India and that of mankind if it wasn't for the Brotherhood of Khalsa. It was His followers who established the first secular Kingdom in India under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Sikh regiment was the most decorated regiment in the entire British Empire and until today, the Sikh Regiment is the most decorated regiment in India. His follower, the late Sqn. Ldr. Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, is a recipient of the highest gallantry Award, Param Vir Chakra, from the Indian Air Force until today. He single handedly repulsed the attack of 6 supersonic American made Saber Jets with his outdated British made Folland Gnat plane in the 1971 war and saved Srinagar airfield and changed the course of that war. His follower, Marshall of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Arjan Singh DFC, is the most decorated and senior five star general in the entire Indian Armed Forces until today. His followers were responsible for the Green revolution in India and made India self sufficient in food production. His followers Dr Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia are giving shape to modern India. His followers are also at the forefront of technology as Suneet Singh Tuli has developed the cheapest tablet computer for just $35 to make technology accessible to the most poor in society. His followers like Abhinav Bindra, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Jeev Milkha Singh have reached the pinnacle of success in sports and the list is endless. We will also be honouring a few tonight who have lived up to the ideals of our Gurus and brought honour and pride to the community and their country, India. Finally, it is worth remembering that as long as we follow the philosophy of the Sikh Gurus, we will be respected throughout the world and regrettably, if we ever follow the ideologies of self-proclaimed leaders, then we will be shunned everywhere. Sikhs were created to defend the unity, integrity and the basic human rights of every Indian and not to break India up. When Sikh Gurus never proclaimed a Kingdom for themselves, then why should some of their followers need to demand one themselves? Surely they cannot be greater visionaries. Loyalty is a pre-requisite for success and Sikhs are and must remain loyal to their mother India and their adopted country Britain according to the teachings of their Gurus. Thank you. |