Prateek Tanmay
23-year-old man of Indian origin and his mother have been elected mayors in the United Kingdom. (Photo: X/@INSIGHTUK2)A 23-year-old man of Indian origin and his mother have been elected mayors in the United Kingdom, in what their family described as a proud moment, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Tushar Kumar became the youngest Indian-origin mayor in the UK after taking office as Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council on May 13. A week later, his mother Parveen Rani was elected Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council.
‘We had not come with any specific plan’
The family moved to the UK from Haryana in 2013. Tushar’s father, Sunil Dahiya, told PTI that they had no clear plan at the time.
“We had not come with any specific thing in mind when we moved to the UK in 2013… Tushar was just 10 years then,” he said.
He said it was “a matter of great pride” that both mother and son now hold mayoral positions.
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According to PTI, Tushar entered public life early. He was elected a councillor at the age of 20 while studying in London and later served as deputy mayor before taking the top post.
His father said Tushar believes that “age should never be a barrier” to joining public or community service.
He added that both Tushar and Parveen have been involved in community work, including teaching Hindi free of cost and working with social organisations.
The family’s ancestral village is Rohna in Haryana’s Sonipat district, and they had lived in Rohtak before moving abroad.
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“We always stay connected with our roots. We visit our hometown every year,” Dahiya told PTI.
He said both Tushar and his mother are committed to community service and public engagement in the UK.
