Dailymail.co.uk

[Into the Light]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...ource=&ito=1490

Honoured, Asian police chief who beat the odds

By TAHIRA YAQOOB, Daily Mail

When Parm Sandhu joined the police, she kept her job a secret from her parents for six months.

As she predicted, the traditional Sikh couple were dismayed when she finally summoned up the courage to tell them.

Labourer Malkit Singh and his wife Gurmaj Kaur tried to dissuade their daughter from carrying on in the force, fearing her life would be at risk.

With their roots in the Punjab - and with neither speaking English - the thought of their girl being in the front line fighting crime was a world away from the future they had imagined for her.

Yesterday the chief inspector in the Metropolitan Police proved them wrong when she was named an Asian Woman of Achievement for attaining the highest rank for an Asian female police officer in the UK.

Few women make it to the top of the police service, with only one in 13 Met chief inspectors being female. But Mrs Sandhu, 42, beat the odds to become the sole Asian female chief inspector.

She said: "Initially I did not tell my parents I had joined the police because I knew I would face opposition. They were worried I would get hurt. But gradually they realised I can look after myself. My mother is over the moon about it now. She has a photo from my passing-out parade on the wall so all her visitors get to see it."

Mr Singh, now retired, came to Britain about 50 years ago. His wife arrived from India to join him seven years later. At home in Handsworth, Birmingham, they instilled old-fashioned Sikh values in their six children.

Mrs Sandhu left school at 18, but a variety of jobs left her dissatisfied until, at 24, she took a post as a fraud investigator for social services and found her calling as a crime-fighter. It was not only her parents who objected to her new path. As a community bobby she was told by a fellow officer she would have to choose between a career or children.

Mother-of-two Mrs Sandhu, who is no longer married, said: "I proved that individual wrong." The high-flyer was recruited to a diversity unit in New Scotland Yard and made a chief inspector two years ago. Mrs Sandhu, who lives in Essex, said: "I would love to become a chief constable. I hope other Asian girls learn from my example - if they put their minds to it they can achieve anything."

She received the AWA public sector award at a ceremony last night in the Hilton hotel, central London.

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"old-fashioned Sikh values"

anyone else find this statement offensive?

[84_Survivor]

Hmm, i think you are right it does have kind of offensive twist to it. More lack of knowledge than anything.

[sikh supreme]

suprise suprise written by TAHIRA YAQOOB a muslim. She thinks Sikh values old fashioned? haha hmmm maybe someone should give her a copy of the quran and hadiths.

[Guest militant singh]

suprise suprise written by TAHIRA YAQOOB a muslim. She thinks Sikh values old fashioned? haha hmmm maybe someone should give her a copy of the quran and hadiths.

yh tru not 2 mention medievil torture methods within sahria law ,womanisng ,unequality god theres loadsa stuff

[Into the Light]

There's a comments sections where we can voice our opinions

...i started writing a comment about this statement but i think i wud have come across in an agreesive way

any ideas what wud be the best kind of comments to leave on the website, tio ensure our concerns are heard

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...ource=&ito=1490

[Lionchild]

suprise suprise written by TAHIRA YAQOOB a muslim. She thinks Sikh values old fashioned? haha hmmm maybe someone should give her a copy of the quran and hadiths.

XD XD XD :lol: :wub: XD XD

lol, our values are way more "modern"

[singh_comradz]

The reporter got most her info off Miss Sandhu. Correct me if I'm wrong but I THINK this is the same WPC who doesn't have many Sikh values herself and is going out with a Musalmaan. I think it was her who was interviewed by the NY times in London and she also referred to her grandad or dad as 'backward and traditional.' I will try and find the source if requested.