UK riots: Sikh TV channel's coverage hailed

LONDON: 'Sangat TV', a Birmingham-based channel mainly in Punjabi, has emerged as the unlikely hero of the ongoing unrest in Britain with live coverage of events that included showing its correspondents helping the police tackle rioters.

Indian-origin presenter Upinder Randhawa's sensitive coverage in which he expresses his own disgust at the rioting in Birmingham, has captured the imagination of viewers in Birmingham and beyond.

Major broadcasters such as BBC and Sky News have been carrying Sangat TV feeds prominently, while viewers have expressed much appreciation of its live coverage that is driven by the objective of ensuring that normalcy returns to the streets of Birmingham.

Launched in September 2010, the channel is owned by charity organisation Sangat Trust and is supported by donations from gurdwaras and individuals across the UK.

Most of its programming is in Punjabi and includes 'gurbani' and educational programming.

Paul Uppal, the Indian-origin Conservative MP from Wolverhampton South West, hailed the channel's coverage, and said it was 'extraordinary' that its crews were giving lifts and extending help to the police to carry out its duties.

"It is extraordinary that TV crews have been helping police but it is also incredibly uplifting.

It shows how much they care about their neighbourhood, their city, their community," he added.