Jai Jinendra and Pranam
Hope you are all well. As we approach the end of the year, I wish everyone a much-deserved break over the Christmas and New Year period. This year has been particularly special with the celebration of 20 years of our Derasar – a milestone that seems to have flown by.
A special thank you goes to our army of volunteers, staff, sub-committee members, area committees and Trustees, all of whom have worked tirelessly throughout the year. Your dedication has ensured that our community continues to serve, engage and reconnect in meaningful and impactful ways. We are deeply grateful for your unwavering commitment.
40th Sports Day
This year marks the 40th Sports Day. The games began last weekend and will continue over the next two weekends, culminating with the prize-giving finale on Sunday, 21st December 2025.
The Executive Committee would like to wish all participants the very best of luck. A heartfelt thank-you to every member of the organising committee and all volunteers who have given up their valuable time. Let’s work together to make these games the best ever!
Baroness Shama Tatler
Hot off the Press!
Fantastic news and a proud moment for Oshwals – His Majesty King Charles III and the Prime Minister have conferred a Life Peerage of the United Kingdom on Shama Tatler.
She will be going in to the House of Lords as Baroness. She is the daughter of Sailesh Shah (son of Kantilal Nemchand and Shantaben) and Kalavanti Shah (daughter of Amritlal Ramji Dhanani and Maniben) originally from Kenya, East Africa. She will be the first Oshwal and Jain in Parliament. She is very supportive of the Oshwal community in the UK and was a keynote speaker at the International Women’s Day 2025 at Oshwal Centre.
On behalf of OAUK, I congratulate her and wish her the very best in her new role.
International Day of Persons with Disability (IDPD)
This year, our Enabling Network team has once again demonstrated exceptional dedication by delivering a truly inspiring event for IDPD 2025 – Magic, Music and Merriment.
This wonderful celebration marked over 15 years of committed work to promote awareness, inclusivity and equal participation. The Enabling Network’s mission has always been to ensure that individuals of all abilities feel welcomed, valued and fully integrated within our organisation. Their ongoing efforts continue to enrich OAUK and reflect the very best of our community’s values. A huge thank you to the entire team for their tireless work and vision.
West Highland Way & Ben Nevis 2025 Challenge
A special note of appreciation goes to the 50 walkers, the dedicated team of volunteers and the organising team who successfully completed the West Highland Way and Ben Nevis 2025 Challenge, raising a spectacular £10,000 for our community.
A huge congratulations and thank you to everyone involved for your extraordinary commitment and effort.
Inter Faith
Over the past 2 months, members of our community have had the opportunity to participate in several significant interfaith events, both nationally and internationally.
On 26 October 2025, a Jain delegation organised by the Institute of Jainology attended the interfaith conference “Towards the Future: Re-Thinking Nostra Aetate” at the Gregorian Centre of Inter-Religious Studies in Rome. The delegation included Jayeshbhai Shah, Dr Ajitbhai Shah, Mehoolbhai Sanghrajka, and Shandipbhai Shah. As part of the visit, a cultural evening was held where Jayeshbhai had the privilege of meeting Pope Leo, marking a memorable moment in the spirit of dialogue and mutual respect.
Following this, on 12 November 2025, Jayeshbhai and Dr Ajitbhai were invited to 10 Downing Street to celebrate Inter Faith Week in the presence of the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. This recognition highlights the growing contribution of the Jain and wider South Asian communities to interfaith understanding across the UK.
Recently, I also had the pleasure of attending several meetings with faith leaders across Hertfordshire. Our discussions covered important community concerns, including the unauthorised and widespread flying of St George’s Cross and Union flags, the responsibilities we share as community representatives, and ways in which faith groups can collaborate more effectively with local authorities.
Additionally, during a meeting in Watford, I met Andy Prophet, Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Police, and Andy Mariner, Assistant Chief Constable. We were particularly pleased that Andy Mariner later visited Oshwal Centre, helping to further strengthen the positive relationship between Hertfordshire Police and our community.
Social Media Hate Campaign
You will have noticed a substantial escalation in the social-media hate campaign directed at the current Executive Committee. The relentless bullying, abuse and harassment of Trustees and of the Association is unacceptable and fundamentally against Jain principles
The actions of these anonymous individuals have now escalated to an alarming level. Emails have been sent by so-called “well-wishers” to Trustees’ employers and clients in an attempt to deliberately damage reputations and destroy careers. This clearly constitutes hatred. We have always welcomed constructive, respectful and civil dialogue; however, these latest actions reveal the true extent of the bullying taking place. The clear objective appears to be to divide and break our community.
These individuals have no regard for the harm they are inflicting on OAUK and its Trustees. Our Trustees are volunteers who have stepped forward to serve the community, and they do not deserve to be subjected to such behaviour—especially by individuals who lack the conviction to identify themselves and choose to hide behind anonymity.
Despite these distractions, we remain committed to upholding the objectives of our Samaj, serving our members, and bringing positive change across all portfolios. However, we have reached a point where we can no longer tolerate the ongoing abuse from a minority of individuals intent on damaging the reputation of the Association.
We have, therefore, reported this matter to the police formally and have provided them with evidence they need when we met at Oshwal Centre. Any suggestion that Nirmal and I were being “questioned by the police” is false.
We will continue to review all possible measures to ensure that OAUK and its trustees are safe and protected at all times.
Furthermore, as set out in the last e-shot and in the best interests of the Association, the Executive Committee is in the process of organising a Special General Meeting (SGM). At this meeting, all members will have the opportunity to decide whether to remove the Executive Committee.
Former Caretaker and staff member
As many of you will recall, the former caretaker and a staff member were made redundant in March 2025, and in line with their employment terms were required to vacate the accommodation provided to them within 14 days. The Executive Committee recognised their long service and ensured that they were compensated appropriately.
However, they have since remained in the cottage at Oshwal Centre. They continue squatting in the cottage and are taking the Association to employment tribunal.
Due to their refusal to vacate, the Association is now required to initiate formal legal proceedings to obtain vacant possession of the property. As a result, the Association is now having to incur legal, electricity, water and gas costs as they continue to use the property and at the same time foregoing vital rental income.
It is deeply regrettable that members of our own community are encouraging such actions. We are disappointed that their actions are not in line with the principles of our faith, and we are pursuing these matters with OAUK’s lawyers. We must strive to put aside personal differences and always act in the best interests of our charity, upholding the values and unity that define our community.
Online Events and other Area Activities
We have online events which are being organised to engage you all and also various Area activities are taking place. Please do visit our website of all the upcoming events and keeping you informed on any important aspects of OAUK work.
Conclusion
We are aware that this e-newsletter may prompt responses or rebuttals across certain social media channels. While we have no control over these groups, we respectfully urge members to recognise that such platforms often exist solely to sow discord and discontent at a time when our community should be coming together to address the real challenges our members face in their everyday lives.
Across all nine areas—and centrally—there has been a great deal of positive work delivered by our trustees, area committees, sub-committees and our dedicated volunteers. Our outreach efforts have built many lasting and supportive relationships not only with faith-based organisations but also with central and local government. Oshwal Association of the UK is increasingly relied upon by many organisations as an all-weather partner, which has further strengthened our standing as a prominent Jain organisation across all sectors.
There is real positivity out there, and our members should be genuinely proud of this. We encourage everyone to look beyond the shroud of negativity that some groups attempt to create and to recognise the meaningful work taking place every day to keep our community strong, vibrant and united.
Jai Mahavir, Jai Oshwal,
Rumit Devchand Shah
OAUK Hon. President
Email: president@oshwal.org