Diljit Rana, Baron Rana
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Diljit Singh Rana, Baron Rana is a British politician and member of the House of Lords.
In 2004, he was created a life peer as Baron Rana, of Malone in the County of Antrim.
[edit] Life
He was born in Sangol, India and is the oldest sibling of three brothers and two sisters. Lord Diljit Rana, 65, is no stranger to disasters. He left Punjab in 1963 for Belfast, and was targeted 26 times in Northern Ireland bombings. "Being an Indian I should not have had any loyalty to Northern Ireland; I stayed there despite the problem," says Lord Rana. Today, he is a successful property developer, hotelier and president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Diljit Rana, a resident of Belfast since 1966 and managing director of Andras House, is a leading figure in the Indian community in Northern Ireland. He is India's honorary consul in Belfast.
He has also been appointed a member of the House of Lords. Dr. Rana has been involved with the overseas Indian community for a long time. He promotes business links between India and Northern Ireland and has been elected president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. He led a trade mission of 13 companies to India to explore business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies.
[edit] Awards and Philanthropy
Dr. Rana has been awarded MBE for his contribution to the economic regeneration of the city of Belfast through the development of hotels, restaurants, fashion shops and modern office accommodation. Diljit Rana has set up a charitable trust of Rs.50 million for a school and a college named Taxila, in his native village Sanghol, near Chandigarh, India.
The new college is to provide world-class education and offer degree courses in collaborative linkage with the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. The University conferred an honorary doctorate on Mr. Rana who led a delegation of academics from the university to India to explore educational partnerships and help develop university links between India and Northern Ireland.
