Conversing Across the Divide: An Meeting Between Opposing Perspectives
Introducing the Individuals
First Participant: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Ex- government employee, now a learner studying community health
Political history Voted the Green Party last time (and a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist instead of nationalist”
Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup he did as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Second Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the construction sector
Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the UK for five years, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat right of centre”
Interesting fact He taught himself to understand the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
Akshat Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, East Asia, the United States. The issues we discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because human life largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We shared appetizers – seafood rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I think he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our affection for the capital.
Key disagreements
The first participant I look at migration like adding salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter Akshat used an analogy about salt. It would be odd to be if the state was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
Akshat There are, sadly, individuals fleeing persecution, but many people arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you should only go if you can take care of yourself and your family.
The second participant We became confused with some of the facts. In my view it is the case that you arrive and work and then after five years you obtain indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the new policies, under which family reunification is restricted, it is astonishing to state: we desire your labor, but we reject you as a person. I think we have to have a degree of compassion.
Sharing plate
Akshat Peter questions unchecked capitalism. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged.
The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of the community – government, the media – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
Dessert and debate
Akshat Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom benefitted from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; eras vary, current society were not responsible of events 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with colonial history. For example, when I first moved to the UK, the public had little knowledge of the Irish famine and the part that colonialism contributed to it. I hold that decolonization is not merely about issuing payments, it ought to involve looking at past errors and our current responsibilities.
Final thoughts
Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I converse with people every day whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the common understanding, so that everyone can work towards the betterment of society.
Peter We were there for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with others in future.
