Damehood for top scientist as Asians are once again lauded in New Year's Honours List

A TOP SCIENTIST, campaigners, community leaders and entrepreneurs are among Asians honoured in the Queen’s New Year List, announced tonight (29).

Professor Pratibha Laxman Gai, of the University of York, has been awarded a damehood for her services to chemical sciences and technology. She has the distinction of creating the first microscope that has the ability of perceiving chemical reactions at the atomic scale.

Professor Gai has opted to not to patent her technology so as to encourage the widest possible fundamental research.

Those have been awarded an OBE include:

• Raja Mohammed, chairman of the Adil group, which specialises in hotels and food, for his services to business, job creation and charity;
• Professor Charanjit Bountra, a professor at Oxford, for his services to translational medical research and
• Jaswant Ramewal, for her work at the Ministry of Defence.

Aina Khan was awarded with an OBE for her effort in protecting women and children in unregistered marriages.

She is the founder of Register Our Marriage (ROM), a campaign to protect women and children in unregistered marriages. Her work aims include the reform of the Marriage Act 1949, which would require all UK religious marriages to be registered, and making sure that women and children are protected by law within unregistered marriages.

With a law career spanning more than 25 years, Khan said she hopes the award can show the ethnic minority community that “a child of immigrants can be a British citizen, can have a professional career and be given an award that has been handed out for a century”.

“I am from a Muslim Pakistani background and this award is good news for Muslims, Pakistanis and for women breaking through the glass ceiling,” she said.

In total, 1,123 people have received an award with 9.2 per cent of the successful candidates coming from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority (BAME) background.

Those awarded with an MBE honour include:

• Neelam Farzana, the co-founder and managing director of mental health organisation The Listening Service for her work in mental health in communities.
• Onkardeep Singh Bhatia, a founding member and director of the City Sikhs Network, for his work with young people.
• Sadi Khan, an active member of Woman’s Aid, for her services to cultural and religious training and voluntary service to vulnerable women.

Khan, 44, was subjected to domestic abuse when she was in an arranged marriage at the age of 19.

Today, she speaks publicly about her experiences to help others who may be in the same position and supports campaigns that speak out against psychological and physical abuse.

In addition, she established Noble Khan Ltd in 2004, which provides training courses for people in the workplace to help their understanding of different cultural and religious backgrounds.

Khan told Eastern Eye the news was “still sinking in” and she is just starting to get used to the idea.

Her family, including her 16-year-old son, are “over the moon” at the news, she said.

“My son gave me a big hug and said, ‘well done, you’re always helping other people and putting other people first, you really deserve this’,” she said.

Also honoured with an MBE is Dr Mehool Sanghrajka for his services to the Jain Faith and Education.

Sanghrajka, who described the honour as “humbling”, said the reaction has been “overwhelming”.

“I feel blessed to have so many well-wishers and so much encouragement,” he told Eastern Eye. “It  really does make me want to do more.”

Sanghrajka is currently the director at the Institute of Jainology, where he works to raise the profile of the religion and improve interfaith relations in the UK and beyond.

In speaking about his motivation for his work, he said that growing up in the Jain community benefitted him “tremendously,” but believes that young people have become more detached from their faith in modern-day society.

“As my children grow up in modern day Britain as the fourth generation of my family to live here, my motivation is really two-fold, to make this ancient faith accessible to young people and to make sure that Jains play a full part in British society,” he explained.

Bhatia, 30, has been awarded an MBE for his services to the community, particularly young people.

“I was overwhelmed and felt privileged to have received the MBE,” he said. “I was quite surprised when I heard the news, but I was absolutely delighted.”

In 2001, at the age of 14, Bhatia was the co-founder the Derby Sikh Youth Association. The organisation’s aim was to help empower under 25s and encourage them to have a stronger voice locally.

He is also the founding member and director of the City Sikhs Network, the largest network of Sikh professionals in the UK.

In regard to the number of ethnic minority winners among the 2018 honours, Bhatia said he was pleased to see such diversity.

“That is a real showcase for Britain as it shows the diversity and contributions from all different communities. It is such a positive thing, so I was proud to represent the south Asian community,” he said.

The honours system is open to all with around 3,000 nominations each year.

To nominate someone for an award, see www.gov.uk/honours