Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Diaspora delight as Modi meets Indians in Glasgow

Diaspora delight as Modi meets Indians in Glasgow

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday (1) interacted with members of the diaspora in Scotland who gathered in Glasgow to honour him and also unveil a bust of him.

Modi, who arrived in the Scottish city last Sunday (31) night to cheers from a group of diaspora delegates, met members of the Indian community before he left for the opening ceremony of the COP26 climate summit.


Scotland-based Dr Nadey Hakim presented the prime minister with a  sculpture, which was formally unveiled during the interaction. Modi provided his spectacles to be placed on the bust.

“I have done a sculpture of the prime minister. As you can see, he is quite a popular gentleman. Everyone likes him. I really liked his features and I decided to do it and I have to say I am very thrilled by his reaction,” Hakim said afterward.

When somebody asked where the Indian leader’s glasses were, he improvised at the last minute and “took off his (Modi’s) own glasses and put them on, which I thought was a good move.”

“He was happy, I believe. I hope everybody from India and elsewhere would like the features and hopefully find that this is complementary to what the prime minister looks like,” Hakim said.

He said Modi “automatically, immediately made me feel at ease to speak to him like a brother really”.

The prime minister met about 45 Indian diaspora delegates from Glasgow and Edinburgh, including prominent doctors, academics and business people.

Modi also spoke to the Indian winner of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, Delhi-based recycling firm Takachar founder Vidyut Mohan; as well as a 14-year-old finalist from Tamil Nadu, Vinisha Umashankar, who came up with the idea for a solar-powered ironing cart.

Pam Gosai, who met Modi, said, “I am the first Indian Sikh lady in the Scottish parliament. It is fantastic to see the prime minister here in Glasgow at COP26 among all the world leaders.

“I think the prime minister is absolutely right when he says ‘one world one initiative’ and that is why today all the leaders are coming together to make sure we all come together and coming from a Sikh background we have Ek Omkar, which means there is one god,” she said.

Manjulika Singh is a yoga teacher and president of the Scottish Indian cultural Festival Committee Chair Ethnic minority Forum (SCIFC). She said she wanted to thank Modi for the popularity of yoga across the world.

“He is an amazing Indian leader, who has really put India on the top which we all appreciate,” she said.

Dr Vipin spoke of his delight as he met the Indian leader. “I am speaking not only on behalf of the Indian diaspora in Scotland, but on behalf of the diaspora all over. Even though we do not live in India, we have hopes, aspirations and dreams for the country. In Modi, we see a leader who will take us there. We were just delighted to meet him. He met all of us individually, and it was a great feeling.

More For You

 electricity-pylons-iStock

From 2026, households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity infrastructure will receive bill reductions of up to £2,500 over 10 years. (Representational image: iStock)

Residents near new electricity pylons to get bill reductions

THE GOVERNMENT announced on Monday that households living near new electricity pylons will receive discounts on their energy bills.

The move is part of efforts to expand electricity infrastructure, despite opposition to large-scale projects needed to connect renewable energy to the grid.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump had said the US has been economically and financially 'ripped off' by several countries, including India. (Photo: Getty Images)

India denies pledge to lower tariffs following Trump’s statement

INDIA has said it has not committed to reducing import duties on US goods, following US president Donald Trump’s claim that New Delhi had agreed to "cut their tariffs way down."

Trump, in the early weeks of his second term, has taken a tough stance on global trade, imposing tariffs on several countries, including India, and accusing trading partners of unfair practices.

Keep ReadingShow less
most polluted cities

India, home to six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities, saw a 7% reduction in air pollution between 2023 and 2024

iStock

Only 7 countries meet WHO air quality guidelines, UK falls short


Air pollution is a silent killer, claiming millions of lives annually and leaving nearly every corner of the globe gasping for clean air. According to the latest annual report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, only seven countries worldwide met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for safe levels of PM2.5 pollution in 2024. These countries- Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, Iceland, and a handful of small island states- stand as rare exceptions in a world where dirty air has become the norm.

Keep ReadingShow less
London-ULEZ-iStock

Signs indicating Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on a street in London. (Photo: iStock)

London ULEZ expansion cuts pollution, increases compliance

LONDON’s air quality has improved following the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across all 33 boroughs in August 2023.

The ULEZ requires vehicles that do not meet specific emission standards to pay a daily charge of £12.50. The scheme aims to tackle air pollution, climate change, and congestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
NHS England to Restructure: Workforce to Be Reduced by 50%

The changes aim to cut costs and eliminate duplication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). (Representational image: Getty)

Getty Images

NHS England to cut workforce by half in major restructuring

NHS ENGLAND will reduce its workforce from 13,000 to about 6,500 as part of a restructuring led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

The changes aim to cut costs and eliminate duplication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less