Dhani Prem

Dhani Ram Prem (1904–1979) was a naturalized British political activist, social worker and physician of Indian origin.

He 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. He 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.

Biography Dhani Prem was born in 1904 in Aligarh in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh He was brought up by his uncle and did not get proper early education. from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and King's College Hospital in London respectively. Returning to India during the Great Depression of the 1930s, he failed to find a job as a medical practitioner and had to work as an editor of a literary magazine by name, Chand. He joined the Labour Party and became involved with the British Medical Association. a post he held through two elections till 1950.

Prem was the president of the Asian Conference, a society of the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants in the UK. He 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. He urged the local health authorities to implement the plan.

Awards and honours It was reported that Prem was selected for the British honour of the Order of the British Empire which he declined because he considered the honour to be imperial in nature. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1977, making him the first overseas Indian to receive the award. He received a doctoral degree (DSc honoris causa) from the Aston University in 1978.