May 22, 2023
2 mins read

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.

ALSO READ-Lord Indarjit Singh presents Glove to King Charles III

Previous Story

UN, humanitarian partners seek $3 bn for Sudan crisis-related relief

Next Story

76th World Health Assembly kicks off in Geneva

Latest from India News

Peace in Afghanistan Vital, Says India

The Indian delegation at the meeting was led by Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar who expressed support for independent, peaceful and stable Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News On Tuesday, India reaffirmed that a

India, Qatar Strengthen Trade Ties

Goyal expressed optimism about the growing economic engagement between the two countries, stating, “Glad to meet Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed….reports Asian Lite News Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met

Keir Starmer Lands in Mumbai for First India Visit

The visit, described by No.10 Downing Street as a “two-day trade mission to Mumbai,” is focused on strengthening trade ties…reports Asian Lite News United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Mumbai

Diaspora Leaders Urge Pragmatic India-US Ties

Keshap spoke about the recent H-1B visa crackdown from the Trump administration, calling it a decision “driven by domestic politics.”…reports Asian Lite News Prominent Indian American leaders have called for deeper India-US

Sergio Gor Named US Ambassador to India

Trump had announced that Gor would also serve as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs….reports Asian Lite News Sergio Gor, nominated by former President Donald Trump as the next
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Birmingham elects first-ever British-Indian Lord Mayor

Lal joined the Labour Party in 1989 and has taken

Sikh Women’s Aid: Empowering and Transforming Lives

SWA’s mission holds a mirror to the community’s collective conscience,