Shyam Das reveals there was quiet disbelief – and then gratitude – as he got news of his OAM. “I humbly accept this honour,” he tells Indian Link.
Das arrived in Australia in 1988, a young, newly married man from Calcutta, India with a background in travel and tourism. Brisbane, at the time, had only a handful of Indian families. Community gatherings were difficult to organise, and even locating fellow Indians required effort. There was no social media, no WhatsApp groups, no ready-made networks. “I went through the telephone directory,” he recalls, scanning for Indian surnames and making cold calls. One introduction led to another, and slowly, the idea of community began to take shape.
Professionally, Shyam Ratan Das OAM found his footing early. Seeing the absence of any Indian or ethnic travel agency in Queensland, he established what would later become Target Travel and Tours in 1989. Drawing on his experience from India, he built the business steadily, promoting travel and tourism while forging connections between Australia and India. Over the years, his work earned recognition, including the Bharat Gaurav Samman in 2012, presented in New Delhi for his contribution to promoting Indian tourism abroad.
Community work that defined public life
Even before migrating, Das had been involved in social initiatives in India, from medical support to grassroots welfare. In Queensland, he joined the India Australia Society, one of the state’s oldest Indian organisations, and soon began thinking beyond gatherings and celebrations. At a time when India’s global image was often misunderstood, he felt the need to actively showcase the country’s cultural depth. “In a multicultural society, you cannot confine yourself,” he says. “You have to be part of the mainstream.”
That belief translated into action. Independence Day events grew into India Day fairs that highlighted Indian history, artefacts, arts and literature. Das became a founding member of the Queensland chapter of GOPIO and later played a key role in forming the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland, an umbrella body representing more than 100 Indian organisations. The federation created a unified voice for a rapidly growing community and a clear point of contact for local, state and federal governments.
As a Bengali, Das also helped establish the Bengali Society of Queensland in the early 1990s, ensuring space for Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and cultural programming. But his engagement extended well beyond any single identity.
Over the years, he has worked closely with broader South Asian groups, as well as mainstream Australian organisations. Today, he serves as President of the McGregor Lions Club, a Queensland institution that has been operating since 1971.
Another cornerstone of his work has been ethnic broadcasting. Das is now a director of the Ethnic Broadcasting Association of Queensland, one of Australia’s oldest multicultural radio networks, serving over 50 communities. Through radio, he helped promote language, music and culture, while also supporting new migrants and international students navigating life in a new country.
Das describes a period of intense community mobilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic: food deliveries, grocery support, medical assistance and emergency accommodation for stranded students and tourists. Fundraising efforts extended beyond Australia, with significant aid raised for India. Mental health seminars, organised with psychiatrists and counsellors, addressed growing distress among students. “We were there 24 hours,” he says. “Whatever way we could help.”
That philosophy, he says, comes from his spiritual grounding in the Ramakrishna Mission and Vedanta teachings. “Do the right thing, and don’t expect anything in return,” he says. “Peace of mind comes from service.”
Today, Shyam Ratan Das OAM continues to serve his community with unwavering commitment. Guided by his belief that multiculturalism underpins peaceful coexistence, he is now working towards an ambitious vision: the creation of a “House of India” in Queensland, a permanent cultural hub for future generations. Alongside this, his advocacy remains firmly focused on confronting critical issues such as domestic violence, cyberbullying and youth mental health.
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