Our Man in Westminster

Ashford now has around 1,000 Nepalese households, so it is not surprising that one of the regular fixtures on the calendar is the annual celebration of that community’s two festivals of Dasai/Tihar.

This took place last weekend at the Norton Knatchbull School, and I was delighted to be one of the guests along with the Deputy Mayor, Winston Michael, and his wife, Doreen.

Apart from the fun of the singing and dancing (I did neither, in case anyone is getting nervous) and the usual array of good food, there was a moving ceremony with special presentations given to former Gurkhas who had won medals in Afghanistan.

Several of these young men had won the Military Cross, which reminds us of the courage of the Gurkhas not just in longdistant military campaigns but right up to the present day.

Ashford’s Nepalese community is making inroads in many parts of our local life, and some of its members are making their mark further afield.

The chairman of the Everest Inn Group, Pashupati Bhandari, has been appointed the representative of the Nepal Tourism Board in the UK, and he met Prince Harry when the Prince visited Nepal earlier this year.

Harry had, of course, served with Gurkhas in Afghanistan during his own tours of duty.

The Ashford community did great work in helping raise money for Nepal in the wake of the 2015 earthquake, and is very active in maintaining strong relations between their original and adopted countries.

Both flags were displayed prominently at Norton Knatchbull, as they should be with the links between the two countries dating back to the 18th century.

It was a great evening, and I hope it signals how Ashford can set the standard in positive community relations for other parts of the country.