We at Sanatan Dharma Mandal & Hindu Community Centre (SDM & HCC) feel privileged to congratulate CB Bhai and his Team on the 50th Anniversary of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice. What a remarkable achievement!
Under the leadership of CB Bhai, Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice are serving the British Indian community not only in the UK but worldwide and has helped keep our identity and culture alive. They are doing invaluable work by serving our community with a variety of news.
Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, have carved themselves a niche with their campaigning on issues including race equality and diversity, nationality and immigration as well as the cooperation of Gujaratis worldwide.
The work they do is invaluable and They have also campaigned against the closure of the Hare Krishna temple in Watford and played an instrumental role in starting the direct flights to Ahmadabad.
This would not have been possible without the hard work of CB Bhai. CB Bhai is truly a most humble gentleman who has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the last 50 years trying to make a difference in people’s lives of people in the UK and abroad. CB Bhai is an inspiring and remarkable community veteran and an unsung hero who is held in the highest esteem in our Gujarati community and by all those who know him.
We, at Sanatan Mandir in Cardiff, feel privileged and honoured to have known him and have always found him most approachable and supportive at all times.
In the 1990s our Cardiff Temple was not that well known, however, CB bhai visited our temple and met our Gujarati communities residing in Wales.
Since then, he has most kindly been publishing our Temple activities in his sanshtha news column in Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice free of charge. Not only that, but if there is anything happening in Wales, or in our mandir for eg Diwali celebration or any other events, he will publish our articles with photos in his publication, including any members receiving any prizes or awards.
When we had Murti Pratishta in our new mandir (Seaview Building) situated at Lewis Road, Cardiff, CB Bhai was our Chief Guest and attended our event with Kokilaben Patel and Kamalbhai Rao. CB Bhai also donated £5000 towards the Mandir building fund which was a great relief to us as we had a large amount of debt. He also pledged to donate a further £5000 if we had cleared our debt within 6 months by the end of December 2016. Unfortunately, we could not and clear our debt during that period. He also in his kindness and generosity said he would help raise funds in London for our Temple, but our committee members felt it was better and more beneficial to raise funds within Wales. He has such a caring and loving nature that whenever we spoke on the phone, he asks about all our committee member's welfare.
They have also organised an event “Vadil Sanman” for honouring our elderly members in Cardiff and presented them with the certificates.
CB bhai is a true "Karma Yogi" who has dedicated his life to helping others. He has helped raise funds for worthy causes, which have been sponsored or cosponsored by Gujarat Samachar in the UK, East Africa and India especially in health and education projects.
Neil Kinnock, former leader of the Labour Party, once told a meeting of the Indian Journalists Association that CB stood for “Community Bound”! So very true!
Sanatan Dharma Mandal & Hindu Community centre wish CB Bhai a long healthy life and all the staff at Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice our very best wishes.
Vinodbhai C Patel – President
Vimlaben Harilal Patel,
MBE – General Secretary
On behalf of the Management Committee of SDM & HCC
