London: An Indian-origin Sikh councillor has made history after being appointed as the new Lord Mayor of the West Midlands city of Coventry. Jaswant Singh Birdi, who was elected as the Lord Mayor of Coventry city, was born in Punjab.
He will be the non-political and ceremonial head of the city. He and his family have lived in England for 60 years.
“I am very proud to be the Lord Mayor of my home city,” Birdi said after taking over as Lord Mayor. “It has given me and my family a lot over the years. I will be honored to show why I love it so much and to promote the city and the people who live here.”
He was given responsibilities as an official emblem by the mayor at Coventry Cathedral’s annual general meeting last week.
“As a Sikh, it also means that I handle office responsibilities with this turban. It will also help show that we live in a multi-cultural city and it will inspire other cities as well,” he added.