Asians on New Year Honours List 2016

The Queen’s New Year Honours List for 2016 recognises the outstanding contributions of individuals across the country’s many communities.

Published on December 30, 2016, numerous British Asians have been selected for the prominent titles of Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) among others.

Mr Harpal Singh Kumar was awarded a Knight Bachelor for his services to cancer research. He is the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK.

Many individuals were recognised for their services to charitable causes as well as building cohesion between inter-faith communities.

They include the Patron of Khalsa Aid, Mr Gurmukh Singh, and Mr Fayyaz Ahmed who received an OBE and MBE respectively.

Communities Secretary, Greg Clark, congratulated all the successful candidates by saying:

“These individuals have made an extraordinary contribution to society and I am delighted that they have been honoured in this way.”

In addition to the men, British Asian women also featured heavily in the prestigious list, making up an encouraging chunk of the overall 48 per cent of women candidates.

Mrs Yasmin Nathani the Director of Shama Women’s Centre received an MBE for services to the Empowerment of Women in Leicester.

Ms Zlakha Ahmed, Chief Executive, Apna Haq was also awarded honours for her services to Women’s Rights and Community Cohesion in Rotherham:

“It does feel like an amazing achievement. If I look at my work and how I’ve developed as an individual it’s always been about making a difference in the communities I live and work in,” Ms Ahmed said.

“To get that work recognised is amazing.”

The Midlands region also welcomed a considerable number of British Asian honoraries. From the likes of Mr Habib Rehman (BEM), Mr Abdullah Rehman (MBE), Mr Aftab Chughtai (MBE), and Mr Nasir Awan (MBE).

In total, 1,196 individuals received a prestigious title. 76 per cent of these are those have ‘undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity’.

5.7 per cent of them come from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Here are some of the British Asians and South Asians who have been recognised on the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2016:

Knight Bachelor (Kt)

• Mr Harpal Singh KUMAR Chief Executive, Cancer Research UK. For services to Cancer Research

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• Mr Zameer Mohammed CHOUDREY. For services to the UK Wholesale Industry and charity in the UK and Abroad.
• Mr Samir DESAI Peer to Peer and Financial Inclusion Innovator. For services to Financial Services.
• Dr Raminder Singh RANGER MBE Chairman, Sun Mark Ltd. For services to Business and Community Cohesion.
• Ms Yasmin SHEIKH MBE Co-founder, British Community Honours Awards. For services to Women and Social Integration.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• Mrs Daljit LALLY Deputy Chief Executive, Northumberland County Council and Joint Executive Director, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Integrated Care.
• Mr Raj NAYYAR Policy Adviser, London, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Tax Policy.
• Mrs Kala PATEL Managing Director, Kiddycare Limited (Nurseries). For services to the Childcare Business.
• Mrs Prathibha RAMSINGH District Operations Manager, Work Services Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Jobseekers and Employer Engagement in London.
• Mr Gurmukh SINGH Patron, Khalsa Aid. For services to Community Cohesion and charity.
• Professor Meena UPADHYAYA For services to Medical Genetics and the Welsh Asian community.

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

• Mr Fayyaz AHMED For services to Interfaith and Community Cohesion in Preston.
• Ms Zlakha AHMED Chief Executive, Apna Haq. For services to Women’s Rights and Community Cohesion in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
• Miss Rula AL-ADASANI For charitable services.
• Mr (Ahmed Jamal) Nasir AWAN Chief Executive Officer, Awan Marketing International. For services to Business and International Trade.
• Dr Nisreen Hanna BOOYA Lately Medical Director, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Healthcare particularly Mental Health.
• Mr Aftab Ahmed CHUGHTAI For services to Business and Community Relations in Birmingham.
• Miss Ayesha HAZARIKA Chief of Staff to the Deputy Leader, Labour Party. For political service.
• Mr Gurmeet KALSI Building Services Engineer, Palace of Westminster. For parliamentary services and voluntary services to the Sikh Community in Surrey.
• Miss Rekha MEHR For services to Entrepreneurship and Enterprise.
• Dr Jayshree MEHTA President, Bharat Hindu Samaj, the Hindu Temple and Chair, Sangam Indian Women’s Association. For services to the community and Community Cohesion in Peterborough.
• Mr Saravanamuttu MYLVAGANAM Lately Strategic Unit Network Manager, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. For public service and services to the Tamil community in the UK and Sri Lanka.
• Mr Satpal Singh NAHL Officer, Bradford Group, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Taxpayers and Public Administration.
• Mrs Yasmin Mohammed Farooq NATHANI Director, Shama Women’s Centre. For services to the Empowerment of Women in Leicester.
• Ms Asha ODEDRA Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy Manager, Operations Directorate, Crown
  Prosecution Service. For services to Law and Order.
• Mr Karnail Singh PANNU For services to the community in Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire.
• Ms Jaz RABADIA Senior Manager of Energy and Initiatives, Starbucks and STEM Ambassador. For services to Sustainability in the Energy Management Sector and Diversity in the STEM Sectors.
• Ms Afsheen Kabir RASHID Founding Director and Chief Operating Officer, Repowering London. For services to Renewable Energy Projects in Deprived London Communities. London
• Mr Asad RAZZAQ Leader, Community Action to Change Harehills. For services to Young People and the community in Harehills, Leeds.
• Mr Abdullah REHMAN Chief Executive, Balsall Heath Forum. For services to the community in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.
• Mr Mukesh SHARMA, DL Managing Director, Selective Travel Management. For services to the Travel Trade in Northern Ireland.
• Dr Suresh Chandra VASISHTHA For services to the community in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

• Mr Aatin Ashok ANADKAT For services to Entrepreneurship in Leicestershire.
• Mr Sarfraz Alam MIAN Chief Executive Officer, Neue Schule Limited. For services to UK Trade.
• Mr Sajid RASHID For services to the community and charitable fundraising in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
• Mr Gurdev Singh RAYAT For services to the community in Greenwich, London.
• Mr Habib REHMAN For services to Business and Community Relations in Birmingham.

Without a doubt the ever-increasing contributions of Asians in British society is a mark of how well the community continues to integrate into the mainstream, and the New Year Honours List is testament to this.

Whether through charity, social enterprise, health or education, both British Asian men and women are achieving great things. Congratulations to all of the honoraries!