Conversing Over the Gap: An Encounter Among Opposing Perspectives
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: Peter, 34, London
Occupation Ex- government employee, currently a learner focusing on public health
Voting record Supported Green last time (also a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist rather than nationalist”
Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup he did as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Participant: A., 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the UK for half a decade, and voted Conservative. Identifies as “slightly right of centre”
Amuse bouche Akshat taught himself to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
The first participant Over the last two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives largely evolve similarly wherever it is. I anticipated a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.
The second participant We shared appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. 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’ve lived in the US and Spain. We bonded over our love of the capital.
Key disagreements
Akshat I view immigration like sprinkling salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the food is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is either too bland or too salty.
Peter He used an analogy about seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the state was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, individuals escaping oppression, but many migrants coming to the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a new country 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. In my view it is the case that you come over and work and then after five years you get permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, application costs are quite expensive, you pay an NHS surcharge, access to benefits is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And concerning 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.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged.
Peter We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that some parts of society – politics, the press – thrive off creating conflict. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and values.
For afters
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that since the UK benefitted from colonial times, it should pay compensation to affected nations. I simply think: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; eras vary, modern people had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is Britain able to do that? No.
The second participant In the past, I don’t think there was much reckoning with colonial history. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that imperial rule played in it. My view is decolonisation isn’t just about signing a cheque, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
The first participant It won’t change the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with people every day with opinions are contrary to my own. It’s about bringing everyone to the common understanding, so that everyone can work towards the improvement of the community.
The second participant We were there for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more receptive to having conversations with other people in future.
