Church Service celebrating James Swapan Peris’s life

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

Well known community & human rights activist James Swapan Peris’s funeral took place on Friday 21 June at Salem Baptist Church, Hillingdon, who had passed away on 27 May in Charring Cross Hospital, London. He had died of kidney failure and brain haemorrhage though he had been ill for a while and had a transplant in 2009.

James Swapan Peris’s was a cultural, secular, human rights & community activist involved with various organisations locally & internationally including the Nirmul Committee, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh and Secular Bangladesh Movement. He was the General Secretary of the Secular Bangladesh Movement. He was also a singer, composer, harmonium & tabla player and a deeply religious person. He was involved with Bengali Christian Fellowship based at Christchurch, East London and the founding president of Bangladesh Christian Association and general secretary of the Bengali Christian Association. He devoted a lot of time to his local Salem Baptist Church in Hayes.

James Swapan Peris lived in Southall. He came to the UK in 2002. He was born on 22 December 1973 and was 47 at the time of his death. He has left behind his seven year old boy Bitaan Joshua Peris and wife Bithi Agnesh Peris. They got married in 2004. In Bangladesh he hails from Atharo Gram, Munshiganj. He cared for people during his life and after his death by making arrangements for his organs to be donated.

Following service officiated by Rev William Kirk & committal service by Pastor Kajal Sarker he was buried at nearby Cherry Lane Cemetery in Harlington, Hayes.