A part of the famous Havelock Road in Southall, which is also home to Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha will be renamed the Guru Nanak Road, the Ealing Council has announced last week. The Havelock Road is named after British general Sir Henry Havelock who is known to have suppressed the Revolt of 1857 in North India.
The council, which is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing that includes Southall, noted, “Following the decision by cabinet on 14 July to celebrate and commemorate the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, it has been decided to make an order to rename part of Havelock Road.”
The statement added that consultations had taken place with residents and businesses directly impacted by the change as well as the Royal Mail and the emergency services.
The largest Gurdwara outside India, which was inaugurated by The Prince of Wales in 1997, is located on Havelock Road. The section of the road to be renamed lies between King Street and Merrick Road.
The announcement was made ahead of the celebration of Guru Nanak Jayanti on 30 November and the new name will come into effect in 2021, following necessary procedures.
The move is part of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s campaign, which began in June, to re-evaluate memorials, statues and public spaces that honour British colonialism in view of the global Black Lives Matter movement.
Councillor Kamaljit Dhindsa, cabinet member, welcomed the change on Wednesday and said it “reflects the importance of celebrating the borough’s diversity”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer sends his best wishes to Gurdwaras
Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer wrote to all Gurdwaras in the country to express his “heartfelt best wishes” to the Sikh community on the 551st anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth.
In the letter, the Labour leader thanked the Sikh community for looking after their local communities and the most vulnerable in our society during the Covid-19 pandemic. He wrote, “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Sikh community in exemplifying the core teachings of Guru Nanak. The seva of Sikhs during the pandemic is a shining example of their community spirit.”
While Covid-19 restrictions mean that families cannot come together as they normally would, Keir Starmer finished his letter by saying, “Guru Nanak’s teachings of selfless service and perseverance will continue to be an inspiration to us all.”
