In a startling indictment of "the growing disaffection of Pakistani Muslims and youths of Pakistani origin", the British government released a new, hard-hitting action plan on Dec.11 to prevent a repeat of the riots in mainly Pakistani and Bangladeshi-populated north-west English towns earlier this year.

Blair's Britain, it seems, has discovered something that Indians at home would recognise from school civics lessons as the unity-in-diversity model of society. Here, some of the more conceited members of Britain's NRI population of more than a million are already calling it the triumph of the "India model".

Officially, it is called the Community Cohesion Report but its findings may be reason enough for a samosa-and-saris party, said one delighted Southall resident.

Sikh-dominant Southall and Gujarati-dominant Leicester are singled out for praise in a catalogue of woe about the "separate lives" led by Asians and whites: "In Southall and Leicester in particular, it was clear to us there was a pride in their community... it was also notable that diversity was seen as a positive thing", the government said.

It also commended the two areas for their ability to resolve differences, scotch the rumour mill and come together as a community by agreeing to tolerate each other's differences.

In marked contrast, it said, Bradford, Burnley and Oldham, the cities where some of the worst riots in 20 years occurred in the summer, revealed the "involvement of youths of Pakistani origin ...(on account of) marginalisation within society".

The report begins with the damning quote from a Pakistani Muslim who told the government interviewer, "When I leave this meeting with you, I will go home and not see another white face until I come back here next week".

But the white-Asian divide seems less obvious in Southall and Leicester, the report said. So what, if anything, are British Indians doing right and how does Southall react to the news that to many Indians at home, it is considered to be 'Little Punjab'.

Southall, which boasts the first British pub to accept payment in rupees, is unworried. "It is not surprising that the government should finally realise that we have been a stable society for many years," said Southall's long-serving MP, Piara Singh Khabra, who arrived here from Punjab many decades ago.

Indian Sikhs, he said, made up the largest part of Southall's ethnic community, and East African Indian Gujaratis dominated Leicester. All of them were less interested in causing trouble than in getting an education and getting a job.

Khabra's conclusions may be controversial for some, but sociologist Mohammed Anwar said the government's own statistics reveal a picture of rude good health for the educational, corporate and economic achievements of British NRIs.

- nriol.com report

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