London: India-born Lord Khalid Hameed was felicitated with the Pride of India award for 2007 for his contributions to medicine and inter-faith activities.

The acting High Commissioner of India, Asoke Mukerji presented the award, instituted by The India International Federation at its fourth award function here this weekend.

The distinguished gathering at the occasion included NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, Deputy Leader of Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, Lord Navnit Dholakia, Lord Mohammed Sheikh, Gurdip S Gujral, CBE and Viscount Slim, OBE, and Madhav Chandra, Minister (Political) in the Indian High Commission.

Lord Hameed is the chairman of Alpha Hospitals and former Chief Executive of the Cromwell Hospital. Other recipients of the award included NRI entrepreneur Rami Ranger, MBE, who is founder of Sun Oil Ltd for his services to Industry, Chief Inspector Parm Sandhu, the first Asian woman to rise to this position and actress Ayesha Dharkar for Best Artistic contribution.

Ayesha, daughter of Indian journalist Anil Dharkar, won three national awards in India for her much acclaimed film, The Terrorist. Lord Sheikh was honoured for his outstanding achievement in business, while Anant B Parekh, the youngest Professor of Medicine in Oxford University, was chosen for the award in the category of medicine.

C B Patel, publisher of Asian Voice, won the Literature and Media award and Ritu Sethi, founder of The Sethi Partnership, a solicitors firm, bagged the award in law category.

Source : PTI