Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Why diversity is important in the Royal Navy

by LAUREN CODLING

THE Royal Navy and Hindu communities should work together in order to increase recruitment, a senior officer in the forces has recommended.


Surgeon Commander Manish Tayal has been working as a medical officer in the Royal Navy since 2004. A practising Hindu, Tayal headed up the Armed Forces Hindu Network (AFHN) from 2014-2017, encouraging support for Hindu personnel and arranging faith events.

Tayal, 41, who was recently honoured with an MBE for his services to AFHN, said the lack of awareness within Hindu communities concerning the forces was the reason to organise events in order to encourage understanding.

“Before I joined, I knew nobody in the military,” the Manchester-born officer told Eastern Eye. “And that’s going to happen, isn’t it? Because the number of Asians across the board, British Asians, in the armed forces, is really low.”

As of October 2017, BAME personnel accounted for 7.5 per cent of the UK regular forces.

The AFHN has organised a number of events, including Raksha Bandhan in which the armed forces personnel visited various communities and temples, meeting with Hindu youngsters. Tayal has also helped to organise Diwali celebrations for the troops.

His own first experience with Diwali in the Royal Navy, which he cites as an influence for his motivation to celebrate the event in the forces, occurred while he was training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

He had requested time off to go home to see his family at Diwali but was told he could

not. However, on the day of the festival, he was surprised by his division who had organised a Diwali party for him.

“They had decked the whole of the room with orange and red decorations. The divisional officers had bought traditional snacks and they had Indian music playing from a laptop in the corner,” he recalled. “I explained to them what Diwali was all about and we had a

great time – it was absolutely amazing.”

He said the experience taught him there were many important aspects of an individual which makes them who they are – be it race, religion or sexuality. During his Navy career, he has learnt how important these factors are.

“Ultimately, we want people to bring all that they are because that’s what makes the team better,” he said. “And that’s why I think these things are important because if your faith is important to you, then you need to be able to observe your faith and you need to be supported.”

A trained doctor, Tayal had no plans to join the Royal Navy. It was a chance encounter at a careers fair at Manchester University that led him down his career path.

“As a medical student, you don’t really go into career fairs because you know you are going to be a doctor and you’re going to work in the NHS,” he said.

At the event, he spoke to a submarine engineering officer who told him more about what the forces do and what opportunities he could have as a doctor.

Typically, Asian families encourage their children to earn academic qualifications, so it isn’t unusual that some do not consider a career in the military. However, it appeared that Tayal had the best of both worlds – a medical qualification and the opportunity to do something a little more adventurous.

“I guess the thing that attracted me was you get to do a lot more than just the daily 9-to-5 surgery. Lots of deploying lots of different types of medicine and you get all your exams paid for, all the courses you could possibly want, all the training you might want,” he revealed. “And on top of that, there’s obviously so many opportunities to learn different sports, and adventure training. It was a no-brainer, really.”

Tayal, however, admitted that his parents were initially concerned about him joining the forces. His father had applied to join the Navy in the 1960s, but as an immigrant was advised to rethink his choices, making him wary for his son.

“Thankfully, I didn’t experience any of that – Britain has moved on a lot in last 40

or 50 years,” he said.

After joining, Tayal took his father aboard a submarine for three days. It was an “amazing” experience for both of them, as his father finally managed to have the experience he had once dreamed of.

“I’ve been to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir... I’ve been on ships and submarines, a full range of stuff,” he said. “My parents are very proud of me.”

Today, Tayal continues to raise awareness within ethnic minority communities concerning what the forces do. He also supports individuals in observing their faith, as he realises the importance behind it.

“There is a need to support people in observing their faith because that is part of them,” he said. “They can bring that background, beliefs, values and the principals that come from that faith.”

“They can bring all of that to help them in their work.”

More For You

Air India

The Amritsar-Birmingham and Amritsar-London Gatwick routes will each increase from three to four weekly flights, while Ahmedabad-London Gatwick will go from three to five weekly flights.

Air India to increase flights between UK and India from March 30

AIR INDIA will increase flight frequencies on key routes as part of its Northern Summer schedule, effective 30 March 2025.

In the UK, the airline will add three more flights on the Delhi-London Heathrow route, increasing from 21 to 24 weekly flights using a mix of A350-900 and upgraded B787-9 aircraft.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pablo-Escobar-merchandise-Getty

Escobar, killed by security forces in 1993, remains a figure of global interest, with his image appearing on souvenirs like T-shirts, mugs, and keychains. (Photo: Getty Images)

Colombia considers ban on Pablo Escobar merchandise

COLOMBIA’s Congress is considering a bill that would ban the sale of merchandise featuring drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals.

The proposed law aims to curb the glorification of Escobar, who was responsible for thousands of deaths during his time leading the Medellín cartel, reported BBC.

Keep ReadingShow less
Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Polls show most Britons back assisted dying, with supporters calling for the law to reflect public opinion.

Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Eastern Eye

THE proposed new assisted dying law for terminally ill people will be amended to remove the requirement that a high court judge sign off on each case, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said on Tuesday (11).

Opponents of assisted dying said the change would weaken the safeguards around protecting vulnerable people from being coerced or pressured into taking their own lives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Malkinson

Malkinson, 59, has been struggling financially since his release and has been on universal credit for 19 months. (Photo: X/@NotThatBigIan)

Wrongful rape conviction: Andrew Malkinson to get 'significant' compensation

ANDREW MALKINSON, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, will receive a six-figure interim compensation payment from the Ministry of Justice.

The payment comes more than a year after his conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal in July 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
IMF team visits Pakistan to assess governance and corruption reforms

The assessment will shape structural reforms and examine protections for property rights and foreign investments

IMF team visits Pakistan to assess governance and corruption reforms

Eastern Eye

A TECHNICAL team from the International Monetary Fund met Pakistan’s chief justice Yahya Afridi on Tuesday (11) to conduct a Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment under the 2024 Extended Fund Facility programme.

The IMF team is in the country for a week-long trip to scrutinise the judicial and regulatory framework tackling governance and corruption as part of a £5.6 billion loan agreed last year.

Keep ReadingShow less