A resolution has been introduced in the UK Parliament condemning the ‘increasing anti-India racism’ in the country, a 1928 study by the institute found.
Labor MP Navendu Mishra introduced the Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons on Tuesday (22 June).
The Institute of 1928, an organization set up to represent the views of British Indians, recently released a report titled ‘British Indian Identity, Political Representation and Policy Preferences’, which stated that 80 percent of British Indians had adopted their Indian Because of being prejudiced. identity, in which Hindu phobia is most prevalent.
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Acknowledging the report and the contribution made by 1.3 million Indians in the UK, the EDM called on “leading institutions to urgently address this type of bias”.
‘A step to raise awareness among EDM MPs’
Speaking to India Today, Mishra said, “EDM is the first step in trying to address this – it is not a means to an end, but a step to raise awareness among parliamentarians so that they can properly recognize both the contributions of Indians.” To understand. More negative stereotypes can do damage to British society.”
In the British Parliament, EDM is used to record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns. The number of signatures on a particular EDM indicates parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.
As of June 23, 14 MPs from the parties have supported the EDM. Virender Sharma, MP from Southall and Ealing, is one of them.
“I signed EDM 231” Rise of anti-India racism Because as a British Indian, as a Southall resident and as an MP, I have seen this happen. I have seen, in recent years, a growing prejudice against British Indians, most recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic and phrases like the ‘Indian version’. The problem is older than Covid-19 and I have witnessed up close and personally the alarming reality of Hindu fear today in Ealing Southall,” Sharma told India Today.
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Study approved by the Ethics Committee of Oxford University
2300 people were interviewed as part of this study, which was approved by of Oxford University The Ethics Committee, said co-author of the report Arun Vaid.
Pointing to ‘anecdotal evidence’ of the impact the ‘Indian version’, now called the ‘delta version’, has had on businesses owned by Indians, the report states that, “it appears that some There has been an effort by Indians to refer to their primary identity as South Asian rather than Indian. Apart from the impulse to appear inclusive, many feel social pressure not to appear ‘Indian’.”
Referring to how and why this manifests, Vaid said, “Discrimination is often found at work, but increasingly, racist abuse often occurs online. It is also a case of authorities not taking anti-India racism seriously.” The issue is—it’s partly because of our community being very divided and not vocal or organized.”
“Since the use of the phrase ‘Indian version’, I have reduced business at my restaurant at Graves’ End,” said Jassi Sidhu, a shop owner who responded to the 1928 report.
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Recalling a shocking incident, Jassi also said, “Someone shouted at me, ‘Go home virus’.”
Tory MP, Bob Blackman, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group for British Hindus, is also a signatory to the EDM.
Acknowledging the Indian diaspora’s “great contribution” to the British lifestyle and thanking them for it, she told India Today, “Hindu-fear and prejudice against the Indian diaspora in the UK is manifested in many ways, though social Insults are unleashed on the media and insults through the printed media.”
Government may update Hate Crime Action Plan (2016), Hate Crime Action Plan Refresh (2018)
Talking about the way forward for taking the matter to the top, Mishra said, “I want the government to come up with a strategy to tackle anti-India racism and Hindu fear and in fact all kinds of racism. There is no current strategy on this at the moment.”
He said a series of written parliamentary questions, which he put to the Home Office, revealed that “the government is considering updating its Hate Crime Action Plan (2016) and Hate Crime Action Plan Taza (2018),” which laid down the plans of the government. To deal with hatred directed towards anyone for one’s caste, sexuality, disability, gender identity or religion, including the Hindu community. However, it is concerned that with the growing spread of Hindu fear, some Not even solidly committed.”
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“The race and ethnicity of the victims of the hate crime were not collected until 2021. In addition to strategies to tackle Hindu fears and anti-India racism, there is also a need to increase surveillance of the data to analyze spikes in spread. Constituencies, local authorities and regions,” he further added.
Mishra believes that working with the All Party Parliamentary Group on India is the best time to start ‘raising awareness of the issue in Parliament’ as well as working with ‘key stakeholders within the British Indian community’. The only way forward is to work with a working definition of Hindu phobia.
Echoing similar views, Sharma said the way forward for this EDM is to take it to the Speaker of the House for a debate, “Contribution of Indians to the British way of life and what they did during and before Covid.” played the role of. The social, political and economic contributions Indians make – hardships and problems and how the system can help them overcome those obstacles and promote all communities together rather than individuals. “
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