I request the upcoming Her Majesty’s Government, of the following:
The Indian community in the UK is now one of the most important in terms of its contribution to the very well-being of this nation. Indians are integral in almost every sphere of life. We know how extraordinary we are in all professional disciplines, and of course all sectors of business and we put into the economy three times more than the UK average. We are one of the most law abiding communities in the UK. We represent a diversity of cultures, languages, faiths, cuisine, the arts – yet when it comes to nation building, we are one with the UK. So, it is now time that Indians also get the respect that they deserve from the Government and its policies.
In the recent years we have seen an attack on Indians by some politicians and activists who have used the situation between India and Pakistan for their own selfish purposes. We witnessed politicians inviting some extremists to the Houses of Parliament in the name of human rights, but their true intention was to promote extremist ideology. We have even seen the High Commission of India being attacked by Pakistani vandalism on India’s Independence Day. Freedom of Speech and Expression are great fundamentals for any democracy, however, these come with an equally high bar on responsibility. We cannot allow the rights of one community to be trampled upon only to appease another community. We have seen how the Jewish community has been attacked mercilessly. Some politicians sat back and allowed extremists to gain momentum. Such momentum unchecked results in a community that now lives in fear. As a nation we cannot allow that to happen to any other community. Her Majesty’s Government must ensure governance is done with equity, and not via appeasement.
For the sake of our democracy and the trust of the nation, Brexit must be concluded urgently. The world is our oyster. It awaits a Great Britain that will be proactive in chasing every FTA there is on this planet. How we do business in the UK, and how we actively seek partners abroad must experience a sea change. The old methods won’t work and with those old methods, the old philosophy of the Empire years must be put to bed, permanently. As Mahatma Gandhi had said, we must be the change. Fortunately for the UK you already have Indians here who can help with this transformation.
Talking of democracy, is it not time we ensured that every legal voter must show identification before they are allowed to vote? There are reports of illegal voting taking place, both at the voting booth as well as via postal votes. Some parties have made it an art form. The next government must make this airtight, there should not be any chance of malpractice by anyone. The integrity of each vote must be respected.
A country can only function if its economy is sound. So, the new government must ensure that the GDP is not only maintained, but we should be seeking to see a significant increase. With wealth and fair taxation comes the ability of a nation to pay for the services we all love and cherish. The NHS, education, the emergency services, the armed forces and of course the very infrastructure of the nation. All of these are costly and demand not just money, but adequate prioritisation. The five-year cycle is fit for short term political developments, however as a nation is it not time to have a debate on our needs for the next few decades?
(Expressed opinions are personal.)
