List of British Sikhs
This is a list of notable Sikhs from the United Kingdom.
Academia and education
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- Harjinder Singh Dilgeer – National Professor of Sikh History. Director of SGPC Sikh History Research Board and author of 60 books on Sikhism, presently Director of Guru Nanak Research Institute, Birmingham & thesikhs.org website.
- Harminder Dua – Discovered a previously unknown layer lurking in the human eye named the "dua's layer".[1]
- Jagbir Jhutti Johal – Professor of religion, author and media commentator
- Jagjit Chadha – Professor and Chair in Money and Banking in the Department of Economics at the University of Kent
- Kalwant Bhopal – Professor of Education and Social Justice and Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in Race & Education at the University of Birmingham
- Opinderjit Takhar – Researcher within Sikh Studies and Director of the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University of Wolverhampton.
- Simon Singh – Mathematician and author
- Sukhpal Singh Gill – Indian born UK academic and Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Queen Mary University of London, UK.[2]
- Sukhbir Singh Kapoor – Vice Chancellor of The International School of Sikh Studies and Khalsa College London
- Tejinder Virdee – Experimental particle physicist and Professor of Physics at Imperial College London
- Yadvinder Malhi – Professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford and a Jackson Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford.
Business and the professions
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Jaz_Rai_Chairman_of_the_Sikh_Recovery_Network_speaking_in_the_UK_Parliament.jpg/220px-Jaz_Rai_Chairman_of_the_Sikh_Recovery_Network_speaking_in_the_UK_Parliament.jpg)
- Tony Lit – Managing Director of Sunrise Radio
- Dabinderjit Singh – Director at the National Audit Office
- Harpal Kumar – Chief executive of Cancer Research UK
- Jasminder Singh – Chairman of the Radisson Edwardian hotel empire.[3]
- Jaz Rai – Aerospace engineer and chairman of the Sikh Recovery Network
- Kamel Hothi – Former banker at Lloyds Bank
- Karamjit Singh – Chair of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Kulveer Ranger – Management Consultant. Former London Transport Minister and Mayor's Director of Environment and Digital London
- Manjeet Singh Riyat – Emergency Care Consultant at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
- Param Singh – Technology and business professional
- Ranjit Singh Boparan – Founder and owner of 2 Sisters Food Group
- Reena Ranger – Director at Sun Mark and founder of Women Empowered Network
- Reuben Singh – CEO of contact centre company alldayPA
- Simon Arora – Billionaire businessman, CEO of the retail chain B & M.
- Surinder Arora – Hotelier
- Tom Singh – Founder of the high street fashion chain New Look.[3]
Charity, community and non-profit
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Bhai_Sahib_Bhai_Mohinder_Singh_Ahluwalia_speaking_at_the_Midlands_launch_of_the_British_Sikh_Report_2018.jpg/220px-Bhai_Sahib_Bhai_Mohinder_Singh_Ahluwalia_speaking_at_the_Midlands_launch_of_the_British_Sikh_Report_2018.jpg)
- Amandeep Madra – Founder and chairman of the UK Punjab Heritage Association
- Balwant Kaur – Founder and chairperson of Mata Nanki Foundation
- Daljit Singh Shergill – President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick
- Imandeep Kaur – Director of Impact Hub: Birmingham
- Jagraj Singh - Founder of Basics of Sikhi
- Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia – Chairman of the Nishkam Group
- Nidar Singh Nihang – Scholar and Grandmaster of Shastar Vidya
- Ravi Singh – CEO Khalsa Aid
Film, drama and entertainment
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- Ameet Chana – Actor
- Amrit Maghera – Professional model turned actress
- Chandeep Uppal – Critically acclaimed starring role as Meena Kumar in the film Anita and Me.
- Gurinder Chadha – Film director
- Harnaam Kaur – Model, anti-bullying activist, body positive activist
- Kulvinder Ghir – Actor, comedian and writer
- Jassa Ahluwalia – Actor and presenter
- Lena Kaur – Best known for her role as Leila Roy in Channel 4's Hollyoaks
- Mandip Gill – Actress
- Mandy Takhar – Actress
- Neelam Gill – Model, known for her work with Burberry, Abercrombie & Fitch and appearing in Vogue.
- Paul Chowdhry – Comedian and actor
- Parminder Nagra – Actress born in Leicester
- Perry Bhandal – Film director, screenwriter
- Simon Rivers – English actor who played the role of Kevin Tyler in Doctors
- Stephen Uppal – Known for playing Ravi Roy in the long-running British soap Hollyoaks
- Vikkstar123 – English YouTuber, Internet personality, DJ and music producer.
Law and justice
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Jo_Sidhu_QC_speaking_at_an_event_in_parliament.jpg/220px-Jo_Sidhu_QC_speaking_at_an_event_in_parliament.jpg)
- Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan – Lawyer and Femina Miss India winner 1978
- Anup Singh Choudry – Retired High Court Judge
- Jasvir Singh CBE – Family Law Barrister, co-founder of South Asian Heritage Month, interfaith activist and main Sikh contributor to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day
- Jo Sidhu – Criminal Law Barrister
- Mota Singh – Retired Circuit judge England
- Lord Justice Singh - Rabinder Singh – First Sikh Judge of the UK High court Court of Appeal judge, formerly a High Court judge of the Queen's Bench Division
Journalism, writers and media
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Peter_Bance_-_largest_private_collector_of_Maharaja_Duleep_Singh_artefacts_with_Param_Singh_the_Deputy_Chairman_of_City_Sikhs_at_Number_10_Downing_Street.jpg/220px-Peter_Bance_-_largest_private_collector_of_Maharaja_Duleep_Singh_artefacts_with_Param_Singh_the_Deputy_Chairman_of_City_Sikhs_at_Number_10_Downing_Street.jpg)
- Anita Rani – Radio and television presenter
- Bali Rai – English author of children's and young adult fiction
- Bobby Friction – DJ, television presenter and radio presenter
- Daljit Nagra – Poet
- Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti – Writer
- Hardeep Singh Kohli – Radio and television presenter
- Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841–1913) – Senior administrator of the British Raj who was posted in the Punjab; prolific scholar and author.
- Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal – Journalist and writer
- Peter Bance – Historian, author and Maharaja Duleep Singh archivist
- Priya Kaur-Jones – Newsreader
- Raman Mundair – Poet, writer, artist and playwright
- Ranvir Singh – English television presenter and journalist
- Sathnam Sanghera – British journalist and author
- Sonia Deol – English radio and television presenter
- Sunny Hundal – Journalist and blogger
- Sunny and Shay – Husband and wife radio presenters
- The Singh Twins – artists Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh
Music
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Hard_kaur_sony_music_album_launch.jpg/220px-Hard_kaur_sony_music_album_launch.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Fanclub1967Animals4.jpg/220px-Fanclub1967Animals4.jpg)
- Aman Hayer – Bhangra producer and singer
- Bally Sagoo – Record producer
- Channi Singh – British-Indian bhangra musician, known as the "godfather" of bhangra in the West.
- Diamond Duggal – Music producer, DJ, songwriter and guitarist
- Dr Zeus – Punjabi singer and music producer
- Gurdeep Samra – Music producer and DJ
- Hard Kaur – Rapper and hip hop singer
- Indy Sagu – Bhangra and hip hop musician
- Jas Mann – Songwriter, musician, singer, record producer and film producer
- Jassi Sidhu – Bhangra singer and the former lead singer of British Indian bhangra band B21
- Jay Sean – R&B Artist
- Juggy D – Bhangra, Punjabi, R&B
- Malkit Singh – Punjabi bhangra singer
- Manj Musik – Music composer, singer
- Manni Sandhu – Music director
- Panjabi MC – Rapper, musician and DJ
- Rishi Rich – Music producer
- Sardara Gill – Punjabi Bhangra singer, lead singer of Apna Sangeet
- Steel Banglez – Record producer
- Silinder Pardesi – Bhangra singer-songwriter, lyricist, and composer
- Surinder Singh Matharu – Founder of the Raj Academy Conservatoire
- Sukshinder Shinda – Bhangra Record producer and singer–songwriter
- Surjit Khan – Record producer, musician and singer-songwriter
- Tarsame Singh Saini – Singer, composer and actor
- Talvin Singh – Producer, composer and tabla player
- Tigerstyle – Folkhop group
- Tjinder Singh – Lead singer of British indie rock band Cornershop
- Tru Skool – Music artist
- Vic Briggs – Former blues and rock musician
Politics
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Neena_Gill.jpg/220px-Neena_Gill.jpg)
- Atma Singh – Policy Advisor to the Mayor of London on Asian Affairs in the Greater London Authority, under Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
- Gurinder Josan – Labour party activist
- Hardyal Dhindsa – Councillor
- Indarjit Singh – Member House of Lords
- Jas Athwal – Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council, Labour Party Politician
- Marsha Singh – British Labour Party politician, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bradford West from 1997 to 2012
- Neena Gill – Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands
- Onkar Sahota – Member of the London Assembly for Ealing and Hillingdon
- Pam Gosal – Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Scotland
- Parmjit Dhanda – British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gloucester from 2001 until the 2010 general election
- Parmjit Singh Gill – Member of Parliament for Leicester South from July 2004 to May 2005, he was the first ethnic-minority Liberal Democrat MP
- Paul Uppal – Former Conservative Member of Parliament and Small business commissioner
- Piara Khabra – Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing Southall from 1992 until his death
- Preet Gill – Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Edgbaston since the 2017 general election. She is the first female British Sikh MP.
- Ranbir Singh Suri, Baron Suri – Member House of Lords
- Sonika Nirwal – Senior Ealing Southall constituency Labour politician representing the Greenford Broadway ward
- Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi – British Labour Party politician. Member of Parliament (MP) for Slough since 2017
- Satvir Kaur – Leader of Southampton City Council, Labour Party Politician
- Chaman Lal - First British Indian Lord Mayor of Europe's largest council, Birmingham City Council.[4][5]
- Ram Parkash Lakha - Former Lord Mayor of Coventry.[6]
- Mohinder Kaur Midha - Former Mayor of the London Borough of Ealing.[7]
- Bishan Dass - Elected as first British Asian Lord Mayor of Wolverhampton in 1986.[8]
Royalty and revolutionaries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Maharaja_Duleep_Singh_in_durbar_on_a_terrace_with_Labh_Singh_and_Tej_Singh_and_an_attendant_Lahore%2C_circa_1850.jpg/220px-Maharaja_Duleep_Singh_in_durbar_on_a_terrace_with_Labh_Singh_and_Tej_Singh_and_an_attendant_Lahore%2C_circa_1850.jpg)
- Maharaja Duleep Singh – Last Maharaja of the Sikh Kingdom, exiled in 1849 during the British Raj and possibly the first permanent Sikh resident in England
Sports
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- Karenjeet Kaur Bains – Powerlifter and gladiator
- Akaash Bhatia – British boxer
- Aman Dosanj – First British Asian footballer to represent England
- Arjan Raikhy – Footballer for Aston Villa
- Brandon Khela – Footballer for Birmingham City F.C
- Danny Batth – Footballer and Captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
- Fauja Singh – British Sikh centenarian marathon runner
- Harpal Singh – Footballer
- Kash Gill – Former kickboxing world champion
- Monty Panesar – England cricketer
- Raj Hundal – English Snooker player
- Ravi Bopara – English cricketer
- Skipping Sikh – British-Indian septuagenarian health and fitness personality
Causes célèbres
- Jagtar Singh Johal – Scottish Sikh man who has been unlawfully detained in India since 2017.
- Lakhvir Kaur Singh – British Sikh woman, known as the "Curry Killer" due to the food to which the poison was added.
See also
References
- ^ "Harminder Dua". The Ophthalmologist. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ "School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), London, UK".
- ^ a b Sikh London museumoflondon.org.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2009
- ^ "Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Hoshiarpur-born Chaman Lal becomes Birmingham's first British-Indian Lord Mayor". The Tribune. PTI. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Jaoul, Nicolas (15 December 2021). "Beyond Diaspora: Ambedkarism, Multiculturalism and Caste in the UK". South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal (27). doi:10.4000/samaj.7489. ISSN 1960-6060. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ "Councillor Mohinder Midha appointed Mayor of Ealing - Southall News". www.visitsouthall.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Rawat, Vidya. "How upper castes in UK tried to defeat me : Bishan Dass Bains, Former Mayor Wolverhampton". Retrieved 29 August 2024.