Birmingham has got its first British-Indian Lord Mayor in Councillor Chaman Lal after the local councillors of the West Midlands city of England chose him to represent it as its first citizen.
Lal, who is from the Ravidassia community of British Sikhs, was born in the village of Pakhowal in Hoshiarpur before he moved to the UK, where he has served as a local councillor for many years.
The Labour Party politician was first elected in 1994 and in the most recent local elections was re-elected Councillor for the Soho and Jewellery Quarter Ward.“It is a very proud moment for me and our family, as a son of an army officer born in India, but made in Birmingham,” Lal said in his acceptance speech at a mayoral ceremony last week. “I am an adopted Brummie, and I never thought that one day I would become the Lord Mayor of my adopted city. I would like to thank my fellow councillors for electing me as their first citizen which happens to be the highest civic role,” he said.