No one drew the map. I made my own.
I wasn’t supposed to end up here.
Definitely not as a detective.
Not as a South Asian woman. Not as a working-class kid from East London.
But I did.
I grew up with Punjabi roots and Cockney grit. One hand stirring the cha, the other learning how to navigate a world that never looked like me. I knew early on that I’d always be too much for some and never enough for others.
Too loud. Too brown. Too ambitious. Too working-class. Too real.
But I never asked for permission. I got here by showing up, speaking up and staying when it got uncomfortable.
Policing wasn’t built for people like me. There was no template, no roadmap, no aunties saying, “Go be a copper.” But I became one anyway.
And now? I bring all of me into this job.
The daughter of immigrants.
The Cockney girl who held her own.
The detective who doesn’t shrink to fit the room.
The TEDx speaker who tells it how it is.
“Roots to Routes” isn’t just a theme — it’s the truth of my life.
I come from deep roots: culture, chaos, love, survival.
And I’ve carved a route out of silence, doubt, and every room that made me feel like I didn’t belong.
This isn’t just my story — it’s proof that your heritage doesn’t hold you back. It holds you up.
So if you’re a brown girl reading this thinking, “I could never…”
Yes, you bloody could.
And maybe no one drew the map for you.
But you’ve got the pen now.
Draw it your way.
The exhibition ‘Unsung Heroes of World War I’ featured historical artifacts, photos and news clippings on the Asian (Indian, Nepalese Bangladeshi – the Indian subcontinent, along with Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesian soldiers in WW1, as well as other moments in South Asian history.
As the saying goes, “Like mother, like daughter.” In the case of creative talents, this couldn’t be more true. The influence of a mother’s creativity can leave a lasting impact on her children, shaping their own artistic endeavours and passions. In this journal I explore the profound impact my mother’s creative legacy has influenced me and how Sohavi was truly born. Roots to routes explores my late mothers life journey from birth in Kenya to India as a teenager and eventually returning to Kenya in her 20’s , to marry my father Sardar Tirlochan Singh Dhamu, to emigrate to London from Nairobi in October 1973 and live out the rest of her life. Despite experiencing loss and trauma, she endured difficulties n her younger years and made the best of her life in my fathers trusting hand, he led her to a new life in London.
As an update from my last article, I can say that the past year has been both adventurous and fulfilling. I’ve faced a mix of opportunities
South Asian Heritage Month dates changed to "July" from 2026 — Learn more here →
