->B. M. L. Peters: Importing Wikidata short description: "British peer (born 1938)" (Shortdesc helper)

2021-10-31T21:46:37Z

Importing Wikidata short description: "British peer (born 1938)" (Shortdesc helper)

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			{{Short description\|British peer (born 1938)}}
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imported>Tom.Reding: +{{Authority control}} (1 ID from Wikidata), WP:GenFixes on

2021-06-12T14:46:33Z

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{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = The Lord Rana
|image = Lord-Rana.jpg
|caption = Rana in 2020
|honorific-suffix = [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|office4 = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br/>[[Lords Temporal|Lord Temporal]]
|term_start4 = 16 June 2004<br/>[[Life peer]]age
|term_end4 =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|9|20|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality =
|party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|children =
|religion =
}}

'''Diljit Singh Rana, Baron Rana''' [[OBE]] (born 20 September 1938) is a British politician and member of the [[House of Lords]]. Having originally been a [[crossbench]]er, he took the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] whip in 2016. He was married to Shruti, Lady Rana.

On 16 June 2004, he was created a [[life peer]] as '''Baron Rana''', of Malone in the [[County Antrim|County of Antrim]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57334 |date=22 June 2004 |page=7753}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld200304/ldjournal/237/108.htm |title=House of Lords Journal 237 (Session 2003–04) |accessdate=13 April 2009 |publisher=www.parliament.uk |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930014057/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld200304/ldjournal/237/108.htm |archivedate=30 September 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==Life==
He was born in [[Sanghol]],<ref Name=post>{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/01/09/story1425.asp |title=Rana's relief |accessdate=13 April 2009 |publisher=The Sunday Business Post }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[India]] and is the oldest sibling of three brothers and two sisters.

Lord Rana left [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] in 1963 for England,<ref Name=post/> but now has been a resident of [[Belfast]] since 1966. He had to repair his property portfolio over 25 times during [[the Troubles]] in Northern Ireland because of bombings and arson attacks.<ref Name=post/> "Being an Indian I should not have had any loyalty to Northern Ireland; I stayed there despite the problem," said Lord Rana. Today, he is a successful property developer, hotelier and president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is director of Andras House, is a leading figure in the Indian community in Northern Ireland. He is India's honorary consul in Belfast.<ref Name=post/>

Lord Rana claims to promote 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.

==Honours, awards and philanthropy==
Rana was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the [[1996 Birthday Honours]],<ref Name=post/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54427 |date=15 June 1996 |page=22 |supp=y}}</ref> for his contribution to the economic regeneration of the city of Belfast. 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 has collaborative links with the [[University of Ulster]] in Northern Ireland.<ref Name=post/> The university conferred an honorary doctorate on 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.

Rana also received an Honorary Doctorate from Bengal Engineering and Science University in West Bengal in November 2008.

He was appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[2021 New Year Honours]] for services to business and the economy in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63218|supp=y|page=N13|date=31 December 2020}}</ref>

==Disputes==
A dispute has continued for many years over the redevelopment plans of the Tillie & Henderson factory site in [[Derry]], this site is owned by Dijit Rana.<ref Name=tillie>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/7994002.stm |title=Call for action on Tillie's site |accessdate=13 April 2009 |publisher= BBC News | date=10 April 2009}}</ref> The site was previously a shirt factory of historic importance but was damaged in multiple arson attacks including major ones in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1293916.stm |title='Arson' attack on factory |accessdate=13 April 2009 |publisher=BBC News | date=24 April 2001}}</ref> and 2002,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/2542129.stm |title=Former factory damaged in blaze |accessdate=13 April 2009 |publisher=BBC News | date=4 December 2002}}</ref> and was subsequently demolished without permission in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radiofoyle/features/tillie.shtml |title=Tillie and Henderson | date=16 October 2014 | accessdate=6 February 2019 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> A budget hotel originally envisioned for the site was still at the planning stage in 2009.<ref Name=tillie/> Rana stated in April 2009 that his designers "we're trying to get things right this time", and communication was ongoing with the [[Northern Ireland Environment Agency]], and he hoped that "there will be a general welcome for our plans in what is a prime location in the city".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/I-still-want-to-build.5165586.jp |title='I still want to build hotel on Tillie's site'- says Lord Rana |accessdate=13 April 2009 |date=13 April 2009 |publisher=www.derryjournal.com}}</ref>

Rana was forced to comply with an Urgent Works Notice in 2003 from the [[Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)|Department of the Environment]]. It obliged him to carry out immediate repairs to [[Cairndhu House]], near [[Larne]]. Rana was advised that the building would be taken from him if he did not comply with the works notice.<ref Name=post/>

Rana himself states that he has protected a lot of heritage buildings in Belfast,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/lord-diljit-rana-past-heartbreak-for-hotel-tycoon-13461092.html |title=Lord Diljit Rana: Past heartbreak for hotel tycoon |accessdate=13 April 2009 |date=23 July 2007 | publisher=belfasttelegraph.co.uk}}</ref> including:
* The Oxford Street Church
* Andras House (built in 1889)
* The Lincoln Building
* Renshaws Hotel.

==Personal life==

In 2012 he was cleared of the allegation that he had assaulted his estranged wife.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18283206 | title=Lord Rana is cleared of assaulting his wife | date=31 May 2012 | publisher=BBC News | accessdate=6 February 2019 }}</ref>

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
|image =
|image size =
|notes =
|year_adopted = 2007
|coronet = [[Coronet|Coronet of a Baron]]
|escutcheon = Argent semy of Flames Gules three Peacocks reguardant in pale Azure
|supporters = On either side a Chinkara Argent armed and unguled Or in the mouth a Flax Flower proper slipped and leaved Or
|crest = On a Helm with a Wreath Or and Azure issuing from a Lotus Argent a Lion's Face Or
|badge = The Wheel of Ashoka Or encircled by a Garland of Flax Flowers proper slipped and leaved Or
|symbolism = The achievement is full of allusion to North West India and the grantee's origins. The flax flower is used as an emblem for Northern Ireland.
}}

==See also==
* [[List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.diljitrana.com/ Official Website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-prec|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Baron Giddens|The Lord Giddens]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom|Gentlemen]]'''<br />''Baron Rana'' '''}}
{{s-fol|after=[[Baron Maxton|The Lord Maxton]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rana, Diljit Baron Rana}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People's peers]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:Crossbench life peers]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:British politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from Northern Ireland of Punjabi descent]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]

Diljit Rana, Baron Rana - Revision history

->B. M. L. Peters: Importing Wikidata short description: "British peer (born 1938)" (Shortdesc helper)

imported>Tom.Reding: +{{Authority control}} (1 ID from Wikidata), WP:GenFixes on