Conversing Across the Divide: An Encounter Between Opposing Perspectives
Introducing the Participants
One Participant: P., 34, from London
Occupation Ex- government employee, now a learner studying community health
Voting record Supported Green recently (also a affiliate of the political group); previously Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and globalist instead of patriotic”
Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup Peter did as a child was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Diner: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Originally from the Indian subcontinent, he has resided in the UK for five years, and voted the Conservative Party. Identifies as “slightly moderate right”
Amuse bouche He taught himself to read and write Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
The first participant Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the United States. The topics Peter and I discussed are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less evolve similarly across the world. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We shared starters – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think he was too. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for London.
The big beef
The first participant I look at immigration like adding salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the food is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant Akshat had a metaphor regarding seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the government was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
Akshat There are, sadly, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom are those seeking better finances who may not contribute much and can burden the welfare system. No one compels you to move to a new country for opportunity, so you should only go if you are able to support yourself and your relatives.
Peter We became confused with some of the facts. I don’t think it’s like you come over and work and then after five years you obtain permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, there is an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. There is no special treatment for anybody. And regarding the new policies, under which you can’t bring your family over, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I think we have to have a certain level of compassion.
Sharing plate
Akshat Peter questions unregulated markets. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation helps communities and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of society – government, the press – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that since the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people were not responsible of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the Britain had to compensate India, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I believe there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the UK, the public weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the part that imperial rule played in it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about signing a cheque, it ought to involve looking at past errors and where we should be now.
Takeaways
Akshat It won’t change the way I think, but I understand his worries. I converse with individuals every day whose views are opposite to mine. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that everyone can work towards the improvement of the community.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I did not convince him of any point, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
