Queen's honours for Kanti Nagda MBE

Wednesday 29th January 2020 08:07 EST
 

An honour for the great charity worker, Kanti Nagda - The social work legend, and newest Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), has helped thousands.

“Honour is not just recognition of the work, but more responsibility too,” So said Mr. Rohit Vadhwan, the First Secretary at the High Commission of India in the UK. at a feast this weekend.

 “You have to reconcile with ourselves,” he said, “and provide the tools and leadership for the coming generation”.

Supported by Mr. Bob Blackman, Member of Parliament for Harrow East, who praised the through work Kanti does. “ When I get a referral from Kanti I know it has gone through the test and I do whatever is in my power to sort things out for my constituents”.

 “Kanti is a legend and a “hero of the community” for his work for the community and charities,” said Cllr. Anjana Patel who has know Kanti and his work for past many years.

 Speakers after speakers, all community leaders, took a trip back to Kanti’s work and their experience in helping either themselves or the clients they had sent to Kanti.

 A citation read aloud by Mr Rohit Wadhvan noted Kanti’s “extraordinary determination and his ability to build Sangat Centre, many charities and successful projects for the benefit of the community coupled with raising a lot of money for the charites” Kanti has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

 The sitation was presented by Mr. Wadhwan, Krishna Pujara and Jitubhai Patel on behalf of the community leaders present at the feast.

 Dipak Shah congratulated Kanti for “putting Sangat on the map” and told the gathering how Kanti’s total dedication brought about Sangat.

 Krishna Pujara herself a womens’ campaign, welcomed guests. “You are all here to celebrate the achievements of one of our hero, Kanti Nagda,” she said, “thank you all, the community leaders present tonight and standing with Kanti.”

 Mr Ravi Sharma, a well-known Radio presenter was the master of ceremony for the evening frequently cracking jokes.

 Throughout the proceedings, Kanti didn’t speak, but he frequently nodded his approval. He smiled a lot.

 Responding to all the praises Kanti said, “I was not alone in the work done and the results achieved to date, but it was a team effort. The currents against us were very strong. But I believed with dedication we could reach our destination”.

 He thanked Mr C B Patel who had performed the “bhumi pujan”, foundation stone laying ceremony of the Sangat Centre going back to November 2001.

 C B Patel, delivered the vote of thanks.

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Citation in honour of Kanti Nagda

Kanti Nagda has been honoured with Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year 2020 Honours List. A remarkable man, born in India, Kanti grew up in Kampala, Uganda. He was educated in Uganda and the UK and holds professional Social Worker’s degree.

Before he was forced out from Uganda by Idi Amin he was a teacher in City High School, where during his schooling days he was a head-boy for three years, captain of school cricket team and head of school’s Gujarati debating society.

Kanti is married to Bhanu and they have two sons, Dipen and Rupen and has three grandchildren.

Thrown out by Idi Amin from Uganda in 1972 with nothing but his clothes and £50.00 in his pocket Kanti vowed to ease the suffering of his fellow refugees in an alien and unfamiliar land. With youth on his side, he immediately started a Drop-in Centre in North Harrow where elderly Ugandan Asians with nowhere to go could socialise out of the cold.

He formalised the drop in Centre by founding the Anglo Indian Circle Charity and the Centre flourished for many years.

He spent all his spare time working for charities assisting people and eventually got a job at Harrow Council as a social worker in 1982.The Council recognised his unique initiatives on refugee and minority problems and seconded him on various projects to help new immigrants settling in Harrow.

Meals on Wheels serving 100 vegetarians a day was soon started by him, in spite of a challenge by the then Leader of the Harrow Council, as was a homeless hostel in Harrow Weald. He was also one of the founders of the Harrow Race Relations Council.

Kanti challenged Harrow Council when they were checking the passports of children. “When the children wanted to get admission in the schools, the council was checking their passports. Now the rule of the nation is that if you are under 16, you should be educated free. It does not matter where you come from. For these people to check passports was not on. We challenged them and in the end, they backed down. It was a struggle fighting and challenging lace curtain discrimination.”

In 1982, the Charity through his efforts had purchased a building for £45,000 where regular activities for over 100 elderly took place, including a Day Care Centre for the disabled which was later named as Sangat Centre.

He retired from the Council in 1994 to focus on his beloved charity.

Sangat soon started specialising in free Legal Advice on issues of Welfare, Housing, Immigration, Race Relations and Matrimonial.

A new larger building was desperately needed and in 2001 and 2002 Kanti worked tirelessly to raise £700k for the building half of which came from the Millennium Commission. It was opened by Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex.

In addition to his other considerable charitable activities, Kanti served as the Secretary General of Confederation of Indian Organisations (UK) from 1974 to 1996, Treasurer of Harrow Community Relations Council, President of National Congress of Gujarati Organisation (UK), Chair of Harrow Refugee Forum, Chair of North West London Community Foundation, President of Greenford Lions Club, Trustee of Karma Yoga Foundation and continues to run the Sangat Centre and sits on a number of other charities.

In 1982, Kanti was one of the few Asians who got a place in Debrett’s Handbook of distinguished people in British life and Marquis Who’s Who in the World in 1984.

Kanti’s journey started 46 years ago to help Ugandan Refugees fleeing from Africa has truly resulted in being recognised by the British Government and has been awarded an MBE.

This Citation presented by Krishna Pujara and Jitubhai Patel on behalf of servaral community organisations in the presence of eminent dignitaries at a gala reception on 18th January, 2020


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