A long queue meandered outside 10 Downing Street on Monday 13 October evening, as the Indian diaspora, in best of glittering ethnic wears awaited to enter the premises for the annual Diwali reception hosted by the Prime Minister.
In absence of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was in Egypt for the Gaza Summit, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE hosted the evening, lit the diyas and addressed the guests.
Seema Malhotra MP, Minister for Equalities and Minister at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office kickstarted the formal part of the evening welcoming all.
Rt Hon Dougals Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Scotland of the United Kingdom who accompanied PM Starmer on his trip to India, spoke about the historic visit with a trade delegation of 127 people and the monumental bond between the UK and India.
The gathering and celebration
As people walked towards the historical No10 door, it opened to the corridor ahead that lay beautifully decorated with yellow, orange and red marigold, candles, diyas and rangolis on the plush carpet. The staircase leading up to the reception was also decorated with gorgeous flowers and candles as staff stood in every corner welcomed guests with a big smile and Happy Diwali greetings.
In the reception hall, guests were welcome by a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, including mocktails, juices and lassis. Madhu’s staff went around with vegetarian canapes, as people enjoyed their ‘Bhindi (okra) Jaipuri’ in paper cones and mini ‘Aloo Tikki Burgers’.
Guests included MPs, Peers, councillors, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, community leaders, GLA Assembly Members, members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, temples and community organisations etc. Lord Krish Raval, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Seema Malhotra MP, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Minister for Faith and Communities, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Uma Kumaran MP, Navendu Mishra MP, Krupesh Hirani AM, ex Labour MP Virendra Sharma, His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK, H.E. Nimisha Madhvani, High Commissioner of Uganda to the UK, Uday Nagaraju, India Engagement - Labour Party, South Asian Heritage Month co-founder Jasvir Singh CBE, Chefs Chetna Makan and Nisha Parmar, Business Consultant Prashant Kunwar, Hanuman Dass of Go Dharmic, Dr Neeraj Patil of Hindus for Labour, Visakha Dasi of Bhaktivedanta Manor, Trupti Patel of Hindu Forum of Britain, members of the Chinmaya Mission, Chinmaya Swaranjali and Mayank Shah, Trustee and Kirit Wadia, Interfaith relations from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London were also present.
Welcoming guests and prayers
Seema Malhotra, welcoming over 100 guests gathered for the Diwali reception at No10 said, “It is such a joy and privilege to be here at Number 10 Downing Street to celebrate Diwali- the Festival of Lights, and be surrounded by so many familiar faces and new friends. I'm Seema Malhotra, Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston, and as someone of Hindu faith and Indian heritage, I'm proud to be Member of Parliament in one of our most diverse constituencies in Britain, and indeed, to be the Minister for Equalities and Minister at the Foreign Office.
“Tonight hold a very special meaning. For us Diwali reminds us of the timeless triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair. But it is also a moment to reflect on the values that we share, of compassion, of community and the belief that by coming together, we can build a fairer and brighter future forward. These are the values at the heart of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and they are also deeply rooted in this government's values. The bonds between Britain and India are woven through families like ours, through shared traditions and enterprise.
He further added, “We saw those bonds renewed and strengthened in a recent visit by our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer to India, the visit that also reaffirmed how vital our ‘Living Bridge’ - the Indian diaspora is to the friendship between our two nations. So, as we light diyas tonight, let us celebrate not only our heritage and faith, but also a shared future of opportunity, understanding and peace.”
Following her welcome speech, prayers were recited by Her Grace Visakha Dasi, Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor in Sanskrit with English translations and a modern interpretation of Diwali message and prayers from Shri Mahant Swami Maharaj by Kirit Wadia, Interfaith relations, representing BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London. While Rt Hon Steve Reed lit diyas to mark the occasion of Diwali, he was garlanded by Avanti School children.
Chinmaya Swaranjali (music based spiritual wing of the Chinmaya Mission), presented a musical rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa which was joined by an enthusiastic audience.
“There is even more that we can do together in the future”
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, addressing the gathering reminisced about his recent trip to India with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the trade delegation – the largest so far. He said, “We travelled with 127 business leaders, cultural leaders, university vice chancellors, an extraordinary galaxy of British talent, and engaged directly with the Premier League's extraordinary work that they are doing across India. Bollywood, although, alas, I was in meetings, while the Prime Minister was enjoying and a very strong and important bilateral contact with the Indian government.
“The first point I would want to mention would be it is a huge tribute to the Prime Minister of the strength of personal relationship that has been built with Prime Minister Modi. It was great for me to observe both informal meetings and in formal settings, the strength of that personal relationship.
“Secondly, it was an important economic endeavour, both not just to celebrate the trade deal that was agreed at the end of July, but to focus on the implementation and utilisation of that trade deal. Trade deals are great to secure, but they must never lie on the shelf. They must be living and breathing entities, and that was the work that we were carrying forward with a range of British companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Rolls Royce, extraordinary, large and small British businesses, determined to seize the opportunities of that relationship.
“Thirdly, it was very striking the sense that India is a 21st century superpower in the making. It is already the most populous country on Earth. It's the fourth largest economy in the world. But we travelled to Mumbai. Delhi, of course, has a lot of history, but Mumbai has an extraordinary future. And it was a focus role, it was a focused visit, relentlessly focused on the future of that relationship and all that we can do.
“And the final point I would want to give you a sense of is just the senses. We travel back to the United Kingdom, was that, unlike some visits that you're obliged to do in government, this felt generationally significant. If you think of that ‘Living Bridge’, those 1.8 million British citizens of Indian heritage, you think about the extraordinary potential for that partnership from the future, and what it can do for both India and the United Kingdom, and also what together we can do for the world. It was one of those visits that will live long in my consciousness, not simply because of the warmth and strength of the relationship that it revealed and the relationship is in genuinely good shape, but because it was pregnant with possibilities for the future.
“And if I want to leave you with one thought, it is, however strong the relationship is that the Prime Minister and the government has established with the Government of India, however strong the relationship from people to people - that ‘Living Bridge’ that Seema spoke so eloquently of, I genuinely believe there is even more that we can do together in the future, and that sense that's our responsibility of government. But it's not limited to government. It's a task for every one of us in this room…”
“A Britain for all, where every community is respected and
difference is celebrated…”
Addressing the guests, Communities Secretary Rt Hon Steve Reed, who stepped in the shoes of PM Starmer, in his absence as the host, said, “Namaskar. It is truly an honour for me to be here this evening to represent Prime Minister Starmer, and of course, to light a diya. Just a few days ago, the Prime Minister did a special event in Mumbai, held in the lead up to Diwali, to celebrate the shared history, common values and deep cultural bonds that unite our two nations. As you're no doubt aware Sir Keir Starmer, our Prime Minister, is in Egypt on this historic day, attending the international summit where a peace plan at last for Gaza has been signed. I believe the message of Diwali, light overcoming darkness, of hope, of unity, resonates all the more deeply with so many of us at this particular moment in our planet's history.
“Just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister shared his vision for the future of our country at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, and at its heart was a call for national renewal, for a Britain built for all of us, underpinned by the values of decency and patriotism, because that's how we bring the country together and build a Britain for all, where every community is respected and difference is celebrated under our one national flag.
“The Prime Minister also talked about service, about people who give up their time, just like those who volunteer in temples, serve Langar in the Gurdwaras, or put together food parcels for those in need of something to eat. I know that spirit of service runs deep in so many of your families, and we see that same commitment to others in every walk of life, whether it's serving in our Armed Forces, leading in business, driving innovation in technology and AI, working hard at school or caring for others in our National Health Service.
“So, let me just say a huge thank you as the Communities Secretary for your incredible contribution and for the light you bring to communities up and down the United Kingdom, to British Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, who are, of course, also celebrating Bandi Chor Divas. Thank you for all that you do for our communities and all that you do for our country. On behalf of the Prime Minister, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Diwali and a joyful Bandi Chor Divas.”
