23 Facts About Dhani Prem

Dhani Ram Prem was a naturalized British political activist, social worker and physician of Indian origin.

Dhani Prem was the first councillor of Asian origin of Birmingham, representing the Labour Party at Great Barr, in south Staffordshire when he was elected in 1946.

Dhani Prem was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1977, making him the first non resident Indian to receive the award.

Dhani Prem was born in 1904 in Aligarh in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and lost his parents before he turned two.

Dhani Prem was brought up by his uncle and did not get proper early education.

Dhani Prem worked as an errand boy, lived in a library after running away from his uncle's house and taught himself from the library books.

Dhani Prem found work as a general practitioner in Birmingham in 1939 and stayed at Gosta Green, Aston, England for 40 years till his return to India in 1978, about a year before his death.

Dhani Ram Prem died on 11 November 1979, at the age of 75, succumbing to the injuries sustained in a road accident.

Dhani Prem spent three years in Edinburgh and the rest in Birmingham and worked as a general practitioner among the British working class.

Dhani Prem joined the Labour Party and became involved with the British Medical Association.

Dhani Prem was involved with the issue of immigrants when the influx of immigrants began in the early 1950s.

Dhani Prem founded the Indian Immigrant Council in 1953 to assist the immigrants to integrate themselves into British mainstream.

Dhani Prem established an Indian Advisory Council for the UK for assisting the Indian immigrants to the UK.

Dhani Prem dissociated himself from the Labour Party in 1968 in protest against the expulsion of Kenyans Asians and joined the Liberal Party, becoming a member of their National Council.

Dhani Prem contested the February 1974 general election in Coventry South East as a Liberal Party candidate but was unsuccessful.

Dhani Prem published a book in 1965, The Parliamentary Leper: a history of colour prejudice in Britain detailing the racial issues in Britain.

Dhani Prem was the president of the Asian Conference, a society of the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants in the UK.

Dhani Prem was associated with the Race Relations Council of Birmingham as a member and was the chairman of the Midlands India League and the Finance subcommittee of the Coleshill Group of Hospitals.

Dhani Prem set up a trust for the education of young women and a primary health centre in his home town of Aligarh.

Dhani Prem's efforts were reported behind the establishment of a local radio station and served as an advisor to the British Broadcasting Corporation for their Asian programmes.

Dhani Prem was involved in a controversy when he advocated for the sterilization of coloured wives to protect the country from the proliferation of coloured people.

Dhani Prem urged the local health authorities to implement the plan.

Dhani Prem received a doctoral degree from the Aston University in 1978.