Before AIO
Glasgow is one the most important cities of Scotland, especially, in terms of business, population and politics. Two thirds of the people in Scotland live in Glasgow or in the vicinity of Glasgow. People of Indian origin are the second largest minority ethnic population after Pakistani community in Scotland.
The office of the Indian Assistant High Commission in Glasgow had been serving the Indian community over several decades. Suddenly in 1984 the government of India decided to close the Indian Assistant High Commission’s office in Glasgow. As a result, the people of Indian community were facing great difficulties, especially, concerning their visa and passport issues.
The Indian government had been lobbied repeatedly through various channels to reopen its Glasgow office, but these efforts did not prove successful. During mid-1994, mainly the leaders of the Indian organisations from Glasgow and Edinburgh had a meeting to form an umbrella body to work together from a collective platform to tackle the problems of visa/passport, racism, and other issues related to Indian diaspora in Scotland.
Formation of AIO
After a long and comprehensive discussion on various issues concerning urgent needs and problems of the Indian community in Scotland, a working group was formed to frame a constitution.
The constitution was ready towards the end of 1994 and it was decided to form the Scottish Confederation of Indian Organisations, with its head office in Glasgow.
Some leaders from Edinburgh, like late Mr. Joshi, strongly preferred Edinburgh as its head office, because of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
A large majority of the leaders of Glasgow organisations were in favour of Glasgow as its head office.
As there was no consensus of opinion on the preferred location of the head office, so decision was taken to form two separate Associations-
Association of Indian Organisations (AIO), Glasgow and Association of Indian Organisations (AIO), Edinburgh.
The first general election of the Association of Indian Organisations (AIO), Glasgow, was held in March 1995.
The following office bearers were elected unanimously:
- Mr. Balraj Krishan Marwaha (President)
- Mr. Gurdev Singh Virhia (Vice President)
- Mr. Seva Singh Kohli (General Secretary)
- Dr. Serjender Singh (Assistant Secretary)
- Mr. Charan Dass Bains (Treasurer)
- Mr. A. P. Kaushal & Mr. Joga Singh (Auditors)
This was the first time that a collective body called the Association of Indian Organisations (AIO), Glasgow, consisting 26 Indian Organisations started working from a collective platform in Glasgow.
It decided to deal with racism, discrimination, police harassment against black and ethnic minority people, Health, Housing etc.
The AIO lobbied again to the High Commissioner of India, London, to reopen the office of Indian Assistant High Commission in Glasgow.
AIO also approached the members of Parliament in India, especially, Mr. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the then General Secretary of the Marxist Party of India, to speak to the Prime Minister to open the Assistant High Commissioner’s Office in Glasgow.
Eventually the then Indian High Commissioner, London, Dr. L. M. Singhvi agreed that in order to assess the actual demand, periodical visa/passports surgeries would be held and if the workload justified a regular office of the same would be opened in Glasgow.
This resulted in regular visa/passport surgeries in the Hindu Mandir Glasgow and later on shifted to a neutral venue, Mel -Milap Elderly Centre in Berkley Street, Glasgow.
The visa/passport officers were coming from London to hold the visa/passport surgeries in Glasgow and AIO members were assisting them by guiding the people like putting people in a queue, issuing them visa/passport application forms, helping them in filling their application forms etc.
The experiment of holding Visa/passport surgeries came to a successful conclusion in 1995.
The First Indian Consulate Office
The first Indian Consulate Office was opened towards the end of 1995. Mr. P. L. Goyal was the first Consul General of India, who started his posting in Glasgow, Scotland and his first office was situated at 141 West Nile Street, St. Andrew House, Glasgow G1 2RH.
Apart from addressing issues like passports/visas etc., the Indian Independence Day and the Republic Day celebrations were held for the years 1995-96 and 1996-97.
These celebrations were held under the leadership of Mr. Balraj Marwaha in the Halls of Jordanhill College of Education very successfully.
AIO Official Launch
AIO was officially launched on Friday 7th June 1996 in the City Chambers, George Square , Glasgow G2 1DU, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. L M Singhvi, High Commissioner of India and Consul General of India Mr P L Goyal.
Further Developments
In March 1997, Mr. Amrit Paul Kaushal was unanimously elected the president of AIO and Mr. O P Khanna was elected as an auditor.
The rest of the committee members were the same as the previous year.
1997-1998 was a very demanding year because of the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence on 15 August 1997. After having a meeting with the Edinburgh Jubilee Committee, it was decided to publish a combined brochure for the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence and share the cost.
A few sub-committees were formed to distribute the load of work. Finance sub-committee was given the task of applying to the Glasgow City Council for funding to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence and approach businesses and individuals for sponsorships for the brochure.
Another sub-committee was formed to prepare the Golden Jubilee brochure in conjunction with the Edinburgh Golden Jubilee Committee.
A recreation sub-committee was formed to prepare and coordinate the entertainment programme for the Golden Jubilee evening. Mr. Kaushal was entrusted the task of advising and coordinating with all the sub-committees.
All members, including the office bearers, were asked to sell tickets for the Golden Jubilee evening.
The Consul General of India, Mr. P L Goyal, worked hard and soon became popular among the members of the Indian community.
He managed to establish good working relationship with the Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee City Councils.
Since the head office of the Scottish Parliament was situated in Edinburgh, so the Consul General P L Goyal in consultation with the London High Commissioner Dr. L M Singhvi moved his office from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
AIO Achievements
1. Opening of the office of Consul General of India
The biggest achievement of AIO was the opening of the office of Consul General of India in Glasgow, which later on moved to Edinburgh. It became much more convenient for people of Indian origin in Scotland to get their visas and passports.
2. Fundraising for Indian natural disasters relief
In the nineties there were a lot of natural calamities in India – Orrisa hurricane, Bihar famine, Gujrat earth- quake etc. The members of AIO raised £30,000 for Orrisa, £20,000 for Bihar and £16,000 for Gujrat to support the victims of hurricane, famine and earthquake respectively.
3. AIO Concert
The then Lord Provost of City of Glasgow, Liz Cameron, decided to build an orphanage in Sri Lanka for children, whose parents died in the tsunami. AIO staged a concert in the S.E.C.C to raise funds for the orphanage in Sri Lanka.
Luckily Bollywood stars -Jaya Prada, Jaya Bachchan and M.P. (India) Amar Singh, who were visiting Glasgow, agreed to participate as speakers in the concert. The Concert Hall was fully packed with people. AIO raised net £20,000 and donated it to the Lord Provost Liz Cameron. AIO also raised £16,000 and donated it to the GURU NANAK TRUST GLASGOW to spend on the Pingalwara in Punjab, India.
4. AIO Charity Status
It was decided to register AIO for the charitable status.
5. Lottery Funding
AIO successfully applied for £10,000 funding from the National Lottery. This money was used mainly on the office equipment and rent etc.
6. Indian Independence Day Celebrations
The AIO celebrated the Independence Day of India every year in a public hall in which apart from the Consul General of India, members of parliament, local councillors, Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow and the leaders of various Indian organisations etc. were invited as special guests. The Republic Day of India was celebrated over a few years, but due to lack of funds it was decided to join the Consul General’s celebration of the Republic Day in Edinburgh.
7. Victim Support
Incidences of racism, discrimination, police harassment, housing etc. were reported to the AIO and the latter (AIO) approached the respective departments and asked them to address them to the satisfaction of the victims.
8. Protest Rally
A public protest rally was organized at the George Square Glasgow to condemn the terrorist attack in Bombay (Mumbai). Consul General of India Mr. Ramesh Chander, Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow, the members of Parliament, Local Councillors, and many community leaders were present in the rally and they unanimously condemned the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
9. Health Research
A piece of research was undertaken on health-related issues like diabetes, blood pressure, over- weight, cholesterol etc. within the Indian community in Glasgow. The Indian doctors voluntarily went to the Hindu/Sikh temples and checked the Indian people for their diabetes, over –weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. This data was collected, collated and analysed in terms of age, gender, sex, disability and graphs were drawn.
A booklet was published. Nicola Sturgeon, the then Health Minister for the Scottish Parliament kindly came to the Glasgow City Chambers to launch this booklet. Many members contributed towards this very useful piece of research. AIO wishes to thank all those, who tirelessly worked for this project and made it a success.
10. Monthly Executive Committee Meetings
Monthly executive committee meetings were held to discuss the business of AIO in the Mel-Milap Elderly Centre, Berkley Street Glasgow. Currently the meetings have moved to a new premise and held at the Mel Milaap Elderly Care Centre, 5 Caledonian Place, Glasgow G12 8HQ.
11. Sought Funding Equality
The Glasgow City Council awarded £10,000 pounds to the Indian Community and £30,000 to the Pakistani Community respectively to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Independence of their native countries. The members of AIO were not happy with the Glasgow City Council for dealing unfairly with the Indian community and awarding them less money to celebrate Golden Jubilee of Independence of their native country India. It was seen as an open discrimination against the Indian community. Mr. Kohli, the then General Secretary of AIO was asked to write to the Glasgow City Council for showing discriminatory decision against Indian community. Eventually the latter (the Glasgow City council) came up with £30,000 for the Indian community as well to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence.
The Golden Jubilee evening turned out to be a great success. The Rt. Hon. the Lord Provost of City of Glasgow, Pat Lally, His Excellency the High Commissioner of India, Dr. L M Singhvi, Consul General of India, Mr P L Goyal, the General Secretary of the communist Party, India, comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet , Cllr. Bob Chadha and Mr. A P Kaushal President AIO were the speakers for the evening. The messages of good wishes were received from the Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, London and St Andrew’s House Edinburgh. The Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence was celebrated in the Glasgow Concert Hall and was attended by over 2000 members of the audience. Everyone highly appreciated and enjoyed the evening.
A few days after the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence by the AIO, Glasgow, the Edinburgh Association of Indian Organisations celebrated it in Edinburgh which was attended by Prime Minister of India Mr. Inder Gujral as a chief guest. A small delegation of the members of the AIO, Glasgow, headed by the president Mr. A P Kaushal went to Edinburgh and met the then Prime Minister Mr. Inder Gujral and raised a question of Dual Nationality for the people of Indian Origin living abroad. Prime Minister Gujral said that the issue of Dual Nationality was then full of complications. He further added that in 1947 during Indian partition time those people who left India for Pakistan or Bangladesh could claim Indian Dual Nationality as well. He reiterated that the Government of India was trying to find a way out. Soon after PIO followed by OCI were introduced by the government of India to give all the facilities of Dual Nationality to people of Indian Origin living abroad. So AIO has played a significant role as pressure group to persuade the Government of India to introduce OCI for the people of Indian origin.
12. 60th & 70th Anniversary Celebrations
The sixtieth and seventieth anniversaries of India’s Independence were celebrated in the Glasgow Celtic Stadium Glasgow and Glasgow Royal Concert Halls respectively very successfully. In the 60th and 70th anniversary of Indian Independence Day celebration venues were full to their capacities.
The then Consul General of India, the then Lord Provosts, M.Ps. MSPs, councillors and many community leaders were invited. Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister attended the Sixtieth Anniversary of Indian Independence as a chief guest.
For the Seventieth anniversary of Indian Independence celebrations, the artists were invited from Kolkata and Delhi, India, who mesmerised the audience with their skills. Support was given by the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh, and in particular the then Consul General, Mrs Anju Ranjan. Major fundraising initiative was led by Sohan Singh Randhawa, who put tremendous effort to make this event a grand success. Glasgow Life/Glasgow Arts also gave their support towards its successful delivery and in particular Harminder Berman provided major support towards the delivery of the cultural show.
13. Volunteer Awards
AIO decided to give Awards to those Individual volunteers, who did a lot of service to the Indian community over the years. It was recognition of their volunteering in community work. The names of the award-winning volunteers were nominated to the AIO by the members of the Indian community.
14. Commonwealth Games 2014
AIO organised a special reception for the athletes, who came to Glasgow to participate at the Commonwealth Games 2014. The whole city was in the mood of celebration and local dignitaries as well as Indian Officials, including the complete Indian Olympic Committee members, attended a dinner reception at the River Palace, where more than 350 guests were present.
This event consisted of a short entertainment, reception of the Indian team and reception dinner. The event was memorable during the magical experience of Commonwealth Games 2014.
15. Mahatma Gandhi Statue
In 2016 the AIO decided to request the installation of a statue/ bust of Mahatma Gandhi at a public place in Glasgow. AIO asked the then Consul General of India in Edinburgh, Mr. Oscar Kerketta to write to the Government of India to donate a statue/bust of Mahatma Gandhi to the AIO, Glasgow, to install it in the city of Glasgow. After about four years of hard work, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi has now been donated to the AIO through the Consul General of India’s office in Edinburgh. AIO requested the Parks Department for a site in Glasgow and the Glasgow City council for funding to cover the cost of Installation of the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Glasgow. The Parks department offered AIO a site at the Kelvin Grove Park, Glasgow, but the Glasgow City Council’s reply is still awaited.
The President of AIO Mr. A P Kaushal and the General Secretary Mridula Chakraborty, had a meeting with the then Lord Provost of City of Glasgow, Eva Bollander, last year (2019) and the meeting went very well. After a sudden departure of the Lord Provost, this issue was on hold. The AIO have written letters both to the new Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow and the Glasgow City Council, but no reply so far is received. Senior Vice President, Sohan Singh Randhawa, has also been discussing this matter with the parks department and senior officials of the Glasgow City Council. There are unexpected delays due to Coronavirus lockdown. Now AIO will have to wait till after the Lockdown when it would contact the City Council/Lord Provost again.
16. 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
AIO celebrated the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the Woodside hall Glasgow on 5 October 2019. Apart from the recitation of the Holly Shabads and speeches on the life of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, an exhibition on the life of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was also displayed in the hall. Snacks and tea/coffee were served by the Bombay Blues Restaurant though they were subsidised by the High Commission’s office. Her Excellency High Commissioner of India, Mrs. Ruchi Ghanshyam and the Consul General of India, Edinburgh, Mrs. Anju Ranjan, were in attendance. More than three hundred members from different sections of the Glasgow community and the community leaders got together in the Woodside Hall to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in a memorable way.
It was the first time that a celebration of Shri Guru Nanak Dev was held in a public hall in Glasgow. This event was financially supported by the Indian High Commissioner’s office, London. Senior Vice President, Sohan Singh Randhawa, put enormous effort in making this event a grand success. Also, he was instrumental to bring together the community in a cohesive manner.
17. Sikh Awareness Event
A Sikh Awareness evening was organised by AIO on 2 November 2019 in the Otago ST. Gurudwara Hall. This evening program was presented and demonstrated by Mr. Mohan Singh, president of the Sikh Awareness Society in England. The event was very well attended and informative.
Thanks to Mr. Hardial Bhari, who helped AIO to facilitate this awareness raising event in Glasgow.
18. Provisions for Students during Covid Crisis
In the present Lockdown situation AIO is helping the Indian students in Glasgow and Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland by providing cooked meals, groceries and basic provisions. Additionally, they are helping with rent and in some cases their airfares back to India. Due to the Lockdown many Indian students, who were holding part-time employment to supplement their expenses, were/are now financially in trouble, because part-time jobs are not available due to lockdown. Now AIO started a fund- raising initiative to help students, so that they are provided with food, provisions, accommodation rent and assistance with repatriation. AIO has joined with the Hindu Mandir Glasgow, United Scotland Malayalee Association (USMA) and Glasgow Indians to supply food to the Indian students, Homeless, NHS staff, Police staff and the Ambulance staff.
19. Repatriation of Indian Students
The Consul General of India, Edinburgh, Mr. Hitesh Rajpal, has asked the General Secretary of AIO, Mridula Chakraborty, to coordinate with the Air India Office in London to assist in the repatriation of the Indian students to travel back to India. AIO have assisted with the payment of students’ train fare from Glasgow to London, overnight hotel accommodation and in very special cases subsidised their fare to India as well. The AIO and USMA have facilitated a travel back to India for several students to different cities in India.
20. Indian Diaspora Day
First Indian Diaspora Day was celebrated in Glasgow on behalf of the Consul General of India, Mrs. Anju Ranjan, at the Lorne Hotel, Glasgow. This event was extremely successful and well supported with attendance exceeding 250 guests from wider Indian community. Senior Vice President, Sohan Singh Randhawa, very successfully co-ordinated the event.
21. International Day of Yoga
International Day of Yoga has become a regular event for AIO. In 2024 the 10th International Day of Yoga was celebrated on the 24th of June. Information about these events can be browsed on the dedicated web page. The 6th International Day of Yoga was held at the Hindu Mandir Glasgow with support from the Mandir Executive Committee and the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh as well as Consul General Mr. Hitesh Rajpal and Consul Mrs. Luisa Lakra. This event was held with a very small number of attendees this year due to COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions. It was broadcast live on the Hindu Mandir Facebook page and was well covered by the news channel PTC News and the newspaper PUNJ DARYA by Shri Mandeep Khurmi. The event was very much appreciated.
Miscellaneous activities
International Yoga Day celebration
International Yoga Day celebration in partnership with Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust at the Emirates Arena, attended by over 500 people.
National Language Hindi Divas day
National Language Hindi Divas day on behalf of the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh, at the Hindu Mandir, Glasgow.
Hindi Poetry Divas
Hindi Poetry Divas celebrated at the Hindu Mandir, Glasgow, on behalf of the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh. This event was very well attended and was graced by Indian politician and the former Governor of West Bengal, Shri Kesari Nath Tripathi. This event was enjoyed by all those with a literary bend and love for Hindi language.
Public Police Meeting
Open public meeting with Chief Detective of Police Scotland was held at the Mel Milaap Elderly Care Centre to discuss the issues related to Asian house break-ins and gold burglary in their households.
Glasgow Vault Deal
Arranged special deals for AIO members for the use of Glasgow Vault to deposit their valuables.
Funeral Directors Deal
Special deals arranged with funeral directors for AIO members.
Issues to be addressed after Lockdown is lifted
- Installation of Mahatma Gandhi statue/bust.
- A Business Forum meeting to be organised in Glasgow on behalf of High Commissioner of India, London.
- An official invitation to the Consul General of India Mr. Hitesh Rajpal to Glasgow to meet the people of Indian origin and address issues raised by them like visa/passport OCI and other topical aspects.
- Celebration of Indian Independence Day.