• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has honoured Rajindar Singh Dhatt, one of the last surviving Sikh soldiers who fought in the Second World War with a Points of Light award at a UK-India Week reception at 10 Downing Street.

• Dhatt, 101, was recognised for his service and his work running the Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association to help bring together British Indian war veterans. 

• Dhatt, based in Hounslow in southwest London since 1963, was born in pre-Partition India in 1921 and fought with the Allied forces during the British colonial period.

• Dhatt joined the British Indian Army during the Second World War and excelled up the ranks, being promoted to Havildar Major (Sergeant Major) in 1943. 

• He was later drafted to the Far East campaign to fight in Kohima in northeast India to support the Allied Forces and help break through the Japanese defences. After the war, Dhatt returned to India before settling in London with his family.

Points of Light

• Points of Light are outstanding individual volunteers – people who are making a change in their community. 

• Every weekday, the Prime Minister recognises an inspirational volunteer with the daily Points of Light award.

• First established by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, over 7,000 US daily Points of Light have been recognised through the USA programme. 

• UK Points of Light was developed in partnership with the US programme and launched in  April 2014.

• Since then thousands of people have been named Points of Light by the Prime Minister, highlighting an enormous array of innovative and inspirational volunteering across the length and breadth of Britain.

Commonwealth Points of Light

• Commonwealth Points of Light is a continuation of the Prime Minister’s Points of Light programme, with a special series of awards recognising inspirational volunteers throughout the Commonwealth to coincide with the UK hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, April 2018 and serving as the Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth for 2018-2020. 

• These awards have been made by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth, to thank inspirational volunteers across the 54 Commonwealth nations for the difference they are making in their communities and beyond.

• One volunteer from each of the Commonwealth countries was recognised in the days leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018. 

• Following the success of this programme, The Queen decided to continue this work and award one volunteer from each Commonwealth country every week.

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