Dining Over the Gap: An Encounter Between Opposing Perspectives
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Ex- government employee, now a student studying community health
Voting record Voted Green recently (and a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour. Identifies as “left, and globalist instead of patriotic”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a tea cup he created as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the construction sector
Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Identifies as “slightly 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
The first participant Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because people's lives largely evolve similarly across the world. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think Akshat was. Would he criticize me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our affection for London.
The big beef
The first participant I look at immigration like adding salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Use too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter Akshat had a metaphor about salt. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
The first participant There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can weigh on the benefit system. No one compels you to go to a different nation 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. I don’t think it is the case that you arrive and work and then following a half-decade you obtain indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, application costs are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, 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 desire your labor, but we don’t want you. I believe we have to have a degree of humanity.
Common ground
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. So am I, but at the same time, economic growth benefits society and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that certain elements of the community – government, the press – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in basic principles and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that because the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it ought to provide compensation to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; times are different, modern people had no control of events 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the UK had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not.
Peter In the past, I believe adequate reflection occurred with colonial history. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, people weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining past errors and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
The first participant It may not alter the way I think, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I talk to people regularly whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the betterment of society.
The second participant We remained for two and a half hours. Akshat had dessert and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with others in future.