Indians are shining!

Indians here feel proud to see how well as an immigrant community they have come up, writes Nabanita Sircar.

Most Indians are gearing up for Dusshera and Diwali, despite the dismal weather setting in. Flights to India seem to be packed. It's a good time of year to escape. And one celebrity preparing to fly to India is Liz Hurley. May be she plans to celebrate Diwali with her boyfriend Arun Nayar in Mumbai. So all those gossiping about their relationship being on the rocks can now start looking for some other piece of rumour. Maybe a bit more about Jemima Khan who it is said was recently showing off an expensive gift from Hugh Grant.

But back to Hurley. It is believed that she is going with her mum Angela and three-year-old son Damian to meet Arun's parents, Gunar and Vinod, who live in Mumbai. It will be the first time the two families will be meeting. So, is something serious brewing between the two? By all traditional logic it seems so. The visit will at least, put paid to rumours that the couple's 18-month affair was in trouble because Liz, 39, was fed up waiting for Arun to pop the question. Apparently she is keen to have a sibling for Damian, but not out of wedlock. If this latest piece of news is true then it looks like the two-ex's have found love. Hugh Grant seems happy in the arms of Jemima and may be Liz has also finally met her man. So are wedding bells in the offing? Only time will tell.

This week another Indian wedding of a different kind took place in London. Those still recovering from the extravagant do of steel tycoon LN Mittal's daughter Vanisha's wedding in Paris, were in for a surprise at this low-key affair. Some time ago Lord Paul had told me that he preferred weddings to be simple and that is how it was. Rushdie's wedding and his famous stag party was another event many remember. But Lord Paul's 34-year-old son Angad's wedding with media lawyer Michelle Bonn was held at the London Zoo.

While I am still on marriages, and having just mentioned Rushdie I am reminded of his young and beautiful wife Padma Lakshmi. She was recently in London and has been gushing about how her family is totally in love with the Booker Prize winning author of Satanic Verses. "All my family would be very upset if we split up," she coos. It's believed, the fourth time married author's charm was such that her family loved him instantly. "Now they love him more than they love me," she says. Sounds so cute!

But it is not only the Indian celebs who raise the profile of the community here. I am sure Indians here feel very proud to know how well we, as an immigrant community, have come up. It's no surprise that 82 per cent Sikhs in this country are homeowners. They have always been known to be hardworking people. Hindus are also not far behind. It also goes to show, what Prime Minister Tony Blair has also often mentioned, the stress on family values and education among Indians. It is paying rich dividends. Basere se dur, Indians are shining!