London Desi news — 2026-09-07

🪔 RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Meets British Sikh Community at London Gurdwara

Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, visited a historic gurdwara in London during his UK tour, meeting with leaders and members of the British Sikh community. India Today reports that the visit came as part of Bhagwat's broader programme of engagements with the South Asian diaspora in Britain. The meeting at the historic Sikh place of worship was widely described as a significant gesture of interfaith engagement. It was seen as part of an effort to build bridges between Hindu and Sikh communities at a time of ongoing dialogue about shared heritage and cooperation among Indians and South Asians living abroad. British Sikh leaders welcomed the visit, with some describing it as a positive step toward greater solidarity within the South Asian community in the United Kingdom. Bhagwat's trip drew considerable attention from the Indian and diaspora press, reflecting the importance that such high-profile visits carry for communities maintaining ties to institutions on the subcontinent. The gurdwara, one of London's historic Sikh institutions, provided a symbolically resonant setting for the meeting. Observers noted that dialogue between RSS leadership and Sikh representatives has been growing in recent years, with diaspora settings increasingly becoming spaces for this kind of engagement. [1]

🍛 Chillika in Bexleyheath Crowned Top Indian Restaurant at 2026 English Curry Awards

Chillika, a restaurant in Bexleyheath in southeast London, has been named the best Indian restaurant in England at the 2026 English Curry Awards, according to Time Out. The award is among the most coveted recognitions in Britain's South Asian restaurant scene, which has long been a defining feature of the country's culinary culture. Chillika's victory is particularly notable because it comes from a neighborhood outside the established Indian dining heartlands of Brick Lane in east London or the restaurant clusters of Birmingham and Leicester, demonstrating that exceptional South Asian cooking is flourishing across the wider city and its outer suburbs. The English Curry Awards celebrate excellence across hundreds of restaurants each year, drawing entries from establishments that serve South Asian communities and food lovers throughout England. Indian restaurants have been woven into British food culture for decades, shaped by waves of migration from the subcontinent beginning in the 1950s. Today they represent a multibillion-pound sector and a source of deep community pride. Food critics praised Chillika for its commitment to authentic regional cooking and the depth of flavor that set it apart from the competition. The win is a moment of celebration for the restaurant's team and for the Bexleyheath community it calls home. [2]

🗳️ Eighty British-Bangladeshi Councillors Elected Across Four East London Boroughs

Eighty candidates of Bangladeshi descent were elected as councillors across four East London boroughs in the UK's recent local government elections, in what political observers have called one of the most significant milestones in British-Bangladeshi political history. Prothom Alo English reports that Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham all returned large numbers of Bangladeshi-origin representatives. More than 300 community members had contested seats across 136 local authorities nationwide. The most decisive outcome came in Tower Hamlets, where the Aspire Party won 33 of 45 council seats, all held by candidates of Bangladeshi descent. In Newham, Farhad Hossain of the Labour Party made history as the first British-Bangladeshi candidate from a major national party to win the role of executive mayor, securing 25,538 votes. Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman of the Aspire Party was also re-elected with 35,679 votes. Analysts said the results confirmed that the new generation of British-Bangladeshis had moved decisively from being voters to becoming central figures in local policymaking. The elections also reflected broader shifts in British politics, with Reform UK making significant national gains while Labour faced pressure in several traditional strongholds. [5]

Sikh Federation Calls for Public Inquiry into Failures Around Henry Nowak Death

The Sikh Federation has called on the British government to hold a public inquiry into what it describes as systemic failures surrounding the death of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student killed in Southampton in December 2025. The BBC reports that Vickrum Digwa, 23, was convicted of the murder using a blade he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh religion. Dabinderjit Singh, the Sikh Federation's chief executive for political engagement, wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Justice Secretary David Lammy, and Attorney General Richard Hermer. Singh argued that misinformation about the nature of the murder weapon had caused serious damage to the reputation of the Sikh community. Bodycam footage released by Hampshire police, with the Nowak family's permission, showed Henry repeatedly telling officers he could not breathe as he lay dying in handcuffs after the stabbing. The Sikh Federation and the Network of Sikh Organisations both stated that the weapon used was not a kirpan but a Persian blade called a pesh-kabz, associated with the Nihang warrior tradition rather than mainstream Sikh religious practice. The Crown Prosecution Service noted that Digwa chose to carry two ceremonial knives. A jury inquest is scheduled for next year to examine the broader circumstances of the death. [3]

Sources: [1] India Today · [2] Time Out Worldwide · [5] Prothom Alo English · [3] BBC