Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney launches fund for Punjabi students in UK

PTI

London, June 6

Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney has announced the creation of an education fund with an opening contribution of GBP 100,000 to support students from Punjab enrolled for higher studies at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Sahney, who was conferred the Sikh of the Year award at a ceremony organised by Sikh Forum International in London on Monday said the fund would be coordinated by the World Punjabi Organisation (WPO) in the UK under the chairmanship of the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

“I appeal to the Sikh Forum and World Punjabi Organisation in the UK to set up an education fund to help economically weak students from our Punjab for higher studies at Oxford and Cambridge,” said Sahney, in his acceptance speech as Sikh of the Year 2023.

“I commit my wholehearted support and announce a modest contribution of GBP 100,000 as my contribution. It will be under the chairmanship of the Indian High Commissioner, Sikh Forum’s Ranjit Singh, WPO Ranjit Baxi and other prominent people to help our students,” he said.

The social entrepreneur, who is the International President of WPO, also urged the UK chapter to take the lead in collating all the historic artefacts associated with Punjab at a new “Sikh museum” with the support of the British government.

“We admire the British nation for electing a Prime Minister of Indian origin, and I’m proud of His Excellency Mr Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the UK, because his family comes from Gujranwala, Punjab, where Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also born. I make this humble appeal to the British government… all the Sikh artefacts which are kept scattered at different places, should be brought together in a museum with the help of the British government,” he said.

The event, attended by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, also marked a celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III last month along with an annual celebration of the achievements of the Sikh community.

“The Sikh community has been a defining element of the modern nation and a community that has shaped modern India – modern India has shaped the Sikh community, just as the Sikh community has shaped India,” Doraiswami said.

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