By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The UK Gurdwara Alliance, a landmark body representing over 200 Gurdwaras nationwide, was officially launched in Parliament today during the 20th anniversary celebration of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs in London.
The APPG, formed in 2005 with the support of the Sikh Federation (UK), has been instrumental in championing Sikh representation, protecting religious freedoms, tackling anti-Sikh hate, and advocating for fair treatment and recognition of the Sikh identity.
The launch event was attended by a distinguished lineup of guests, including current Chair Jas Athwal MP; former Chairs Preet Kaur Gill MP, Fabian Hamilton, and Rob Marris; Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP; Warinder Juss MP; Dr Lauren Sullivan MP; Douglas McAllister MP; Lord Watson of Wyre Forest; Lord Wajid Khan, the Faith Minister; Lord Khan of Burnley; Andrew Gilbert, Vice President of the Board of Deputies; Dabinderjit Singh OBE of the Sikh Federation (UK); Gurpreet Singh Anand, President of Central Gurdwara London; Jatinder Singh, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick; and international guest Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Minority Affairs in Punjab and President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC).
Community leaders described the UK Gurdwara Alliance as a critical step in improving engagement between government and grassroots Sikh institutions. Bhai Gurpreet Singh Anand called it “an ideal platform” for faith-based dialogue, while Bhai Jatinder Singh warned that “government engagement with others is no substitute for organisations with real community roots.”
The Alliance brings together 25 leading Gurdwaras from 12 UK regions—including those in Southall, Gravesend, Glasgow, London, and Smethwick—to coordinate national responses to Sikh issues.
As the APPG begins its third decade, both the APPG and the newly formed Alliance reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing equality, religious freedom, and Sikh representation across the UK and globally.
