The UK Hindi Samiti
UK Hindi Samiti was formed and founded in 1990 by Dr Padmesh Gupt with the aim of promoting Hindi language and literature in UK. For the next two decades the UK Hindi Samiti organised various International Hindi Seminars and conferences in the UK including the 6th World Hindi Conference in London.
In 2000, the UK Hindi Samiti began to promote Hindi Education as part of its overall objective. We started with a written competition which later transformed into an annual Hindi exam which is supported by the High Commission of India.
In 2015, Hindi education became our principal activity and the UK Hindi Samiti is now run by Surekha Chophla, Seema Vedi, Shashi Wali and Tom Dobinson with Dr Padmesh Gupt as its Patron.
The Trustees
Surekha Chophla
Our Chairperson and Trustee, Surekha Chophla, is a retired finance director/executive with 40 years experience in the private sector. She has also taught Hindi to children and adults for 25 years. She has been working with UK Hindi Samiti since 2000 and took over the charity in 2015 along with 3 other trustees. In 2016 she was awarded the John Gilchrist award for Hindi services in UK by the High Commission of India.
Seema Vedi
Seema has been teaching Hindi since 2000. Since then she has been affiliated with the UK Hindi Samiti, of which now she is a trustee. Seema started teaching Hindi so that her own children could learn and appreciate the language, and has continued to teach since then. Now her vision is to see Hindi in the National Curriculum. She has an M.A (English) B.Ed, and later qualified as a Dental Therapist from Kings College London. She is now working part time, and separates her days between working as a clinician and teaching Hindi.
Tom Dobinson
Tom Dobinson is a former management consultant with wide experience of leading change management programmes in both the public and private sectors. He has a keen interest in the impact of differing cultures on society, both national and international. As a child he lived for a time in India and this experience has imbued in him a deep desire to maintain the United Kingdom’s links with the Sub Continent.
Naresh Vedi
Naresh Vedi is the treasurer for Hindi Samiti, and also handles some of the administration. He has been working in information and technology for over 30 years. He is a Gold medallist in M.Tech from Delhi University, and was honoured by the president of India. He started his Hindi teaching journey with his own children. He is currently working as senior database administrator for an international IT company, and holds Hindi classes several times a week for students from two different Hindi schools.
Shashi Walia
Shashi works as a community interpreter and exam invigilator in Surrey, and previously was a senior cardiac technician at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. She has been teaching Hindi at Hindi Bal Bhawan in Kingston upon Thames, since 1996 and took over its running in 2003. She has been with the Hindi Samiti since 2002 and became one of its trustees when it was taken over in 2012.
The Patron
Padmesh Gupt
Dr Padmesh Gupta is a poet, writer and academician of international repute. He was conferred with Padambhushan Moturi Satyanarayan award by Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, HRD Ministry, Government of India which was presented by the Hon’ble President of India Sri Pranab Mukherjee for Hindi services outside India. He is a director of Oxford Business College, founder president of UK Hindi Samiti and currently a patron. He has published and edited a Hindi magazine ‘Purvai’ in the U.K. for 18 years and 'Pravasi Today' for 8 years. He is an author of three poetry collections. Padmesh is a recipient of several international awards.
The Treasurer
Naresh Vedi
Naresh Vedi is the treasurer for Hindi Samiti, and also handles some of the administration. He has been working in information and technology for over 30 years. He is a Gold medallist in M.Tech from Delhi University, and was honoured by the president of India. He started his Hindi teaching journey with his own children. He is currently working as senior database administrator for an international IT company, and holds Hindi classes several times a week for students from two different Hindi schools.