Birmingham has got its first British-Indian Lord Mayor in Councilor Chaman Lal after the local councilors 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 councilor for many years.
The Labour Party politician was first elected in 1994 and in the most recent local elections was re-elected Councilor for the Soho and Jewlery 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 councilors for electing me as their first citizen and of our great city which happens to be the highest civic role entrusted to a serving councilor,” he said.
According to the Birmingham City Council, Chaman Lal’s father, Sardar Harnam Singh Banga, was a British Indian army officer who served in the Italian campaign during World War II. Lal’s father came to England in 1954 and settled in Birmingham, taking employment in various industries including several years with British Steel.
Chaman Lal came to England with his mother, Sardarni Jai Kaur, to join his father in 1964 and has lived in Birmingham ever since.
