In 2022, he was awarded a Knighthood in Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List. He became Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of his work for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Prominent British entrepreneur and Genisys Group founder Sir Ashok Rabheru died on Friday. He was aged 70.
The former trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is survived by his wife Harshida and children Nikita, Rishi and Shayan.
Sir Rabheru was born in the eastern Tanzanian city of Morogoro on April 6, 1952, to Jivraj and Raliat and was ninth among 10 siblings - seven brothers and three sisters.
His father, originally from Verawal in the western Indian state of Gujarat, was a respected businessman and entrepreneur.
Sir Rabheru was sent on his own to England in 1967, aged 15 in the hope of having better opportunities and education and fleeing the dangers caused by political unrest in Tanzania. He had no money and didn’t speak English at the time. He studied in Richmond upon Thames, followed by Kingston College where he met Harshida. They married in Kenya in 1980. He earned his BSc in physics at University College London and obtained his MPhil in applied mathematics at the Royal Holloway College. He did his postgraduate diploma in computing at University College London (UCL).
He started his career in the IT industry and founded the Genisys Group, an IT software solutions and procurement company, in 1985. Beginning as a small five-person company in Woking, it has grown considerably and now has offices in three continents, employing more than 1,000 people.
He accompanied then prime minister Tony Blair on business delegations to Bangalore in 2002 and to Beijing in 2005.
The entrepreneur was a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from 2000 to 2010 and was a prominent member of the steering group for planning and raising funds for the 50th anniversary of the Award in 2006.
Since 2010, he held the position of chairman of the DoE UK and International Joint Funding Board. He also assisted in celebrating the centenary of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Sir Rabheru was an active supporter of several charities, including Combat Stress, Debra and medical research institutions such as University College London and Imperial College together with work within the Asian community. He also took pride in supporting smaller local charities such as Heart of Bucks, Pace Centre, Wheel Power and Wexham Park neonatal unit, which cared for his family when his triplets were born prematurely. He funded regular eye camps in Gujarat.
In recognition of his extensive charity work, he was awarded a CVO (Commander of the Victorian Order) in the 2011 New Year’s Honours List.
He was honoured with the crown appointment of Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the County of Buckinghamshire as someone who has served the local community and has a history of public service in other fields.
In 2022, he was awarded a Knighthood in Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List. He became Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of his work for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which he had supported in various capacities for more than 25 years.
A memorial service to celebrate his life and legacy will be held at St James’s Church, Gerrards Cross
in the Spring. Details of the event are yet to be announced.
AN ASIAN writer has explained how his new book makes Britain’s imperial past “accessible, engaging and thought-provoking” for a younger audience.
Award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s new book, Journeys of Empire, explores empire through 10 journeys he described as being “extraordinary”. Sanghera said his book, published last month by Puffin UK, is “a way of helping children understand how Britain’s biggest story still shapes the world today.”
“We’re not taught this history very well,” he told Eastern Eye.
“The empire is morally complex – sometimes we were good, sometimes bad – so, how do you even begin talking about it? It’s also contentious. There are millions of us whose families were colonised, and millions whose families were the colonisers.”
Teachers cannot teach what they themselves were never taught, Sanghera pointed out.
“There are multiple layers to why British people are so bad at talking about this history. It touches on race, misogyny and geopolitics. It’s easier just not to talk about it.”
And , the cover of his book
Following the success of his bestselling children’s title Stolen History, Sanghera’s this latest work continues Sanghera’s mission to write for readers aged nine and above. With a focus on human experiences, Sanghera said he wanted show that history is not just a list of dates or conquests – it’s a tapestry of stories that connect people.
Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi immigrant parents, he began school unable to speak English. Later he graduated with first-class honours in English language and literature from Christ’s College, Cambridge.
He has since built a career as a writer and journalist.
His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, and his novel, Marriage Material, were both shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Empireland, Sanghera’s exploration of Britain’s colonial legacy, was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, named a Book of the Year at the 2022 National Book Awards, and inspired the Channel 4 documentary series Empire State of Mind.
His first children’s book, Stolen History, introduced young readers to the complex and often overlooked realities of empire. With Journeys of Empire, Sanghera aims to go further. “When I finally learned about the British empire, it changed how I saw myself, how I saw Britain, and how I saw India,” he said.
“It seemed obvious that you’d want to give this gift to young people – because your 40s is a bit late to be learning all this.”
Sanghera said the 10 journeys in the book take readers across continents and centuries, revealing both the ambition and the brutality of empire.
“The British empire covered a quarter of the world’s surface and a large portion of its population. It was seven times the size of the Roman empire,” he said.
Aiming to ensure diversity in both perspective and geography, Sanghera said he chose stories from various countries and different phases of the 400-year history.
Alongside India and Mahatma Gandhi, readers will learn about Guyana’s indentured labour system, Gertrude Bell’s adventures in Iraq, and the British invasion of Tibet led by Francis Younghusband.
“I wanted to highlight areas often left out of mainstream narratives,” the writer said. The stories are written with an accessible and honest tone, and with humour.
“Violence is a tricky area,” Sanghera said. “You can’t go into graphic detail, but you also shouldn’t whitewash it. The violence and racism of colonialism were intrinsic. “I tried to strike a balance - acknowledging the brutality without overwhelming young readers.”
Writing for children isn’t much different from writing for adults, Sanghera said.
“You still need engaging stories and to hold attention. The main thing is to avoid big words that might put them off.”
He pointed out how storytelling can counter the allure of digital screens.
“Kids are addicted to screens, and reading rates are falling globally. That’s disastrous for mental health, intellectual development, and politics,” he said.
“When you get news from screens, you’re in an echo chamber – you’re not being challenged or taught to think in a nuanced way.”
Sanghera’s hope is that stories of Journeys of Empire – from pirates to princes and explorers to rebels – will draw in young readers to a world of curiosity and reflection. He said, “The British empire is a complex story. Even the ‘good guys’ had flaws. That’s what makes it worth understanding.”
At the heart of his book is a message about complexity and contradiction. “The empire involved slavery and the abolition of slavery. It caused environmental destruction and inspired environmentalism. We live in a world that struggles with nuance, but that’s what makes us human,” Sanghera said.
“My hope is that readers – kids and adults – learn that opposite things can be true at the same time.”
After six years of writing about empire, Sanghera said he’s ready for a change. His next book will focus on the late pop star George Michael, due out in June next year.
“I thought George Michael would be a nice break from empire. But then I learned that his father came from Cyprus - which was under British rule. The reason he left Cyprus was because of the British. So, even George Michael’s story connects back to empire. You can’t escape it, wherever you go.”
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