England holds a special pull for South Asian people. From the freshly baked English cookies to signature English fish and chips; from university education to walking through the streets of central London, and from English pubs to museums ; all remains the focus of travelogue writers and tourists. As part of English colonial legacy, everyone wants to learn English language to leverage status in the society and drinking Tea is a part of lifestyle.
It took me twenty years to revisit England and during the last two decades I have gone places. All through these years I could never come out of the spell of the place where I lived for over one year. I rediscovered myself in a area which was the confluence of different social and cultural thought processes; Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare on the one side and the industrial centre of Birmingham, the Cadbury city on the other side. As a student, I learnt the meanings of pluralistic society in England. I saw people of different cultures and countries coexisting as complementary social groups. State acted as a benevolent apparatus encouraging inclusive participation in the development process. The result of the participatory approach created opportunities for people from all over the world to settle and set up their foundations in England. The best example is the Prime Minister of England and mayor of London; both from immigrant families and belong to the minority communities.
My recent visit helped me observe changes that have taken place over the years. I had my lodging arrangements at St. John’s wood , one of the areas of central London and just a close distance from fictionalised Regent Park. The first discernible thing was the omnipresence of East Asian and south Asian people in the heart of London. Are we in Ilford or South Hall , my wife asked me naively. After a short stroll and a bit of grocery shopping we came back to our apartment. Next day I had my jogging session at Regent Park and the demographic change was visible here too. Next few days in London we met old friends either at lunches or dinners. London tube systems took us all across at an affordable fare and in my assessment London transport system is perhaps better than the Japanese train network.
People who migrated to England in the decades of 60s or 70s , they have their third generation born,bred, educated and now working in England. The early migrants were not much educated but managed to earn money through sheer hard work by adhering to the local normative structure. They bought properties all across the country and facilitated the migration process of their extended families. Their sole concern was to earn money and ensuring education for their children. Now their children are well educated and in my understanding more religious than their illiterate or semiliterate parents. Most of them are not only bearded but are the proponents of counter culture to challenge the old English traditions. I asked one of my friends about the religious orientation of their children. His reply was revealing. They were all normal till the time they joined universities. In universities student societies created in the names of religions influenced them.
This time I witnessed a number of helpers and servants working in the homes of people. They are again from different nationalities mainly East Europe or South Asia. They perform most of the chores at a subsidisedlabour rates ranging from 5 GBP to 8 GBP per hour which is less than the minimum wage threshold. This social change is moving at a fast track; breaking the identity of British society which operates on self-dependency.
My next sojourn was at Blavatnik school of public policy,Oxfordshire. To say the least it was a different lens for looking at life. We studied and we socialised both in campus and off campus. Role playing , simulation narrations and dinners sent everyone back to the school days. Liberal ideas and progressive discussions on all the topics gave different perspectives and shades. The faculty members were acclaimed names in their respective fields but they were always amenable to new thoughts. Not at a single point, they were found over imposing. The change in the student population has also been seen in the university. As told during one of the briefing sessions that students from China have outnumbered the rest of the countries. Language, though have seen changes due to excessive internet access but still I continue to believe in the sanctity of language and its usage. The excessive influx , in my observation erodes the beauty of language and probably it is happening in England.
The disappearance of traditional English pubs in London also intrigued my sensibility. Most of the pubs have become restaurants or the area of the pub has been reduced. The traditional bell which is rung at 10:55 pm asking for last order is no more sounded in London. This practice is still followed in the Oxfordshire which is the birthplace of sir Winston Churchill and he shares his grave with his wife in the same place near Blenheim palace. Sir Churchill saved the England during the Second World War with his statesmanship. Just outside the chapel where sir Churchill is laid to rest, a traditional English pub is operating which has changed only to the extent of its exterior and interior, the soul is retained and dress code is observed. Bells are rung at 10:55 pm.
Blavatnik School shapes the public policies through it alumni network and research work. Traditions and conventions define England. The rise of a counter culture in England by the migrant population is a threat to the core and kernel of English value system. Blavatnik School has to produce intellectuals and statesmen to revive the past of Regent Park and to save the England from the onslaught of unregulated counterculture which is not even acceptable in their native countries. Probably, it is time to review and reformulate major policies to modulate the cultural shift in England.
Nadeem Ahsan
He went to Warwick university England and writes on social and economic issues. He lives in Lahore and can be reached on the following email address
nadeem27ctp@hotmail.com
