Mayor of London Recognises Hindu Contribution to British

London: Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, held a reception at City Hall last week to recognise how much young Hindu professionals contribute to London and the wider British community. The event was the first ever held by the Mayor for the British Hindu community and was organised in partnership with the City Hindus Network and supported by the Hindu Council UK.

The Mayor paid tribute to the hard work on the London Hindu community and the strong ties that exist between the UK and India. "The Hindu Community is one of the most highly skilled and high achieving communities and it has helped shape London into the dynamic, diverse and thriving city it is today," he said. "I am proud that a large proportion of the UK’s Hindu Community has chosen London as their home."

Dilip Joshi of the Hindu Council UK chaired the event and said he hoped the Mayor would help convince umbrella bodies within the GLA that the managerial and delivery talent and capability within the Hindu community is at least as fine as any others. "Perhaps too," he said, "you should remind them that as educated electors and taxpayers we want to be and are capable of being in senior positions within Transport for London, the London Development Agency and the Olympic Authority."

Jitesh Gadhia, a Managing Director at investment bank ABN AMRO and a guest speakers, said his Hindu faith was in part responsible for his successful career:

"Hindus – and specifically Hindu values – can actually create a competitive advantage for those trying to build a successful career in the city," he said, going on to outline five, key Hindu values he believed had been relevant in his own career: tolerance and respect for others, focus on the importance of education, family and community and the Hindu principle of Dharma.

"Although I don’t believe we should bring our faith into the workplace," he said, "we can and should bring these values with us in all that we do."

Dhruv Patel, the Founder and Chair of the City Hindu Network was pleased with the way the event went. "There are about half a million Hindus living in the UK," he said, "and although we receive little attention or celebration from wider society, figures show our community has made a disproportionately large contribution to the economic, cultural and social life of this country. This event has given us a chance to showcase our successes and to inspire our young people to achieve even more."

He also announced plans by the City Hindu Network to start a mentoring and work placement scheme to encourage young Hindus to aspire to work at the highest levels in both the public and private sectors.

Source: Suzanne Evans, Hindu Council UK-PR.
                www.hinducounciluk.org

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