Dining Over the Divide: A Meeting Among Different Viewpoints
Introducing the Individuals
First Diner: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Former government employee, now a student studying community health
Voting record Voted the Green Party last time (also a member of the political group); previously Labour. Identifies as “left, and internationalist rather than patriotic”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a tea cup he did as a child was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Political history Originally from India, he has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right”
Interesting fact Akshat taught himself to read and write Urdu. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
Akshat During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the United States. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives more or less evolve similarly wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We shared starters – seafood rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of the capital.
The big beef
Akshat I view migration like adding salt to a dish. When you add a little bit, the food is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter Akshat had a metaphor regarding salt. It would be a funny place to exist if the government was selecting some preferred demographic of the country.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, people escaping oppression, but a lot of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can burden the welfare system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of your own needs and your family.
Peter We became confused with certain details. In my view it is the case that you arrive and are employed and then following a half-decade you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. There is no special treatment for anybody. And regarding the recent changes, under which you can’t bring your family over, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I think we have to have a certain level of humanity.
Sharing plate
Akshat Peter questions unregulated markets. I am, too, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of society – politics, the press – benefit from creating conflict. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that since the UK 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, current society had no control of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the Britain was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? No.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with colonial history. For example, upon my arrival to the UK, the public weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the role that colonialism played in it. I hold that decolonization is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Takeaways
The first participant It may not alter the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly whose views are opposite to my own. It’s about bringing everyone to the common understanding, in order that all of us can work towards the improvement of society.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to having conversations with others in future.
