Main navigation:

Sewa Kohli

Sewa Kohli MBE came to Scotland in 1962 to visit a friend living in Glasgow and decided to stay.

"Two things attracted me to Scotland," he explains. "The impressive education system and highly developed medical facilities. Although I knew at that time I would never hold a white collar job as Asians were only offered manual positions, I was thinking about the future of my children."

Sewa held down various manual jobs during his initial years in Glasgow before completing a four-year course for membership of the Institute of Shipping and Forwarding.

He started his own export and import business in 1964 allowing him to travel to many parts of the world and later went on to establish Kohli Travel.

As well as being a reputable Glasgow businessman, Sewa has made several contributions to political and cultural life in Scotland. He became the first Scottish Sikh to gain an MBE for his contribution towards voluntary social services.

He says: "When I arrived in 1962, only Christian and Jewish marriages were considered legal in Scotland meaning a marriage conducted at a Gurdwara (religious place for Sikhs) or mosque were not recognised. This discrepancy in the law intrigued me and appeared to be a legal inequality so I decided to take up the cause and fight for it.

"It took 12 years of continued correspondence before a new marriage law act was passed in 1978 and which legally accepted marriages held at any place of worship attended by Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims. Changes to legislation are a clear sign of an open and democratic society."

Sewa was the driving-force behind Mel Milaap – a day centre for elderly Asian people which is popular with Glasgow's Sikh community. In 1976, he founded the Asian Artistes Association, which is nowadays known as the Scottish Academy of Asian Arts (SAAA) and is responsible for the Glasgow Mela.

"I set up this institute to promote Asian art and culture and ensure it was carried forward into future generations," explains Sewa.

"Cultural exchange is important, not only to help break down barriers, but also to build new relationships. Education through cultural exchanges continues to be one of the best ways for communities to make friends and to integrate into a single harmonious society."

Sewa has retired from his duties with the SAAA and now devotes most of his time and energy to his role as Secretary of the Mel Milaap.