'Call us Indians, not Asians'

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JUNE 19. Many well-heeled and culturally more integrated British Indians are believed to resent being called ``Asians'' and lumped with Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, according to a British newspaper. This is said to be a reaction to the recent rioting involving Pakistani and Bangladeshi youths in Leeds and Oldham, and cricket ``hooliganism'' by supporters of Pakistan cricket team at Headingley on Sunday.

``A growing number of Indians in Manchester say they no longer want to be described as Asians because it places them in the same category as rioting Muslim youths of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin in nearby Oldham'', The Daily Telegraph said today. Their sensitivities, it said, had been ``aggravated'' by Sunday's widely condemned pitch invasion in which one steward was seriously injured when hordes of Pakistani youths ran on to the pitch causing a stampede.

While the newspaper sought to project it as a representative view, prominent Indians told The Hindu that this was not true. Leading Indian industrialist and Labour peer Lord Swraj Paul objected to ``divisive'' representation of the British Asian community.

``It is an unfortunate reaction to an unfortunate incident'', Sir Paul said, referring to the Headingley pitch invasion.

He was opposed to generalisations on the basis of the actions of a group of people.

The view was echoed by a noted Indian academic who said the ``British Asian'' was a ``reality'' and criticised ``sectarian portrayal'' of Asians. ``There may be individuals who may have their own views but I don't believe that is true of most Indians,'' he said, taking strong exception to the statement attributed to the president of the Confederation of Indian Organisation's Tara Mukherjee that the ``vast majority of Indians in Britain'' wanted to be distinguished from other Asians.

The Telegraph quoted Mr. Yogesh Virmani, president of the Indian Association in Manchester, as saying that Indians don't want to be ``dragged down through no fault of ours'' by being bracketed with other Asians. ``The word Asian has outlived its usefulness'', he said. A local Indian businessman objected to the fact that the term ``lumps us all together''.

Meanwhile, many Pakistanis have condemned the Headingley incident and supported the need for stringent punishment for unruly mob behaviour.

A Pakistani student in Leeds, Mahroof Nawaz told a newspaper that he was ashamed at what had happened. A Pakistani waiter was equally critical and suggested harsh punishment to deter hooligans.

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