Indian-origin Harbhajan Kaur Dheer becomes first Asian elected mayor in UK

LONDON: An Indian-origin councillor woman has became the first Asian woman elected mayor of Ealing Council in London.

Harbhajan Kaur Dheer, 62, at a ceremony at the Victoria Hall at Ealing Council yesterday became the Mayor of Ealing Council after succeeding councillor Tej Ram Bagha.

"It is a great privilege and challenge to be the Mayor of Ealing Council in London. I have no illusions about the task ahead. But if I can cope up with Ranjit at home I can climb even the Everest," Kaur said.

Her husband councillor Ranjit Dheer is a former Mayor of Ealing. Born in Punjab in 1953, Harbhajan Kaur came to Britain in 1975.

The early years in Britain were difficult and she had to work very hard to establish herself and raise two children.

She studied Social Sciences at Kingston University and obtained a degree in 1995.

She worked as an Approved Mental Health Professional in Surrey County Council until 2003.

After joining Labour Party in the Eighties, she began to develop her public role within the Party and outside in the community.

She has served the borough as a governor of a number of schools.

In the Nineties, she worked as a volunteer Home Visitor helping home bound women with learning English.

She is a passionate advocate of rights of children and elderly including those with mental health issues.

A mother of two children - a son and a daughter - she became a grandmother in January this year.

Her husband held the post of Mayor of Ealing in 2001-2002.