Over recent decades, the Conservative Party has evolved from a party whose membership consisted almost exclusively of white British males, to a political party whose membership represents the wide and growing diversity of the United Kingdom. Maintaining a decade in Government and four successful general election wins is no mean feat and could not have been achieved without the commitment and dedication from the Conservative Party’s Hindu, the Sikh community. Thus, in the spirit of Diwali, we will be taking a look at the Conservative Party’s rising stars in the Hindu and Sikh community.
Diwali is a major festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains (certain forms of Buddhism also celebrate Diwali) that usually lasts around 5 days between mid-October and mid-November. Pam Gosal is Scotland’s first Sikh Member of the Scottish Parliament newly elected on the Scottish Conservative Party’s West of Scotland list. In a piece published in the Eastern Eye, Pam Gosal states that Diwali is the celebration of “positive triumphs – good over evil, wisdom over ignorance, and light over darkness”. Gosal recounts her childhood memories of Diwali including wearing colourful clothes, decorating her home with candles, and lighting fireworks in her back garden. She asserts her dedication to inclusion within Diwali, contending that the festival can be celebrated by anyone, reciting her father’s belief that Diwali was about people coming together – after this past year, many of us would appreciate celebrating the victory of light over darkness.
Another new elect from the Scottish Conservative Party is MSP for the Glasgow Region, Dr Sandesh Gulhane. Gulhane’s parents were from the city of Amravati, India before moving to the United Kingdom. He was elected in 2021 as the first MSP with Indian heritage. Gulhane states that “Diwali is a time of happiness, of joy, of festivities, [and] of light” while he celebrates the festival. This is in contrast to this time last year where Diwali festival celebrations were heavily restricted in Scotland due to the ban on household mixing and gathering. Before he was elected, Gulhane spoke to the BBC in his capacity as a GP to criticise the Scottish Government for making exceptions for Christmas but not for Diwali.
Gulhane stated:
“What I'd really like is for the importance of these festivals like Diwali to be recognised and if special dispensation can't be made for these events to have that discussion, to be honest… Don't make me feel like a second-class citizen. Don't make me feel as if my religious events aren't important.”
However, with a successful vaccine rollout, those who missed out on Diwali celebrations last year can now celebrate them without restrictions.
Amongst one of the Conservative Party’s most successful celebrants of Diwali would be home secretary, Priti Patel. Patel took part in Diwali celebrations alongside Boris Johnson at the Neasden Temple where they met with Hindus across the UK who have been on the frontline against Coronavirus. Patel stated that “Whilst Diwali traditionally signifies the victory of good over evil, it also reminds us to spark a light of reflection to dispel darkness inside and around us.”
The Conservative Party and the United Kingdom owe their thanks to the Hindu and Sikh community for their hard work and efforts, not just in the past year, but throughout our history. Therefore, with restrictions lifted and an incredibly successful vaccine rollout, we can now celebrate the victory of light over dark and wish all celebrants of Diwali a very Shubh Deepavali.