As her Majesty, the Queen celebrates an unprecedented 70 years of service to the UK, her Jubilee Birthday Honours List 2022, marks the incredible public service of individuals, including those of South Asian origins.
In tribute to The Queen, recipients have been awarded for their outstanding contributions across all sectors, but for sustained public service, the environment and sustainability, and youth engagement.
1,134 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level; the Asian community make up 6.8% of recipients from an Asian ethnic group.
The number of people from the South Asian community awarded a Queen’s honour is 77 altogether, including the two sports stars of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent, Anwar Uddin and Moeen Ali, Nadia Samdani, as well as over 40 British Indians, including Salman Rushdi.
The list awards three Companions of Honour – of which there are only 65 recipients at any time, of the list Sir Salman Rushdie, of Indian descent.
The 74-year-old author of Indian origins Salman has been awarded the special award granted to those who made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time, for his services to literature.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said “This historic Platinum Jubilee is not only a celebration of the monarch but of the qualities she possesses. The honours she confers this week reflect many of those qualities that have been invaluable from all different walks of life and to communities across the UK.
“I pay tribute to all of this year’s winners. Their stories of courage and compassion are an inspiration to us all.”
British Bangladeshi philanthropist Nadia Samdani has been Awarded an MBE In Queen’s 2022 Birthday Honours.
Nadia Samdani included in the list of over 40 professionals and community champions of Indian origin is to be honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Samdani has been recognised for services to global art philanthropy and supporting the arts in Bangladesh, South Asia, and the United Kingdom.
Nadia Samdani MBE says “It’s an extraordinary honour to receive recognition for over a decade of supporting and nurturing artistic talent. It’s been heartening to see the huge levels of public engagement with our work, and how the Foundation has fostered new cross-cultural dialogues between Bangladesh and the rest of the world.”
She further adds “I am thrilled that this honour comes as part of celebrations for Her Majesty the Queen’s 70-year reign, and her length of service and commitment is something I hope to emulate in my ongoing work.”
For his work in the public sector, Professor Aziz Sheikh OBE has been awarded a Knight Bachelor (Kt) for ‘Services to Covid-19 research and policy’, for his immense contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic response, locally, nationally, and internationally across academia, government, NHS, and community domain.
Sheikh told Asian Sunday “I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to work with these colleagues in the fight against Covid-19, generating answers that have helped policymakers take decisions that have enabled a degree of normality to return to all of our lives.
“Science is a team effort, and I am most grateful to all those who have supported me, whether through my education and training, providing a stimulating and supportive academic environment, research funding, or mentoring and collegiality. To all of these wonderful colleagues and institutions, my sincere thanks.”
Moeen Ali believes the OBE he has been awarded for services to cricket is a reflection of far more than the runs and wickets he has taken for England.
The 34-year-old English cricketer has captained England in limited-overs cricket and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad, as well as being a willing spokesperson for inclusivity as someone who has long described himself as British, and Muslim and proud of both.
In a statement issued by Ali, the British Pakistani cricketer from Birmingham says “I am humbled and honoured to be receiving the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List. I would like to dedicate this award to my parents, family and all the coaches and teammates I’ve played with over my career.
“If a boy from Sparkbrook, Birmingham can do it, so can you. Hard work, dedication and learning from your peers are paramount to success”.
A list of all the South Asian recipients for the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2022 includes:
Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie. Author. For services to Literature. (London, Greater London)
Knights Bachelor
Professor Aziz Sheikh OBE FRSE. Chair, Primary Care Research and Development, University of Edinburgh. For services to Covid-19 Research and Policy. (Lasswade, Edinburgh)
Royal Victorian Medal
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Captain Harpreet Kaur Chandi
Companion (CMG)
Velavan Gnanendran. Director, Climate, Energy and Environment, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to UK Climate, Development and Environmental policy.
The Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
Ashok Jivraj Rabheru C.V.O., D.L. Chair, Joint Funding Board, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Diplomatic Service
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Kishinchand Ladharam Alwani. Company Director, Alwani Foundation. For services to Philanthropic and Charitable Work in Gibraltar.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Nadia Samdani. Co-Founder and President, Samdani Art Foundation and Director, Dhaka Art Summit, Dhaka, Bangladesh. For services to global Art Philanthropy and supporting the Arts in South Asia and the United Kingdom.
Muhammad Nuruddeen Lemu. Director Research and Training, Islamic Education Trust, Minna, Nigeria. For services to tackling extremism and supporting peace and social justice in Nigeria.
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Avnish Mitter Goyal. Chair, Care England. For services to Social Care and to Philanthropy. (Billericay, Essex)
Ramesh Kanji Vala OBE. Consultant, Ince Group plc. For services to the community and to the Covid-19 Response. (London, Greater London)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Miranda Mary Abrey. Domestic Abuse Policy Lead, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. For services to Victims of Domestic Abuse. (South Harting, West Sussex)
Shahina Ahmad. Principal, Eden Girls’ School, London Borough of Waltham Forest. For services to Education. (London, Greater London)
Osman Ahmed. Senior Officer, National Crime Agency. For services to Law Enforcement. (London, Greater London)
Moeen Ali. For services to Cricket. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Dr Raghib Ali. Consultant in Acute Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and Senior Clinical Research Associate, Epidemiology, University of Cambridge. For services to the NHS and to the Covid-19 Response. (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire)
Kishorkant Bhattessa (Vinu Bhattessa). Managing Director, Mandeville Hotel Group and Trustee, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Temple. For charitable and voluntary services, particularly during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Afia Choudhury. Foster Carer, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. For services to Children. (London, Greater London)
Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal MBE DL. Regional Prevent Co-ordinator, Department for Education. For services to Social Cohesion. (Staffordshire)
Dr Azeem Ibrahim. Director, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. For services to the Union, to Diversity and to Foreign Policy. (Glasgow, Glasgow)
Haroon Karim. Chair, Balham and Tooting Mosque and Trustee, World Memon Organisation. For services to Philanthropy and to the community in South London and Pakistan. (London, Greater London)
Kamruddin Kothia. Chair of Trustees, Star Academies. For services to Education. (Blackburn, Lancashire)
Shivani Lakhani. Society Team Lead, Covid-19 Taskforce, Cabinet Office. For services to Vulnerable Communities during the Covid-19 Response. (London, Greater London)
Sumeet Kaur Matharu. Chief Pharmacist, Defence Primary Healthcare, Ministry of Defence. For services to Armed Forces Healthcare. (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands)
Mohammed Abdul Munim. For services to the British Bangladeshi Catering Industry. (Dartford, Kent)
Rohit Naik. Headteacher, Hope School, Liverpool. For services to Education. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani. Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and Head, Centre for Autonomous Systems and Advanced Robotics. For services to Robotics. (Altrincham, Greater Manchester)
Tariq Navid Shah. Philanthropist. For services to Charity. (Doncaster, South Yorkshire)
Professor Parveen Yaqoob. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading. For services to Higher Education. (Reading, Berkshire)
Dr Asim Yusuf. Consultant Psychiatrist and Islamic Scholar. For services to the Muslim Community. (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)
Dr Sabir Zazai FRSE. Chief Executive, Scottish Refugee Council. For services to Refugees. (Rutherglen, Lanarkshire)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Abdul Wakil. Director, Islamic Integration Community Centre. For services to the Muslim Community in the London Borough of Hounslow. (London, Greater London)
Abrar Khan. For services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge, particularly during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Ameeta Virk. Markets Leader, Department for International Trade. For services to the Economy. (Bristol, Bristol)
Amjid Hussain. Director, Bradford Moor Play and Support Service. For voluntary services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)
Anwar Uddin. Fans For Diversity Campaign Manager, The Football Supporters’ Association. For services to Association Football. (London, Greater London)
Ashfaq Siddique. For services to the community in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Badrun Nesa Pasha. Co-founder, Bangladeshi Women’s Association. For services to the Bangladeshi community in the West Midlands. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Banu Adam. Founder and Chair, Arts 2 Heal. For services to Mental Health Provision in Blackburn, Lancashire, particularly during Covid-19. (Blackburn, Lancashire)
Barjinderpall Lall. Head of Skills, JGA Group, London. For services to Apprenticeships and Skills Training. (London, Greater London)
Bharat Patel. For services to the community in Greater London, particularly during Covid-19. (Watford, Hertfordshire)
Bhawana Ramanbhai Patel. Human Resources Consultant, Defence Business Services, Ministry of Defence. For services to Defence. (London, Greater London)
Chenine Bhathena. Creative Director, Coventry City of Culture Trust. For services to Culture and to the community in Coventry. (London, Greater London)
Chunilal Odhavji Kakad. For services to the community in the London Borough of Brent. (London, Greater London)
Dr Chila Kumari Singh Burman. Artist. For services to Visual Art, particularly during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan. South Indian Classical Vocalist and Dancer, and Founder Director, British Carnatic Choir. For services to the Promotion of South Indian Classical Music and Dance. (Solihull, West Midlands)
Dr Manojkumar Narottam Liladhar Joshi DL. Volunteer. For voluntary services to the community in Bradford during Covid-19. (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Dr Rizwan Yahya Ahmed. Consultant Respiratory Physician, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Public Health during Covid-19. (Bolton, Greater Manchester)
Fazle Abbas Kinkhabwala. For services to the Indian and Pakistani communities in Birmingham and to the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Ghazain Choudhry. For services to Wheelchair Basketball. (London, Greater London)
Gurvinder Singh Sandher. Chief Executive Officer, Cohesion Plus. For services to the Arts and to the community in Kent. (Longfield, Kent)
Harshad Purshottam Saujani JP. Community Safety Educator, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. For services to Fire Safety. (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Humera Haqqani. Managing Director, Let’s Talk. For services to Business and to the community in Rochdale. (Rochdale, Greater Manchester)
Ibrar Ali. Volunteer Development Manager, Bradford Moor Play and Support Service. For voluntary services to the community in Bradford. (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Indraprasad Limbu. Broadcast Technician, British Forces Broadcasting Service. For services to the Armed Forces. (Basingstoke, Hampshire)
Jayesh Kumar Dayarambhai Solanki (Jay Kumar Solanki). For services to Dance and to the community in Greater London. (London, Greater London)
Kawan Deepakchandra Patel. Lately Deputy Director, Head of Social Contact, Cabinet Office and Covid-19 Directorate Lead, Home Office. For services to the Covid-19 Response. (London, Greater London)
Lakshmana Rao Kastala. Founder and Chair of Trustees, DREAMSAI. For charitable services to the community in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire)
Mansoor Ahmad. For services to the community in the London Borough of Merton during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Md Nazrul Islam. For services to the community in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Mohammad Asad. Imam and Muslim Chaplain. For services to Charitable Fundraising and to the NHS during Covid-19. (Walsall, West Midlands)
Mohammed Sadiq Badat. For voluntary and charitable services in the community of Leicester and Abroad. (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Mohammed Tahir Ali. For services to the community in Preston, Lancashire during Covid-19. (Preston, Lancashire)
Najma Khalid. Founder, Women’s CHAI Project and Lead Organiser, Parent Power Oldham. For services to the community in Oldham. (Oldham, Greater Manchester)
Nitin Natwarlal Madhavji (Nick Madhavji). Founder and Chief Executive, Joskos Solutions Ltd. For services to Education, to Business and to Charity. (London, Greater London)
Pranav Bhanot. Councillor, Chigwell Parish Council. For services to the Community in Chigwell, Essex. (Chigwell, Essex)
Professor Daljit Nagra. Chair, Royal Society of Literature. For services to Literature. (London, Greater London)
Professor Indranil Chakravorty. Chair, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Institute for Health Research and Consultant Physician, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the Healthcare Sector. (St Albans, Hertfordshire)
Professor Srimathi Rajagopalan Murali. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to International Doctors Working in the NHS. (Wigan, Greater Manchester)
Raja Suleman Raza. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Spice Village. For services to Business and Philanthropy, particularly during Covid-19. (London, Greater London)
Razia Tariq Hadait. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Himaya Haven CIC. For services to the community in Birmingham. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
Rozina Ahmed. Principal Policy Officer, Mayor of London’s Office. For services to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Education, Culture and Sport. (London, Greater London)
Rukeya Khanom Miah. Deputy Associate Director of Nursing and Senior Midwife, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Maternity and Healthcare Education, particularly during Covid-19. (Keighley, West Yorkshire)
Rukhsana Yaqoob. Education Consultant. For services to Education. (London, Greater London)
Sandeep Mahal. Lately Director, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature. For services to Literature, the Arts and Culture in Nottingham. (Walsall, West Midlands)
Sanjaykumar Jayantilal Vadera. Chief Executive Officer, The Fragrance Shop and Per-Scent. For services to International Trade. (Altrincham, Greater Manchester)
Sanjeevini Dutta. Director, Kadam Dance. For services to Dance. (Luton, Bedfordshire)
Sudath Leon Dias. Special Superintendent, Essex Police. For services to Policing. (Colchester, Essex)
Sujitha Trowsdale. Senior Officer, National Crime Agency. For services to Law Enforcement. (London, Greater London)
Suman Raj Shrestha. Professional Lead, Royal College of Nursing and Nurse Consultant in Critical Care, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Critical Care Nursing. (Crowthorne, Berkshire)
Tariq Ali. For services to the community in Wolverhampton during Covid-19. (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)
Varsha Kumari Mistry. Forensic Practitioner, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in Policing and to the Hindu Community. (London, Greater London)
Zamir Khan. Community Volunteer. For services to the Blackburn Muslim Burial Society and to the community in Blackburn, Lancashire, particularly during Covid-19. (Blackburn, Lancashire)
