Ranbir Singh Suri is the second turbaned Sikh to become a Lord in Britain. In his maiden speech, Lord Suri showed gratitude to his supporters and respected friends, Lord Popat and Lord Leigh of Hurley for introducing him to their Lordships, among many others as well.
In 1956, Ranbir Singh Suri had the opportunity of meeting the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and was highly inspired by his mindset and beliefs. It gave him a different perspective of looking at things and how the quest of knowledge is never enough.
He has spent most of his life as a Businessman, starting off as an Importer of Educational Supplied in Kenya to foraying into the fashion accessories trade, recruiting his wife to be the face of that business while he looked on further for trading opportunities.
“We were determined to stand on our own feet and to earn our living without committing to the state for benefits.”
Suri has always been an example of hard-work, patience and perseverance. He has contributed to society and volunteering services and charities for over fifty years, starting in Kenya and went on to continue in the UK.
“Through my selfless and entrepreneurial approach to business, I have always remained actively involved with many charities and provided financial assistance to many social action projects and social initiatives.”
He also spoke about his contributions in the volunteering sector. He visited the young people at Feltham Young Offenders Institution and stated that these young individuals had the potential to be valuable to society with hard work and being productive.
Prior to commencing his voluntary career in Probation and Magistracy, he was a Voluntary Associate at HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs where he mentored a Sikh inmate who was charged with murder. With Suri's weekly mentoring, he managed to convince the inmate to join literacy classes in prison and also reduced his suicidal thoughts. Additionally, during his time as a Voluntary Associate, he observed that “that poor mental health and the lack of mental health care provision hindered people from making the journey to recovery.”
Ranbir Singh Suri has been a great inspiration, not only in business but for social caused as well, encouraging people to get involved to make improvements in society. His journey and story has been commendable and hopefully inspiring enough to bring more turbaned sikhs into the House of Lords.
