Looking at the 2025 Australia Day Honours list, our ladies have done it again! a clean sweep, yes, clean sweep it is. And making us proud are Veena Sahajwala, Smantha Pillay, Sunila Shrivastava and Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa.
Having made the Australian Indian community immensely proud already, Professor Veena Sahajwala has now been honoured with an AO.
Prof Sahajwala joins another three Australian Indian women who made the list of this year’s Australia Day honours. And they are – Melbourne based community leader and volunteer Dr Sunila Shrivastava, Adelaide based Dr Samantha Pillay and Perth based artist Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa.
Incidentally, the ladies have kept the proverbial fire ‘burning’ again at the 2025 Australia Day Honours after they held the fort at last year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
These ladies need no introduction and are well known in their craft having made huge contributions.
Having seen her on Australian Televisions channels for years, Prof. Veena Sahajwala is known for her groundbreaking work in recycling science. Although not directly parallel, but curiously, Prof Sahajwala’s work can be viewed in light of the pioneering work done by the architect Nek Chand who designed the famous Rock Garden of Chandigarh some 7 decades ago in 1957. Nek Chand designed and built the Rock Garden completely using industrial and home waste and thrown-away items. The garden is most famous for its sculptures made from recycled ceramic.
In what should be seen as a parallel contrast, Prof Sahajwala’s reimagining waste – plastics, tyres and discarded fabrics has taken the concept to an all-new level. Her work has introduced us all to terms like green steel and green ceramics.
She joins Prof. Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt, Prof. Marlene Kanga, Scientia Professor Deo Karan Prasad, Prof. S Nambiar, Neville Roach, and Ratan Tata, all decorated with AO.
Dr. Sunila Shrivastava has been awarded an OAM for her work with Victoria’s Indian community. Those who know her would say the honour has come [perhaps a decade too late. Both Sunila and her husband Arvind have given to the Victorian Indian community perhaps more than a single family, selflessly contributing to the social, cultural and religious ethos of the Victorian Indian community. Her community work started way back in the 1980s and 1990s but post-retirement, it has been almost like her and her husband’s full-time commitment, particularly through the Sankat Mochan Samiti. She has also volunteered in the area of domestic violence support.
Adelaide based urologist Dr. Samantha Pillay has also been awarded an OAM. Dr Pillay is the first Australian urologist to specialize in Female Urology, with particular interest and focus on bladder disorders and incontinence. She is also known for her work in Neuro-Urology, Functional and Reconstructive Surgery.
Urinary incontinence is not something which is normally understood and discussed. It has some sort of stigma attached to it if it is. Dr Pillay has been working to combat that stigma surrounding this debilitating condition which people suffering from it find embarrassing to talk about.
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa is a Perth based Indian Australian artist. Sukhjit first came to national recognition on the TV show Australia’s Got Talent. Sukhjit was a 2022 WA Young Australian of the Year Nominee. Passionate about diversity and visibility in the performing arts, her extraordinary work as a spoken word artist, writer and performer, provokes conversations around identity, feminism, cultural confusions, and the power of uncomfortable conversations.
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa has also been awarded an OAM.
Two other Indians who also made the 2025 Australia Day Honours list are – Nayantara Gupta of WA and Japjeet Kaur Prior of NSW. Nayantara Gupta, lawyer has been decorated with a Public Service Medal while Japjeet Kaur has been awarded an Australian Corrections Medal.