COMMUNITY elders who were among the first Hindus to settle in Bolton were honoured at a ceremony.

More than 150 people gathered at the Bolton Indian Sports Club (BISC) on Sunday to mark the Hindu new year and to celebrate 70 years of India’s independence.

Among those in attendance were 20 elders, aged 70 and above, to represent those who had been born under the British Raj and who had then journeyed to Bolton to make it their home.

Pravin Parmar, chair of BISC, said: “The evening was a huge success and our elders like many others are deserving of our appreciation in so many ways.

“The danger is that they are quickly becoming a forgotten part of our town’s history and events like this help to remind us of the challenges and hardship they endured to ensure that future generations had every chance to succeed.

“There are many instances where our elders had received a helping hand when they first arrived from people of other faiths especially the Christian faith and our next event will hope to touch on some of those remarkable stories of kindness and share what makes Bolton such a special place to live.”

Guest included Yasmin Qureshi MP who welcomed each and every guest on their entrance to the hall by offering a special diva lamp.

The Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Roger Hayes also presented certificates of appreciation to each of the elders during the evening and handed out trophies to the club’s young cricketers. At the close of the evening, the attendees stood and observed the national anthems of both India and Great Britain.

Former MP Brian Iddon also paid tribute to Derek Patel, who was one of the pioneering founders of the Bolton Indian Sports Club and died in 2007.

Mr Patel’s son, Rajesh, also spoke at the event.

There will be a follow-up event where all the other elders from the Bolton Hindu community will be invited to share an insight into the remarkable and challenging journey they undertook to ensure that future generations had every opportunity to succeed.