Punjabi Society celebrate Diwali in style

Earlier this month, Operation Black Vote attended the Punjabi Society of the British Isles (PSBI) spectacular Diwali Dinner at the Radisson Hotel, Mayfair in support of the Armed Forces charity, ‘Combat Stress’, which provides support for psychologically traumatised soldiers.

The evening was abound with senior dignitaries with the guest of honour being Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and the chief guest was the Acting High Commissioner for India, Dr. Virander Paul.

Other high profile guests who attended the dinner included, Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee; Mr Richard Harrington MP, Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party; Ms Fiona Mactaggart MP; Ms Seema Malhotra MP, Opposition Whip & Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Business Group; Commodore Andrew Cameron, Chief Executive of the Charity Combat Stress and Her Excellency E. Asta Skaisgiryte Liauskiene, the Lithuanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The President of the PSBI, Dr Rami Ranger MBE, FRSA, spoke about the positive contributions which the Punjabi community had made to Britain and of its growing political presence. With over one million people of Punjabi origin in the UK, Punjabi culture has permeated our whole society-from dance and bhangra music, to influencing the political, social and educational fields. It is also the third most spoken language in the UK.

Ranger, an award winning businessman, political activist and community champion had twinned the celebration to highlight the serious issue of the trauma of war.

Dr. Ranger asked the audience to imagine the trauma which soldiers experienced by the impact of war, He spoke about the adverse affect to their mental health, the need for vital counselling and support and praised the work of Combat Stress for their valiant work in helping soldiers.

The guest of honour, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP, spoke of the unique honour it was to be celebrating Diwali amongst the Punjabi community. He praised Dr. Ranger and the Executive Committee of the Punjabi Society of the British Isles for their hard work in promoting dialogue, social cohesion, fundraising for worthy causes and for 85 years preserving the history, art, language and culture of the Punjab. He described Britain as a richer society as a result of its multi-racial and multi-cultural society and it is more blessed now than it has been at any other time in history.

Dr. Virander Paul, the Acting High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom himself a Punjabi, wished the guests a Happy Diwali and thanked the Punjabi community for contributing considerably to the positive image others have of the Indian diaspora. He added that the good deeds and actions of the Punjabi community ‘Make India Proud’. He thanked the PSBI committee for organising such a wonderful dinner and was overjoyed when he was asked to attend as the Chief Guest.

The evening included an award ceremony in which individuals were honoured with the Pride of Punjab Award for bringing honour to their community and country through their lithe eves.

One of the awards went to Mr Atul Pathak, Managing Director of APPT Corporation Ltd for his philanthropic in which he raised over £250,000 for various charities and also donates a percentage of his annual sales. Pathak described the Punjabi values, “as the basis of his philanthropic activities, adding that he is proud to have these values instilled in him.”

Another award went to Seema Malhotra MP, Member of Parliament for Feltham & Heston, Opposition Whip & Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Business Group for her selfless service to her constituents and public. Ms Malhotra MP thanked the PSBI for the hard work they do in raising the profile of the Punjabi community and connecting the Punjabi community with others in the UK. She said, “we must keep alive our sense of purpose, so that together we can make a greater difference. “

The evening was an excellent combination of celebration, and recognising the contributions of Punjabis in the UK, whilst also ensuring that support for the very worthwhile charity Combat Stress was highlighted

Francine Fernandes