British Sikh man with roots in Phillaur receives OBE award

Capt Jay Singh Sohal (42) — who has roots in Sang Dhesian village of Phillaur — has received the prestigious Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. The honour was conferred on him by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, at St James’s Palace. An Army reservist, the British national received the award for his services to the commemoration of Commonwealth soldiers who served the Great Britain, particularly for founding the UK’s first memorial to Sikh soldiers who served during World War I.

A turbaned man, Captain Sohal was born in Birmingham. His paternal grandparents had left India over five decades ago. His maternal grandparents hail from Kapurthala.