| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| The Lord Dholakia | |
| Office: | Co-Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords |
| Term Start: | 24 November 2004 |
| Alongside: |
|
| Leader: | |
| Office1: | President of the Liberal Democrats |
| Term Start2: | 1 January 2001 |
| Term End2: | 31 December 2004 |
| Leader2: | Charles Kennedy |
| Preceded2: | Diana Maddock |
| Succeeded2: | Simon Hughes |
| Office3: | Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
| Term Start3: | 24 October 1997 Life peerage |
| Birth Date: | 1937 3, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Tanzania |
| Party: | Liberal Democrats |
| Children: | 2 |
Navnit Dholakia, Baron Dholakia, (born 4 March 1937), is a British Liberal Democrat politician and a deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
Navnit Dholakia was born in Tanzania[1] on 4 March 1937 to Permananddas Mulji Dholakia and Shantabai Permananddas Dholakia. He was educated in Tanzania and India, studying at the Home School and Institute of Science in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Dholakia came to Britain to study at Brighton Technical College, taking his first job as a medical laboratory technician at Southlands Hospital in Shoreham-by-Sea.
He became active in the Liberal party and was elected to Brighton Borough Council between 1961 and 1964.
From 1976 he served as member of the Commission for Racial Equality and has been involved in the Sussex Police Authority, Police Complaints Authority and Howard League for Penal Reform. He is the current chair of Nacro, and also chairs its Race Issues Advisory Committee.[2]
Dholakia was created a life peer as Baron Dholakia, of Waltham Brooks in the County of West Sussex, on 24 October 1997, and sits on the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords.
From 1997 to 2002 he served as a Liberal Democrat whip in the House, and from 2002 to 2004 he was the Home Affairs Spokesman.
He was elected President of the Liberal Democrats at the end of 1999 and served in the post from 2000 to 2004. In November 2004 he was elected a joint deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, and became the party's sole deputy leader in the Lords in 2010.[3]
Dholakia is involved with a range of charities including being a Patron of the British branch of Child In Need India (CINI UK).[4]
In the 1994 New Year Honours, Dholakia was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to race relations. In 2000 he was named "Asian of the Year", and won the Pride of India Award in 2005. In November 2009 he was given an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire. He was a deputy lieutenant (DL) in the county of West Sussex from 1999 to 2012.
Dholakia was appointed to the Privy Council (PC) in December 2010.
Government of India conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Dholakia in 2003.[5]
| Escutcheon: | Per fess wavy Or and Sable two heraldic dolphins naiant counterchanged that in base contourny a border Sable in chief and Argent in base nine martlets counterchanged. |
| Crest: | Sejant affronty upon a cushion Argent a representation of Ganesh Argent tusked vested bejewelled and crowned with a Hindu crown holding in each of the upper hands a baton and in the lower sinister a sweetmeat Or charged on the abdomen with a Hindu symbol and the sinister leg fesswise above a rat couchant Sable.[6] |
| Supporters: | Two blackbuck reguardant Proper gorged with a plain collar armed and unguled Or. |
| Motto: | Carpe Diem |
He has been married to Lady Dholakia, née Ann McLuskie, since 1967. They have two daughters and live in West Sussex. He is a Hindu of Gujarati origin.[7]