Writer-Comedian Adil Ray and a professor of opthalmology are among Asians who recognised for their contribution to British life in the Queen’s birthday honours list last Friday (10).
Recipients from black and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME) made up 8.2 per cent (90 people) of the list, the highest number since the Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917.
Ray, star of the popular BBC One TV show Citizen Khan, who was awarded an OBE, told " I feel incredibly humbled to receive this honour. I really thought it was a wind-up when I first got the letter. Or meant for Mr Khan.
“I would like to dedicate the award to my father, mother and my grandparents and to all those from the British south Asian community.
“Many of our forefathers worked and lived as part of the British empire and I think it says a lot about us as a community today and the progress we have made that we can be honoured like this. I feel incredibly fortunate and wish that we can all go on to follow our dreams.”
Usha Chakravarthy, who is professor of opthalmology at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, was conferred a CBE for services to opthalmology in Northern Ireland and voluntary service to managing eye conditions.
She said: “On a personal level I am delighted to be a recipient of this award. However I am very conscious that the award is an acknowledgement of my career within the health service and academia in Northern Ireland which would not have been possible without the encouragement and support of my colleagues locally, nationally and internationally.”
In total 1,149 people received an award; 90 people come from a BAME background and women represented 47 per cent of the total (538).
A Order of St Michael and St George was awarded to Ajay Sharma, former head of Iran Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for services to British foreign policy.
For his political service and charitable services in Pakistan through the Jhok Aid Project, Honorary Alderman Allah Yar Mushtaq Lasharie was awarded an CBE.
One of their recent projects was a tuition centre for disabled boys in Lalain (Jhang) Pakistan.
“I’m very honoured, I’m very pleased. It’s an honour for my political and charitable work, “ said Lasharie.
Blind musician Baluji Shrivastav said that his OBE for services to music was 'wonderful' and explained how he had founded the Inner Vision orchestra, the UK’s only blind orchestra.
“The idea came to me when I was in a taxi. I was listening to Turkish music, Greek music and I thought why not have an orchestra which has all kinds of nationalities involved. London was the best place to find this, so I was lucky,” said Shrivastav.
Rajeeb Dey, founder and chief executive of tech start-up Enternships also co founder of StartUp Britain, said it was a 'great honour' to receive an OBE for services to entrepreneurship.
Dey told entrepreneurs were still quite rare and that it was still very male and white. He said he was lucky as his parents, both doctors, gave him freedom to pursue whatever he wanted to do which he said was usually the factor in young Asians being able to pursue more risky professions.
Independent physiotherapy Bhanu Ramaswamy received an OBE for services to physiotherapy. When the initial letter arrived she thought it might be a 'hoax letter' sent from 'her prankster friends'.
Royal honours are awarded twice a year – on the queen's official birthday and at new year.
Recipients can be nominated by members of the public and their names are sifted by an official committee.
It then submits its decisions to the prime minister and queen for final approval.
