Knighthood for UK's first Sikh judge

Mota Singh, who is the UK's first Sikh and Asian judge, has been knighted by the British Queen.

London-based Singh, who is also a Queen's Counsel, has been knighted in the Queen's New Year Honours List for "services to the Administration of Justice, Community Relations and to the Voluntary Sector".

His decision to wear a white turban in court, instead of a wig, came to be seen as a sign of a multicultural Britain.

A Ramgarhia Sikh, Mota Singh was raised and educated in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1954, he shifted to England to complete the remaining part of his studies of Law. He joined the English bar in 1967.

Within months, he developed a successful practice in civil law.

Among several Indian-origin people honoured in the New Year List is Achhar Paul Dharni, who has been awarded the MBE (Member of the British Empire) for services to business and to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Dharni, 68, who is also the chairman of Bradford's Hindu Cultural Society, emigrated to the city from India in 1963. He worked as a bus driver, ran and sold his own insurance broker and travel companies.

Dharni was a key figure behind the three million pounds project to build the Laxmi Narayan Hindu temple, in Leeds Road, which was opened by the Queen in May 2007.