Several people of Indian descent are on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors list (file)
London:
A pair of billionaire brothers of Indian descent, a leading Oxford University scholar and a 70-year-old fundraiser affectionately known as the Skipping Sikh, lead the list of “the most diverse Queen’s birthday honors on the planet. the ethnic plan ”published today.
Zuber and Mohsin Issa, who recently made headlines with their multi-million pound acquisition of UK supermarket chain Asda, have both been awarded CBEs for their service to business and charity.
The Blackburn brothers, whose parents moved from Gujarat to the UK in the 1970s, own the Euro Garages gas station chain as part of their EG Group business.
They are joined by Yadvinder Singh Malhi, professor of ecosystem science at the University of Oxford, who is awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services to ecosystem science. Mr Malhi had been appointed administrator of the Natural History Museum in London earlier this year.
Among the British Indians honored with an OBE (British Empire’s Most Excellent Officer of the Order) are Nilay Shah, professor of chemical engineering at Imperial College London for his services in decarbonizing the British economy. , and Dr Sanjiv Nichani, Founder and CEO of Healing Little Hearts for his services to medicine and charity.
The list, which had been postponed from its usual publication in early June to consider nominations of people playing crucial roles during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, includes many British Indians in this category led by Rajinder Singh Harzall.
Skipping Sikh, 74, is awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his inspirational health and fitness videos during the lockdown. Harzall, who has lifted nearly 14,000 pounds for the National Health Service (NHS), is joined by Lavina Mehta, who also receives an MBE for health and fitness services during COVID-19 for her work encouraging people to remain active during locking.
“The hard work and dedication of these often unsung local heroes has helped us move forward,” said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Among the other community heroes celebrated for their work during the lockdown is Sandeep Singh Daheley, who receives his MBE for taking the initiative to create an online portal for prayers while the gurdwaras were closed, in order to keep the community spirit alive for British Sikhs.
Among the MBE grantees recognized for their broad community work include Manjit Kaur Gill, founder of Binti, for his services in providing menstrual products to women in developing countries, the UK and the US; the Pushkala Gopal dance teacher for his services to South Asian dance; Vasant Patel, senior policy officer in the Department of Education, for services to adopted children and their families; and Baljeet Kaur Sandhu, founder of the Center for Knowledge Equity, for services to equality and civil society.
The list of honors, which is traditionally released to coincide with the British monarch’s 94-year-old’s official birthday celebrations in early June, features 414 outstanding contributions from unsung heroes across the four countries of the UK in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These recipients include Sir Captain Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who also served in India and became a hero earlier this year with his achievement of raising millions of pounds for the NHS by doing tricks in his own garden using a walker.
However, the majority of the list, dubbed the “Outstanding List” this year for racking up 1,495 honors, was compiled before the ongoing pandemic and 72 percent goes to those who have worked tirelessly for their local community.
The UK Cabinet Office, responsible for compiling the list, said it reflected the huge voluntary effort across the country in response to COVID-19, with beneficiaries cumulatively providing millions of free meals and counting countless volunteer hours to support people at risk.
He described it as the most ethnically diverse list to date, with 13% of beneficiaries coming from an ethnic minority.
Sir Philip Barton, former British High Commissioner to India and now Permanent Under Secretary in the Office of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and Head of the Diplomatic Service, said: I congratulate all who receive an honor and thank them for their hard work and years of service.
“The UK’s impact in the world depends on exceptional people like those recognized on the Queen’s birthday this year. We are grateful for their exceptional contribution.
Renowned British broadcaster and nature historian Sir David Attenborough receives the Great Honor of Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for his outstanding and sustained international contribution to broadcasting, to natural history and the environment.
English actor David Suchet, best known for playing Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot on screen, is honored with a knight for his services to the arts.
The Cabinet Office said health and social service workers made up 14% of the list this year, for contributions as diverse as setting up COVID-19 hospitals to provide frontline medical care, and 740 women are recognized in the list, representing 49% of the total.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
