In 2021, Pam Gosal became Scotland's first female Member of Parliament of Indian descent. Prior to taking her oath of office in Parliament, Gosal chanted a Sikh prayer. Ms Gosal, who is 49 years old, is one of the first two women of colour to be elected to the Scottish Parliament. The other woman, Kaukab Stewart, was elected in 2013.
The oath of loyalty to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was then taken in English by Ms Gosal, who is a member of the Scottish Conservative Party. She concluded her oath or affirmation by taking blessings from the Gutka Sahib, which is the holy scripture of the Sikh religion.
The affirmation did not have any religious reference. Ms Gosal simply repeated, “I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law."
In the history of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, this was the first occasion that a member of Parliament has ever read from the Sikh scriptures.
Later, Ms Gosal tweeted, “It's a privilege to be the first female MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament from an Indian background. Thank you to everyone who's supported me. Can't wait to get to work for the people of the West of Scotland.”
The Scottish city of Glasgow is where the Sikh lawmaker spent the majority of her life after being born there. Ms. Gosal made her debut in politics by running for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in the 2019 general election as a candidate for East Dunbartonshire. She is currently enrolled in a doctoral programme to further her education.
Ms. Gosal is also the director of the organisation known as Conservative Friends of India Scotland (CFIS). This is a group that works towards the goal of strengthening the ties that exist between the Conservative Party and the British Indian community in Scotland.
*Based on an article published in NDTV on 14th May 2021