Navnit Dholakia, Baron Dholakia
Encyclopedia
Navnit Dholakia, Baron Dholakia OBE
PC DL
(born 4 March 1937) is a British Liberal Democrat
politician and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia is one of the most senior Asian politicians in Britain.
and Tanzania
, Dholakia came to Britain to study at Brighton Technical College
. His first job as Medical Laboratory Technician at Southlands Hospital
in Shoreham-by-Sea
.
and was elected to Brighton Borough Council between 1961 and 1964.
From 1976 he served as member of the Commission for Racial Equality
and has been involved in the Sussex
Police Authority, Police Complaints Authority
and Howard League for Penal Reform
. He is the current chair of Nacro
.
Dholakia was made a life peer
as Baron Dholakia, of Waltham Brooks in the County of West Sussex
, in 1997, and sat on the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords
.
From 1997 to 2002 he served as a Liberal Democrat whip
in the House, and from 2002 to 2004 he was the Home Affairs Spokesman.
He was elected President of the Liberal Democrats at the end of 1999 and served in the post from 2000 to 2004. In November 2004 he was elected joint Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. In 2010 he became the sole Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
Dholakia is involved with a range of charities including being a Patron of the British branch of Child In Need India
(CINI UK).
In 1994 he made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2000 he was named 'Asian of the Year', and won the Pride of India Award in 2005. In November 2009 he was given an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire
. He has been a Deputy Lieutenant
(DL) in the county of West Sussex
since 1999.
Dholakia was appointed to the Privy Council
(PC) in December 2010.
Ann McLuskie, since 1967. They have two daughters and live in West Sussex.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
PC DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(born 4 March 1937) is a British Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
politician and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia is one of the most senior Asian politicians in Britain.
Education
Educated in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Dholakia came to Britain to study at Brighton Technical College
City College Brighton & Hove
City College Brighton & Hove is a large general further education college in Brighton and Hove. Its main campus is at Pelham Street, Brighton. It was formerly known as Brighton College of Technology and before that Brighton Technical College....
. His first job as Medical Laboratory Technician at Southlands Hospital
Southlands Hospital
Southlands Hospital is based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England, and serves people living in Shoreham itself as well as Worthing and other towns and villages along the south coast and in the inland areas of West Sussex. The hospital's duties include day surgery, orthopaedics, intermediate...
in Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
.
Political career
He became active in the Liberal partyLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and was elected to Brighton Borough Council between 1961 and 1964.
From 1976 he served as member of the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
and has been involved in the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
Police Authority, Police Complaints Authority
Police Complaints Authority
The Police Complaints Authority , was an independent body in the United Kingdom with the power to investigate public complaints against the Police in England and Wales as well as related matters of public concern...
and Howard League for Penal Reform
Howard League for Penal Reform
The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. Founded in 1866 as the Howard Association, a merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921 created the Howard League for...
. He is the current chair of Nacro
Nacro
Nacro is a registered criminal justice charity operating in England and Wales. It is not formally linked with Sacro in Scotland or NIACRO in Northern Ireland.-History:...
.
Dholakia was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Dholakia, of Waltham Brooks in the County of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, in 1997, and sat on the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
From 1997 to 2002 he served as a Liberal Democrat whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the House, and from 2002 to 2004 he was the Home Affairs Spokesman.
He was elected President of the Liberal Democrats at the end of 1999 and served in the post from 2000 to 2004. In November 2004 he was elected joint Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. In 2010 he became the sole Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
Dholakia is involved with a range of charities including being a Patron of the British branch of Child In Need India
Child In Need Institute (CINI)
CINI, known internationally as Child In Need India and in India as the Child In Need Institute, is an international humanitarian organisation aimed at promoting "sustainable development in health, nutrition and education of child, adolescent and woman in need" in India...
(CINI UK).
In 1994 he made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2000 he was named 'Asian of the Year', and won the Pride of India Award in 2005. In November 2009 he was given an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire
University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
. He has been a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(DL) in the county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
since 1999.
Dholakia was appointed to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
(PC) in December 2010.
Personal life
He has been married to Lady Dholakia, néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Ann McLuskie, since 1967. They have two daughters and live in West Sussex.
Sources
- Lord Dholakia biography at the site of Liberal Democrats
- UK Hindu youths' quest to find roots Times of India - 26 July 2001