Dining Over the Gap: A Encounter Between Opposing Viewpoints
Meeting the Participants
One Diner: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Former civil servant, currently a learner focusing on public health
Voting record Supported the Green Party last time (and a member of the political group); previously Labour. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist rather than patriotic”
Interesting fact A sketch of a teacup he created as a kid was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
Second Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Hailing from India, he has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and voted the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre”
Interesting fact He taught himself to read and write Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
Initial impressions
Akshat During the past 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, South Korea, the United States. The topics we talked about 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 engaged in a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We shared appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of London.
The big beef
The first participant I view migration similar to sprinkling salt to a dish. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter Akshat had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the state was choosing some preferred demographic of the country.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, individuals escaping oppression, but many migrants coming to the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you should only go if you are able to support yourself and your family.
Peter We got lost 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. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, visa fees are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is restricted. There is no special treatment for anybody. And regarding the recent changes, whereby 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 must maintain a certain level of compassion.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and ought to be promoted.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that certain elements of society – politics, the media – thrive off stoking division. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter believes that because the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to those countries. I simply think: you cannot judge history with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people had no control of what happened decades or a century 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 do that? Certainly not.
Peter Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that colonialism contributed to it. My view is decolonization isn’t just about issuing payments, it should be about looking at what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Takeaways
Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate his worries. I talk to people every day whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the common understanding, in order that all of us can work towards the betterment of the community.
The second participant We were there for two and a half hours. Akshat had dessert and I drank a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we both enjoyed dinner, so we could hopefully be more open to having conversations with other people in the coming times.
