Sewa Singh Kohli

Glasgow

1962–2012

Sewa Singh Kohli was born in Ambala, India and was the fourth of nine children. He graduated with a degree in Oriental languages from Punjab University, Lahore in 1941. During this time, he was active in the Communist Party of India and eventually became the party’s union official. In 1947, during the partition of India, Kohli was caught in the violence and helped refugees moving to Delhi. Kohli went into hiding in 1948, when the Communist Party of India was temporarily declared illegal by the Indian Government.

In 1962, after a short period of work in Liberia, Kohli migrated to Glasgow. His wife, Harinder Kaur Kapoor, and children joined him soon afterwards. He began his business career by opening BK Trading Company, which was based in Shamrock Street and, thereafter, Maryhill Road. Later he opened Kohli Travel, a travel agency.

Kohli was committed to interfaith dialogue and cultural engagement among Glasgow’s South Asian communities. For example, Kohli was the Asian Community Arts Development Officer for the Strathclyde Regional Council during the 1980s and helped develop the Washington Street Arts Centre. In addition, he campaigned for Muslim, Sikh and Hindu marriages to be recognized in the same way as Christian marriages by the British state. After his brother was killed in 1984 during India’s anti-Sikh riots, which were triggered by Operation Blue Star and the subsequent assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Kohli committed himself to understanding the origins of the riot and seeking justice for those affected. During the 1990s Kohli was praised by the President of Pakistan for arranging Sikh pilgrimages to India and Pakistan. Throughout his time in Glasgow, Kohli was involved with various organizations, including the Indian Workers’ Association and Sikhs in Scotland.

In 1989 Kohli founded Mel Milaap, Scotland’s first centre for elderly South Asian people. Mel Milaap was located on Berkeley Street next door to a gurdwara and served elderly South Asians as an important meeting and socializing space. In 2013 the council threatened to close the centre due to concerns over the building’s condition. In response, service users staged a hunger strike, started a petition which garnered 1,500 signatures and marched in George Square, with the support of the Association of Indian Organizations. Mel Milaap continues to operate. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, the organization distributed 14,000 meals to the local community.

In 2008, Kohli was celebrated for his contribution to South Asian arts in Glasgow, primarily as one of the founders of the Glasgow Mela.

Sewa Singh Kohli died on 13 April 2012, aged 92.