An Indian-origin barrister in London has become the youngest Sikh to be awarded the Order of the British Empire for his contribution of the Punjabi diaspora in the United Kingdom.
Jasvir Singh, who was born and brought up in London, said that he feels immensely proud to be honoured with an Order of the British Empire. It was a complete surprise, he said, and it is heartening for Mr. Singh to know that his work on social cohesion and faith communities over the last seven years has been recognized in such a significant way, he said.
Singh is the Founding chair of ‘City Sikhs’ and the chair of the ‘Faiths Forum for London’, the organization represents the interests of nine main faith communities in London – Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrain, and Baha’I communities.
"We have several nationwide projects, including one which is looking at the relationships between the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities in pre-Partition India, during the Partition, and in present-day Britain," said Mr. Singh.
The organisation City Sikhs was founded in 2010 by young Sikh professionals working in and around London. Mr. Singh elaborated that it was initially a professional networking organisation. However, their careers meant that they had a professional reach towards how they conducted their work in the community, and were also asked to get more involved in representing the view of Sikh projects as time went on.
The organization was a stakeholder in the London Olympics and with the English Football Association. From there the organization became more involved in advising government departments, and now the organization is recognised as being one of the leading Sikh organisation in the UK with more than 6,000 members.
The organization also holds events that help community members understand their culture and heritage, as well as inspirational lectures and panel discussions. The organisation is also the lead partner in the British Sikh report. It is a strategic document for Sikhs, which is published every year since 2013 and provides statistical data about the British Sikh community.
AMandeep
