Gurinder Singh Josan, a businessman and political activist from Smethwick, near Brimingham, has been conferred with the third highest honour in the British Honours System, the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for political service.
Mr Josan has been a prominent political and social activist for over three decades now. “I have been a member of the Labour Party since the age of 16. The party nominated me for this honour for my contribution to political activism, interfaith dialogue and crime control,” Mr Josan told SBS Punjabi.
The 46-year-old former councillor of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council is not the first, but certainly the youngest Sikh to be conferred with this honour. He held the seat of the council for 8 years and has been in the National Executive Committee of Britain’s Labour Party.
A member of the West Midlands Strategic Policing and Crime Board, Mr Josan is also a member of the National Executive of the Sikh Council UK. "I had never even imagined that I will be given this honour," Mr Josan said.
Twice every year, the sovereign of the United Kingdom – currently Queen Elizabeth – announces honours for citizens of the UK and the Commonwealth: once on the sovereign’s birthday and for the second time at the end of the year.
In this year’s New Year’s Honours list, 11 British Sikhs have been conferred honours like CBE, Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Member of the British Empire (MBE). These honours are conferred on people with extraordinary achievements in community service, charity and business. The highest honour in the British Honours System is Dame of the British Empire (DBE), which allows the women receiving it to prefix ‘Dame’ to their name. Likewise for men, the equivalent is Knight of the British Empire (KBE), the male recipients of which can prefix ‘Sir’ to their name.
Those who have been conferred with these honours will be invited to Buckingham Palace later this year for the investiture ceremony, where Queen Elizabeth will pin the medals on their person.
To listen to this interview in Punjabi, click on the player at the top of the page.
