LORD NAVNIT DHOLAKIA, one of Britain’s most distinguished and longest-serving politicians, was presented the GG2 Leadership Hammer award at a glittering ceremony in central London on Wednesday (November 23) evening.
He collected the award in front of a high-powered, 800-plus strong audience, made up of some of the country’s leading figures from the world of politics, business, arts and sport.
Earlier in the evening, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg gave a keynote speech on leadership and helped to launch a new publication profiling the country’s 101 most influential Asians, in the inaugural GG2/EE Power 101 list. Clegg also answered questions from the floor about leadership and from BBC journalist Clive Myrie, who compered the evening.
The GG2 Hammer is the most prestigious of the GG2 Leadership Awards, now in its 13th year, and is presented to someone who has broken the proverbial glass ceiling and become a path-breaker and pioneer. Nine other winners were announced on the evening, including Tariq Jahan, the father who brought calm to the community in Birmingham following his son Haroon’s tragic death during the August riots.
Lord Dholakia, 74, became the first-ever Asian politician to head a political party when he became President of the Liberal Democrats between 2000 and 2004. He was chairman of the Brighton Young Liberals in 1959, just three years after arriving in the UK from Tanzania, and then served on Brighton Borough Council for three years between 1961-1964.
Today, he is one of a senior group of Lib Dem politicians who are responsible for formulating policy and playing a crucial but background part in the Coalition government.
Lord Dholakia’s career has been one of steady progress, and he commands respect from all sides of the house. He became the first Asian Lib Dem peer in 1997 and is an authority on human rights and penal reform. A former Commissioner of Racial Equality, he has developed an expertise on race issues.
He was presented the award by EastEnders star Rudolph Walker at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel.
Jahan won the GG2 Leadership Community Award for the way he was able to defuse tensions following the death of Haroon, 21, Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, during the riots in the Winson Green area. The three men died defending local shops from looters and the area was thick with thoughts of retribution when Jahan made a simple but hugely emotional plea: “I lost my son. Blacks, Asians, whites – we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home – please.”
Another figure connected with the riots was also presented with an award. Darra Singh, chairman of the Riots Community and Victims panel, which will hear testimony from all sides about the August riots, was given the GG2 Leadership Man of the Year Award. One of the country’s top civil servants, and one of only three non-white permanent secretaries, Singh currently heads Jobcentreplus, the government body charged with getting people back to work. He has also been an executive of two major councils, Luton and Ealing.
The GG2 Leadership Woman of the Year Award went to soap star Nina Wadia, whose role as the feisty, unpredictable and increasingly isolated Zainab in EastEnders has alarmed, charmed and tickled a nation.
Wadia has deployed her full range of talents to play such a complicated character and her award is in recognition of her long and distinguished career, which first took off after Goodness Gracious Me.
Gurka Rifleman Sgt Dip Pun was given the GG2 Leadership Pride of Britain award. Pun repelled an attack from up to a dozen Taliban militants while manning a sentry post in Afghanistan. His actions were described as some of the bravest ever seen while showing a fearlessness in confronting the enemy and saving his colleagues from certain death.
The GG2 Entrepreneurship Award went to Diwan Rahul Nanda, the chief of Indian security company, Topsgrup. It became the first Indian company to take over a leading British security firm when it acquired Shield Guard. Today it is worth £286 million, with over 80,000 employees in offices across India, Israel and the UK.
Nishma Gosrani, a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, was named as the GG2 Diversity Champion for her role in tackling voter apathy, helping her firm reach out to diverse communities and breaking the glass ceiling in a largely male-dominated industry.
Blind lawyer Sana Viner, who works at top law firm, Wragge & Co, was awarded the GG2 Achievement Through Adversity Award. Like many other graduates, she had to fight for a training contract but she did not let her disability get in the way. She has proved a major force at the firm, which has had to make few concessions to her because her ability and tenacity to do the job like an able-bodied person.
Atul Pathak was named as the Social Entrepreneur of the Year. A McDonald’s franchise owner who runs 20 outlets, and employs 1,500 people, Pathak is committed to training and developing the talents of young people and has scores of apprentices who go on to gain qualifications and develop their careers. He supports charity and community groups, devoting both time and resources to them.
Nazia Parveen was named as the GG2 Young Journalist of the Year. A self-starter who left home when she was just 17, she put herself through college, and broke into journalism writing for the web before moving to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, where she has produced a string of exclusives which have been followed up by national newspapers.
The awards are supported by Auden McKenzie Group, HSBC, Nationwide, The Royal Navy, Pepisco UK & Ireland, Rational FX, Sunmark and the Daily Mail (young journalist).
Winners for GG2 Leadership Awards 2011
GG2 Young Journalist of the Year, Sponsored by the Daily MailWinner: Nazia Parveen, Senior Reporter, Lancashire Evening Telegraph
GG2 Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Sponsored by Auden MckenzieWinner: Atul Pathak, Managing Director, ATTP Corporation T/a McDonald`s
GG2 Achievement through Adversity, Sponsored by NationwideWinner: Sana Viner, Solicitor, Wragge & Co
GG2 Spirit in the Community Award, Sponsored by the Royal NavyWinner: Tariq Jahan
GG2 Diversity ChampionNishma Gosrani, Chair, Multicultural Business Network, PricewaterhouseCoopers
GG2 Entrepreneur of the Year, Sponsored by PepsiCo InternationalWinner: Diwan Rahul Nanda
GG2 Pride of Britain Award, Sponsored by SunmarkWinner: Sergeant Dip Pun, ArmyGG2 Woman of the Year, Sponsored by HSBC Commercial BankWinner: Nina Wadia
GG2 Man of the Year, Sponsored by RationalFXWinner: Darra Singh, Chairman of the Riots Community & Victims Panel, Department for Communities and Local Government
GG2 Lifetime Achievement Awards, Sponsored by Asian Media & Marketing GroupWinner: Gulshan Grover
GG2 Hammer Award, Sponsored by Asian Media & Marketing GroupWinner: Lord Navnit Dholakia, Liberal Democrat Party
