Three hundred British Indians have been shortlisted as finalists for the Seventh British Indian Awards 2019, but not all of them are happy about it.
British Punjabi mental health not-for-profit Taraki founder, Shuranjeet Singh Takhar stirred up a minor controversy when he declined the nomination in the Influencer of the Year category, objecting to the term ‘influencer’ and the categorisation of the awards as ‘British Indian’.
Takhar posted a statement on Twitter explaining that he was “withdrawing Taraki from this opportunity”.
“I do not feel comfortable identifying myself or Taraki as an ‘influencer’ or a movement identified as ‘British Indian’,” he stated.
Jaspreet Singh, a Sikh student at Birmingham University who had been shortlisted in the Young Achiever category, also withdrew from the awards.
The awards recognise a wide range of achievements across the worlds of business, charity, sports, arts, culture, education and medicine. Categories encompass Rising Star, Young Achiever of the Year and Best in Sport among many others.
The awards will be held at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre at the Holiday Inn in the Birmingham City Centre on July 26.
The British Indian Awards 2019 are organised by ethnic awards company Oceanic Consulting. They showcase the strength of the British Indian community, the impact they have on British culture and their progression over the last year, an official statement read.
Ocean Consulting CEO Irfan Younis said, “All finalists should be proud to represent British Indians, highlighting all the wonderful achievements of this diverse and brilliant community. The awards provide a platform to thank those who do what they know best, thrive in their fields and provide future generations with inspirational role-models.”
The full list of nominees is available here.