Championing Ladies Cricket – the IIW All Ladies Ambika Trophy
The UK is sweltering in a heat wave at the moment, with some of the temperatures being the highest on record for the time of year, but there is also scorching hot action in the Cricket World Cup. The eyes of the world are on those nations who eat, sleep, and breathe cricket, fighting to be the best. However,...
Art exhibition brings traditions to life for future generations
The end of July saw London basking in sun, but also basking in the creative talents of Sushma Johari Madan. An exhibition called “Ancient Belief or Science” was held at the Nehru Centre in London, UK which gave the public a chance to see paintings which embodied and exemplified the ancient beliefs, stories, traditions, and myths of India. Each work...
Lockdown Diaries: Saurav Dutt, author of ‘Dear Mr Bachchan’ talks about the joys of lockdown creativity
Now is the time to take the magic of words, music, art, and creativity and to allow them to inspire, comfort and empower you during the mental tests of Lockdown. There is joy in finding magic and solace in the written word, and the most testing of times empowers one to find enchantment among sentences, to flesh out the fabric of...
Real stories from real people for a better world
There has been a lot of press recently about artificial intelligence (AI), in particular ChatGPT, with predictions reaching from mass unemployment to the end of the human race as we know it, laced with amusing stories of auto-generated images creating pictures of people with six fingers and suchlike. So I just wanted to take a brief moment to discuss...
Indian classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande to perform in the UK
His performances last year in the UK were a big hit. All the shows were full houses. Now he will visit the UK once again by popular demand. Meet Indian classical vocalist and recipient of the National Film Award, Rahul Deshpande. Forty-four-year-old Rahul, an internationally acclaimed classical vocalist and composer, has captivated audiences world over. Last year, he had...
The first Diwali at Scottish Parliament symbolises camaraderie of communities
The first Diwali hosted in the Scottish Parliament was celebrated this year on the Hindu auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami and the 20th Anniversary of the Scottish Parliament on 8th October. The coinciding celebrations of important festivals and events with significant community leaders was a deliberate plan to symbolise the camaraderie between the communities. The five-day-long Hindu festival of lights, representing...
Gray’s Inn in London unveils the Ambedkar Room and a new portrait
Master Ali Malek QC, Master Treasurer, Gray’s Inn, unveiled the Ambedkar Room at Gray’s Inn on 30 June 2021, dedicated to Dr Ambedkar, known internationally as an extraordinary academic, writer, politician, socio-political reformer, economist, and jurist. He also inspired the Buddhist movement in India. As the chief architect of India’s Constitution, he abolished Untouchability, and secured social and fundamental legal rights and equality for its...
My sunshine – a personal encounter
In celebration of World Mental Health Week. A Beautiful Story. A Beautiful Mind. A Beautiful Movie. An enduring image - 1994. Princeton. All his fellow professors honour him as they walk up and hand over their coveted pens to John Nash, the Nobel Laureate in Economics and schizophrenic who learnt to battle his demons with the support of his wife, Alicia, always...
Multi-faith celebration marks 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak
Multiple faiths truly came together in Edinburgh at an event held to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. It was a ground-breaking evening arranged a Muslim organisation, supported by a Hindu organisation, and hosted by the Christian Lord Provost. It was attended by all faiths and was a wonderful showcase of...
Lockdown Diaries: Intolerance against Afghan Sikhs in a time of pandemic damned by Sikhs across the world
The world is reeling from a global coronavirus pandemic. Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, went into lockdown for three weeks, beginning on 27 March. Residents are supposed to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel. With bigger problems in the world, you might think that there would be some tolerance and understanding in these times, but clearly not. I am...
