Birmingham gets first British Indian Lord Mayor
“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 and of our great city which happens to be the highest civic role entrusted to a serving councillor,” 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. He attended Wattville Secondary Modern School and continued with his studies in evening classes at Sandwell and Matthew Boulton Colleges.
