Dining Over the Divide: A Meeting Among Different Perspectives
Meeting the Participants
First Diner: Peter, 34, London
Profession Ex- government employee, now a learner focusing on community health
Voting record Supported Green last time (also a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and internationalist rather than nationalist”
Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup he did as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Second Diner: A., 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the United Kingdom for five years, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly moderate right”
Interesting fact He self-learned to understand Urdu. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
The first participant Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The issues Peter and I discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because human life largely evolve similarly wherever it is. I anticipated someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.
The second participant We shared appetizers – fishy spring rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for the capital.
The big beef
The first participant I view immigration like sprinkling salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the food tastes wonderful. Use too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter Akshat used an analogy regarding salt. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, people escaping oppression, but many migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go to a new country for prospects, so you should only go if you can take care of yourself and your family.
The second participant We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and are employed and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, access to benefits is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anyone. And regarding the recent changes, whereby family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I think we have to have a certain level of compassion.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged.
The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that certain elements of the community – politics, the press – benefit from stoking division. We did find common ground in basic principles and ethics.
Dessert and debate
Akshat Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it should pay compensation to affected nations. My view is simply: you cannot judge history with contemporary ethics; times are different, current society were not responsible of what happened decades or a century ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of funds. Is the UK in a position to manage that? No.
Peter Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that colonialism contributed to it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve looking at past errors and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly whose views are contrary to my own. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that everyone can strive for the improvement of the community.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more receptive to engaging in dialogues with other people in the coming times.
