I write returning from Italy. Italy at the heart of World War 2 and also recent battles on immigration. Before I left for Italy, I was elected as Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Memorial Gates. So these things were on my mind.
“It is nothing short of a miracle…which has called men from the uttermost ends of the earth… and which has caused human beings to do the most incalculable, improvident and, from a narrow point of view, profitless things.” This was Winston Churchill describing to the House of Commons the support for the war effort from the people of what was then the British Empire.
There is a part of immigration policy connected to military service of course. Just ask the Ghurkas who are able to now reside in Britain because of their military service, or indeed myself as the off-spring of a member of the British Army having the same privilege when the laws were different.
But the worst sight to see is a politician, without sense of history, commenting on how they want to remove from social service pamphlets Hindi or Urdu as happened several years ago. Of course coming into this country today the ability to speak the language is of critical importance. But when a nurse asked my grandmother several years ago, ‘have you not picked up any English’ that I had to remind the nurse, actually her grandchildren can ‘wipe the floor with you in their ability to speak English and when my grandfather was in the British Army, no one asked him during the second world war about his linguistic skills.’
Immigration policy in this country and our attitude elderly immigrants needs to have as much honour as we do for our war Dead.
There is on the internet a pack for schoolchildren entitled, ‘We also served’. In it is recounted one quote to catch my eye: ‘I was a little coloured boy from the Caribbean and I instinctively call him Sir. “No Sir,” he hastily corrected. “It is I who call you Sir”, Flight Lieutenant Billy Strachan on being introduced to his newly appointed colleague.
When I sit across Field Marshalls and Generals I see the great debt of honour they feel towards Indian soldiers in the Wars. They want to see more Indian origin people in the armed forces. They can tell me dates and names of battalions and regiments and numbers and battles in which Indian origin soldiers fought. It is extraordinary.
We want these battles and this service taught in our schools’ history classes. We are trying. We are planning. It is important so our living immigrants from India are honoured as much as the dead.
