Jaswant Singh Birdi, 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. After having served as Deputy Lord Mayor for the past 12 months, he succeeds Councillor Kevin Maton in the role. Apart from being a councillor, he has been actively involved in setting up religious, social and community projects in the city.

Birdi is Punjab-born and soon will be the Chairman of the City Council. Birdi moved to Coventry 60 years ago and has spent 17 years as a councillor in the city. He represented Bablake Ward for the past nine years, following two terms of office in the 1990s in the Hillfields Ward. 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. 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."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," Birdi said.