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Birmingham elects first-ever British-Indian Lord Mayor

Lal joined the Labour Party in 1989 and has taken part in many social justice campaigns to challenge inequality and all forms of discrimination…reports Asian Lite News

Councillor Chaman Lal has become the first ever British-Indian Sikh to take oath as Birmingham’s Lord Mayor.

Born in Pakhowal village of Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, Lal came to England in 1964 with his mother to join his father Sardar Harnam Singh, a British-Indian army officer who in the Second World War served in the Italian campaign.

Lal joined the Labour Party in 1989 and has taken part in many social justice campaigns to challenge inequality and all forms of discrimination.

First elected to Soho and Jewellery Quarter ward in 1994, he has served the city council for the past 30 years. “By accepting this honour, I am very proud to be able to serve this great city as Lord Mayor. When I was first elected to the city council nearly 30 years ago, I never imagined that one day I would become Lord Mayor,” Lal said at a mayor making ceremony at Birmingham city council house last week.

“It will be a huge privilege to serve this city as First Citizen, and I look forward to representing Birmingham locally, nationally and internationally over the coming year,” he said.

Prior to his appointment to the ceremonial role of Birmingham’s First Citizen, Lal held various posts, including Chair of Sustainability and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), and membership of Co-ordinating OSC and West Midlands Combined Authority Transport Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

He has served many years on the West Midlands Transport Authority and has a keen interest in improving public transport. “I’m also keen to meet people from our diverse communities and will do all I can to support organisations and volunteer groups that help vulnerable residents, especially during the current cost of living crisis,” Lal said in a statement.

He had attended Wattville Secondary Modern School and qualified as an engineer in electronics. During his year-long term as Lord Mayor, he will be supported by the Lady Mayoress, his wife Vidya Wati.

ALSO READ-West Midlands gets its 1st Indian-origin Lord Mayor

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West Midlands gets its 1st Indian-origin Lord Mayor

Birdi was presented with the Chains of Office, worn as an official regalia by the Mayor, at an annual general meeting of Coventry Cathedral last week…reports Asian Lite News

An Indian-origin Sikh councillor has made history after being appointed as the new Lord Mayor of Coventry, a city in the West Midlands, England.

As a Lord Mayor, Punjab-born Jaswant Singh Birdi will be the Chairman of the City Council, and as Coventry’s first citizen, he will be the non-political, ceremonial head of the city.

“I am so proud to become Lord Mayor of my adopted home city. It has given so much to myself and my family over the years and I will be honoured to show why I love it so much and to promote the city and the wonderful people who live here,” Birdi said in a statement.

Birdi was presented with the Chains of Office, worn as an official regalia by the Mayor, at an annual general meeting of Coventry Cathedral last week.

“As a Sikh, it also means so much that I will be wearing the Chains of Office and the turban. It will help show what a happy multi-cultural city we have and maybe inspire others as well,” he said.

Born in Punjab, Birdi moved to Coventry 60 years ago and has spent 17 years as a councillor in the city, representing Bablake Ward for the past nine years, following two terms of office in the 1990s in the Hillfields Ward.

After having served as Deputy Lord Mayor for the past 12 months, he succeeds Councillor Kevin Maton in the role.

He grew up in a village in the Indian part of Punjab and also spent time as a child in Lahore and West Bengal, as his family travelled for employment.

In the mid-1950s Birdi emigrated with his parents to Kenya in East Africa, where he had his primary and secondary education, and emigrated to the UK in the 60s to carry on with his further education.

Apart from being a councillor, he has been actively involved in setting up religious, social and community projects in the city.

He has named his chosen charities for the year as the Muscular Dystrophy charity, the Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind, and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Charity.

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