The 19th Vaisakhi Celebration hosted by the British Sikh Consultative Forum (BSCF) took place at Westminster on the 21st April, bringing together a wide range of parliamentarians, public health leaders, and community representatives to reflect on this year’s theme of ‘tackling health inequalities’.
The Vaisakhi event brought together a strong cross-party representation of MPs and Peers, senior public health and local government leaders, to raise awareness and build collaboration to tackle health inequalities. The audience reflected growing recognition within government of the urgent need to address systemic disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. The spirit of seva (selfless service), unity, and shared civic responsibility was powerfully reflected at the 19th annual Vaisakhi celebration.
Discussions throughout the evening focused on practical solutions to reduce health inequalities, strengthen prevention, and improve access to culturally competent care in diverse communities. Many attendees were highlighting the importance of bringing Sikh values into public life. As Vaisakhi marks the creation of the Khalsa in 1699, the Westminster gathering served as a timely reminder of the enduring relevance of Sikh teachings in addressing modern challenges – particularly around social justice, equality, and collective wellbeing.
Bhai Sahib (Prof) Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG, Chair of BSCF, attended accompanied by a delegation from Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) and the Nishkam Campus, to contribute to the national dialogue on improving health outcomes for underserved communities. Bhai Sahib Ji delivered a keynote address, emphasising the moral and societal responsibility to address widening health inequalities and the importance of collaboration between faith, community organisations, and government institutions.
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh reflected on the deeper meaning of Vaisakhi beyond celebration, “Vaisakhi calls us to reawaken our commitment to humility, service, and universal compassion. In today’s world, these principles are not optional – they are essential.
“The Westminster Vaisakhi event is not just a celebration – it is phenomenal platform at the heart of British democracy for unity, reflection, and collective responsibility. We call on the policy makers to look at the work of faith and community groups and see how they can support the NHS and local communities to flourish.”
Dr Sarabjit Singh Chandan, Trustee at Nishkam Healthcare Trust, which eloquently combines medical professionalism with a spirit of nishkam sewa (selfless service) to develop integrated and holistic health provision, was honoured to attend the auspicious event. He said, “We are privileged to serve in a superdiverse inner-city neighbourhood, where we place virtues-centred care at the heart of wellbeing. We could do so much more to enable communities to flourish if local and regional stakeholders were more collaborative. More meaningful and serious recognition within the NHS system to effectively partner and work to deliver more services tailored to the local population must be addressed.”
The exemplary work of the Nishkam Healthcare team has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the population of Handsworth and surrounding areas since 2012. With visionary leadership, hard work, co-designed services, enormous financial investment and volunteer time (in excess of £6m), the journey to tackling health inequalities continues.
The event reinforced a shared commitment to partnership working between faith groups, policymakers, and the NHS to ensure health equity remains a national priority.
The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, congratulated everyone and commended the British Sikh Consultative Forum for its consistent leadership in organising the annual event, now in its 19th year, which continues to grow in both scale and significance.
In conclusion, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh said, “I applaud all the colleagues from BSCF and across government who have worked tirelessly at making the event possible. The topic for 2026 is very important and requires action from all stakeholders. This was one of the best Vaisakhi events at Westminster with awareness, action and a challenge for the Sikh community to unite to tackle health issues across the country.”.
A copy of Bhai Sahib Ji’s speech can be accessed at this link:
ENDS
Vaisakhi at Westminster 2026 – Keynote address of Bhai Sahib, Prof. Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG
Nishkam Media Centre 