KNIC HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILE

 

ROLE OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

 

Amongst many functions one of the roles of the central government in relation to its citizens can be defined as service planner, special emphasis is paid to the diversity of its population at the outset.  The government has an inspectorate, which then monitors the delivery of services for its fairness and efficiency.

 

ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HEALTH PROVIDERS

 

The role of the local authorities is to provide services in line with the central government directives, for example, the most recent government drives have been:

 

Ø      Best Value

Ø      Social Inclusion

Ø      Launch of compact and in line with the McPherson Report

Ø      Race relations amendments act, as well as

Ø      European Human Rights Act

 

What this means in reality is that every community and individuals religion, culture and language should be taken into account at the planning and delivery stages of the services.  Special efforts should be made to include ‘hard to reach people’.

 

THE PURPOSE OF THE CENSUS

 

The Census is carried out every ten years and it includes questions on housing, education, employment health business and other economic activity, this then provides essential information which enables the central government to plan its services and set budgets for the next ten years.  In the census all communities are included and their socio-economic mapping is analysed.  Through this, special effort is made to improve the quality of life of the marginalised communities, who are not contributing in the state and society.  Remember it is the central and local government’s responsibility to develop communities and enable and empower them to achieve and receive services in line with the rest of society.  If a community is not included in the census that means it is invisible and no effort will be made to improve its disadvantaged situation.

 

THE MIRPURI (KASHMIRI) CUSTOMER HAVING DIFFERENT CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC NEEDS?

 

From very early on British High Commission in Rawalpindi picked up on the language difference and employment interpreters who could speak Pahari (Mirpuri dialect), I myself was interviewed in the Pahari language in 1970.

In 1984 there was a famous case in Birmingham, where a Kashmiri woman was convicted wrongly on misinterpretation and later on her conviction was quashed.

 

In Leeds there were numerous immigration cases specially reviewed and granted visa on the basis of interpreters using language other than that of the client’s language (Pahari).  As time passed the first generation got older, unemployment rose, community needs changed, like other communities the Kashmiri community started relying on the local and national resources or shall I say started missing out on the these Government initiative.  Some of the service planners and providers up and down the country started realising that there is a gap in their service planning and delivery, hence they started asking questions, because of the Kashmiri community was invisible, they could not pin point the gaps.

 

KNIC believes that there are hundreds of such cases up and down the country where Kashmiri people face injustice, miss out of rightful benefits are discriminated against in employment and service delivery, are discriminated against because of their ethnicity but suffer in silence because of their invisibility.  This is likely to continue until the Kashmiri community is included in the system.

 

PIONEER AUTHORITY

 

After Birmingham (estimated 100,000) Bradford (80,000) has he biggest Kashmiri community.  Realising that there were gaps in services, the Labour group led by Councillor Greenwood and backed by Kashmiri Councillors especially late Cllr. Mir recognised the Kashmiri community in its right.  At this historic moment addressing full house Cllr. Greenwood said:

 

“CLEARLY GIVEN THE KASHMIRI COMMUNITY IN BRADFORD IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTINCT ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IT IS ENTIRELY SENSIBLE FOR US TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO DEFINE THEMSELVES AS KASHMIRI IN OUR ETHNIC MONITORING”.

 

(OPPOSITION/DEFENCE) IN BRADFORD

 

As soon as the authority passed the recognition motion as usual a Pak/Kasmir forum lead by Pakistani politicians (allegedly by Pakistani consulate) surfaced.  The forum wanted Kashmiri recognition reversed.  All other communities welcomed this recognition and considered it to be a step forward in relation to equality of opportunities.

 

The forum tried everything in its power but was unsuccessful; however, it made a lot of noise in some very right wing Pakistani papers, the Daily Jang (London) being the main one.  Kashmiri people living in Britain in general and Bradford in specific rejected these forums as well as ill informed Jang opinions and articles.  The forum then started door to door leafleting.

 

 

 

DEFENCE

 

At this point the Kashmiri community got its act together and started a serious of public meetings, leaflets distribution and public debates.  This then attracted interest from Kashmiris nationally.  They started counter publicity campaigns but the Pakistani media refused to publish articles, which were supporting the Kashmiri identity.

 

THE IDEA, (KWA)

 

Kashmiri Workers Association (A Birmingham based Kashmiri organisation) in its meetings had discussed the need for recognition well before Bradford, but after Bradford KWA took this up with the relevant departments of the central government and MPs, with some success, especially in opening the debate.

 

CONCEPTION OF KASHMIR NATIONAL IDENTITY CAMPAIGN “KNIC”

 

Kashmiris called a national meeting on 26^th January 1999 at Kashmir Café in Bradford, which was attended by Kashmiri organisations, community leaders, prominent individuals and Kashmiri sympathisers including Cllr. Greenwood.  After lengthy debates, exchange of views, it was agreed that the British state and society is not only failing the Kashmiri community but denies its very existence from the outset, therefore there was a need for a national organisation to lobby at central and local government levels and all other relevant service planners including Health, Justice system, Voluntary and private sectors as well as with the academic community.

 

COMPOSITION OF KNIC

 

KNIC was set up as an open/loose structured organisation, members agreed to have a Central Co-ordinator, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Secretary and Co-ordinators in each town, city (where possible) and has an open membership policy.

 

WHO CAN JOIN KNIC

 

Any body can join Kashmir National Identity Campaign as long as they work towards the Kashmiri community’s recognition within BritishState and society.  They can be individuals, groups, organisations, and political, religious, or charitable organisations as well as individuals.

 

KNIC is not a political part; it is a very strong pressure/lobby group concerned about British Kashmiris.

 

WORK DONE BY KNIC

 

KNIC within its limited resources has carried out the following tasks successfully:

 

·        2 MEETINGS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS WITH EARLY DAY MOTIONS

 

After launching KNIC two meetings in the House of Commons were arranged, where 26 & 40 members of parliament respectively signed the early day motion (EDM) to include Kashmiris in the 2001 census.

 

PUBLICITY

 

In the last 4 years KNIC has produced two news letters, numerous targeted leaflets, arranged nation-wide public meetings, participated in public debates and produced and distributed information on Kashmiri migration to Britain as well as Kashmiri community’s socio-economic depravation in Britain and its possible causes and remedies.

 

LOBBY WITH COUNCILLORS, MPs

 

MPs

Kasmiri Workers Association had targeted MPs of all parties by correspondence.  KNIC took this work a step forward and tried meeting as many politicians as was possible, also there have been at least two mail shots directed as the House of Commons and several pieces of correspondence to relevant MPs who were interested in more information.  This work largely has been dependent on the interest of their constituents i.e. KNIC members in a given town or city.

 

COUNCILLORS

As far as the councillors are concerned, we have had a mixed response but largely councillors have paid a lot of lip service but have produce nothing with the exception of some councillors in the North.  Such as the late Cllr Mir of Bradford, Cllr Karam Hussain and Cllr Iqbal in Leeds.  The reason being most of them seem to be under the influence of parties and policies abroad rather than in Britain.  They always talk about Kashmiri politics in international and South Asian context but not in the context for which they are elected.  Look at the Birmingham situation; Council will pass resolution on Kashmir but will not recognise Kashmiris.  Pakistani media always talks about Kashmir but will not recognise Kashmiri identity.  Therefore we have had limited success with Kashmiri councillors and have had total opposition from Pakistani councillors e.g. Birmingham.

 

MINISTERS AND RELEVANT OFFICERS

Ministers responsible for the census were constantly lobbied; at least meeting was held with the Home Minister, Jack Straw who promised the delegate that:

 

The wording of the question proposed for England and Wales’s facilitators’ write-in answer within each of the main ethnic groups.  This would enable respondents, if they so wished, to describe themselves as ‘Kashmiris’ under the main Asian category.

 

An answer to white paper was prepared (by Ghulam Hussain) and every effort within the available resources was made to convince the statistics office to include Kashmiri category.  Although Kashmiri category was not included in its own right, however a lot of progress was made and KNIC was given the understanding that:

 

The data will be broken as promised by then Home Secretary.

 

HOUSE OF LORDS

KNIC lobbied in the corridors of House Of Lords with some disappointment in that the opposition came from the Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham who in one of the meetings said:

 

“I am a Kashmiri but by pretending to be Pakistani I can achieve more for the Kashmiris”.

 

However he promised not to speak against the identity, as far as the KNIC knows, he has kept that promise.  This is as far as Lords lobby got.

 

RECRUITMENT OF MEMBERS FROM VARIOUS AUTHORITIES

 

KNIC had very little time and limited resources to fight on all fronts, it was actively engaged with the statistics office with politicians and service providers’ i.e. especially with Local Authorities.  It set about targeting individual local authorities and setting up informal groups/branches.  It managed to attract membership from a very wide political and none political value base.  Unfortunately with the exception of Freedom Movement KNIC has failed to convenience any of the Kashmiri nationalist parties to participate actively.

 

INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS AND OTHER INTERPRETATION/ TRANSLATION PROVIDERS

 

In the interpretation industry, which has failed the Kashmiri community since its arrival in Britain, some progress has been made, the institute of linguistics recognises the Pahari interpreters in their pools.  However, it is up to the community to demand for their rightful services and not make do with believe services.  KNIC is working towards community awareness in the field of work.

 

DRIVE TO TICK “OTHER” & WRITE IN KASHMIRI IN THE CENSUS

 

One of the understanding given by the Home Minister, and minister responsible for census was that; if a sufficient number of Kashmiris tick “other” box and self determine their ethnicity i.e. write in Kashmiri, then at the request of the service planners/providers, the information will be broken in such a way that it will reflect the Kashmiri community’s profile.

 

KNIC mounted a massive campaign, through leaflet distribution, newspapers advertising, radio advertising, door-to-door canvassing, personal contacts and telephone canvassing and by volunteers who helped fill in the forms.  It is notable that, The Daily Jang a Pakistani Government backed newspapers refused to accept KNIC's advertisement.  The person responsible for advertising section categorically said:

 

“JANG’S POLICY IS THAT IT DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE KASHMIRI IDENTITY”

 

The other refusal came from Bradford Asian radio, it is run by Indians and their excuse for refusal was:

 

“We are scared of the Pakistani backlash”

 

However Radio Manchester ran the advertisement, their feedback was :

 

“They were lobbied very heavily by Pakistanis to stop it”

 

THE LANGUAGE

 

Most institutions recognise the language as being Mirpuri, hence the Kashmiri identity if coupled with it i.e. Mirpuri language and Mirpuri community.

 

I was seconded to develop a language service with Leeds Health Trusts.  They had carried out a research into the interpretation needs.  The statistics read as follows:

 

Last year 2000 Mirpuri Urdu, 3000 Mirpuri Punjabi and 200 Mirpuri Bangali assignments were undertaken.  The project had no Pahari (Mirpuri dialect) speaking interpreter.

 

WHERE IS THE CAMPAIGN AT THE MOMENT?

CURRENT STANDING POSITION

 

The campaign in the last four years has made a difference both at local and national levels as well as making in roads into the community itself.  It has raised awareness in public, in certain media, office of the statistics, institute of languages, Health and other public service providers including a number of local authorities and health trusts.  Up to date the following local authorities have recognised Kashmiri community:

 

Ø      Bradford                                                               Birmingham

Ø      Luton                                                                     Manchester

Ø      Oldham                                                                 Trafford

Ø      Pendle

Ø      Rochdale

Ø      Kirklees

Ø      Kirklees (Huddersfield, Dewsbury)

Ø      Leeds and

 

Birmingham, Manchester, Bolton, Sheffield and Trafford are being targeted at the moment.

 

The institute of linguistics is made aware of the different linguistic needs of the Kashmiri community.  It must be noted that the institute was already aware of the Pahari language but was not aware of the number of Pahari speakers in Britain.

 

Health Departments and regional health trusts are targets with some success as to how Kashmiri people miss out on health awareness and primary care initiatives as well as how they are diagnosed through inappropriate use of the language medium.

 

KNIC is in process of producing further literature to start lobbying with both at local and national levels again to make sure that the Kashmiri community is not excluded on new government initiatives.

 

THE STRENGTH

 

Recently there have been rafts and rafts of government legislation such as Race Relations Amendments Act, EU Human Rights Act, Steven McPherson Report (Lawrence inquiry), and other central government drives such as social inclusion and launch of compact, all the above support Kashmiri recognition.  In fact these pieces of legislation make it illegal for any body to discriminate against or exclude any individual or community as a whole from receiving just services.   All the Kashmiri community has to do is stand up and be counted.

 

THE HINDRANCE

 

So far the opposition has come from the Pakistani councillors, Public Service Workers, Newspapers and individuals; so called Community Leaders.  Looking at the Birmingham, Manchester Councils and Bradford Health Trust it seems as though there is a calculated and premeditated agenda to classify Kashmiris into Pakistani Kashmiri and Indian Kashmiris.  This sub-grouping goes nicely with Pakistani and Indian Partnership on Kashmir in South Asia.  It than begs a question:

 

Is this Pakistan High Commission’s agenda, which is forwarded by Birmingham’s Cllr.  Afzal or Manchester’s Cllr. Moughal or Bradford’s Health Trust’s Mr Khan?

 

The second hindrance comes from the Kashmiri Community Leadership in that they do no demand their rights and do not raise awareness in the community of which they claim to be leaders.

 

Lack of resources in producing publicity material and other reports is also a huge hindrance.

 

 

 

 

HARASSMENT

 

Many of the KNIC volunteers have been constantly harassed both in work situations and privately.

 

Ø      KNIC’s treasurer has informed us that the constantly got threatening anonymous phone calls on his mobile and at home

Ø      Safdar Mir, Birmingham KNIC co-ordinator, recently informed us that he has been subject to accusation of being Indian agent etc.

Ø      I myself have lost at least two previous jobs because of it and also currently I have made an official complaint of being harassed by other South Asian communities on my Kashmiri ethnicity bases.  It is being investigated.

Ø      In Nottingham two Kashmiri women were sacked by Pakistani Management Committee because they were Kashmiris.  The victims could not prove discrimination because the system doesn’t recognise the Kashmiri ethnicity.

Ø      KNIC publicity Secretary was suspended from work because “The JANG news paper” complained to his local authority that the publicity secretary was using authority’s faxing facilities.  This was then turned in to an issue by an anti identity councillor in Kirklees.  The person in question was re-instated with full pay because he followed authority’s set procedures.

 

Above mention examples are a drop in the ocean, Kashmiri community is daily harassed in all walks of life and are called names such as: MPs. PAHAPS, BOOJOS, (monkeys) and are laughed at.  For these reasons most Kashmiris tend to hide their true identity and pretend to be some one else.

 

WAY FORWARD

 

The way forward is to achieve recognition for British Kashmiris so that this community becomes visible and enjoys participation in BritishState and society at all levels.  This goal can be achieved through:

 

Ø      Joining Kashmir National Identity Campaign;

Ø      Demanding to be registered as Kashmiri at the registration office;

Ø      Demanding to have Pahari (Mirpuri dialect) interpreters at every front line office, which deals with the Kasmiri community;

Ø      Taking it up with your councillors, MPs, Radio stations, newspapers, talk to the community, relatives, children’s, your local schoolteachers and wherever you think some one needs to know, and

Ø      Recognising yourself what is happening to the Kashmiri community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINALLY

 

Thank you for listening to me, if there are any questions I will be more than happy to take them now if you want to talk to me at the interval, please do so.

 

Be proud.  Be Kashmiri.  Be included and be counted.

 

Useful Contacts:

 

Daalat Ali

National Co-ordinator

2 Rough Hay Walk, Newbold

Rochdale, Lancashire

OL16 5SU

Tel:  01706 710504

 

Abid Hussain

National Secretary

57 Ashbrow Road

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

HD2 1DX

Tel: 01484 318919

 

Safdar Mir

Birmingham Co-ordinator

5 Maitland Road

Birmingham

B8 3AP

Tel; 0121 328 5650

 

 

BKA/Ali/KNIC HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT PROFILE.DOC