The British Sikh Association (BSA) hosted dinner at the House of Lords to celebrate the 552nd Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The 2021 British Sikh Association Annual Awards Dinner was held at the historic Cholmondeley Room of the House of Lords on Tuesday 30th November to mark the 552nd Birth Anniversary of the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The host for the dinner and Chairman, Lord Rami Ranger CBE, welcomed the distinguished guests. The Chief Guest was The Defence Secretary The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP.

Special guests included Lord Swaraj Paul, Mr Gopichand Hinduja, The Deputy Commander of the Field Army and the Defence Sikh Champion, Major General Cecelia Harvey. Also present – the President of the BSA, Dr Amarjit S. Dassan , Vice-Chair Chairman Mr Hardyal S Luther, Chairman of the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, Dubai Dr Surender Singh Kandhari, Director of The Centre for Sikh and Punjabi Studies, Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhur MBE, Vice-Chancellor Wolverhampton University Prof. Geoff Layer and the Committee Members of the BSA.

Lord Ranger commenced the proceedings and said, “Today, we have gathered to celebrate the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh Faith and to also recognise those Sikhs who have brought honour to the community with their exceptional work. Religion is a philosophy developed to guide us through life; it is there to enlighten us”. He spoke about the life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and how the Guru founded the Sikh faith based upon the unity of humanity and the philosophy that everyone is born equal. Guru Nanak Dev Ji took teachings from all religions into the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, which is based on Interfaith teachings and was the first to advocate gender equality and the famous couplet given by the Guru, “Why consider someone inferior who bears prophets and kings”.