- Friday, April 26, 2024
ROSS COUNTY midfielder Yan Dhanda stressed the importance of tackling stigma against south Asians to improve ethnic representation at the highest levels of English football. Dhanda and Birmingham City loanee Brandon Khela made history last Sunday (14) when they helped Ross County beat Scottish football giants Rangers for the first…
BRITAIN is as racist as it was in the 1970s, and some politicians of colour are making matters worse, anti-racism campaigners have told Eastern Eye. Their comments follow a landmark series on Channel 4, Defiance, which tells the story of how south Asian and black people fought right-wing extremists in…
Actors Rasika Dugal and Arjun Mathur’s Lord Curzon Ki Haveli will serve as the closing film at the prestigious UK Asian Film Festival, the makers said on Wednesday. Anshuman Jha, who makes his directorial debut with the movie, and Dugal are expected to walk the festival's red carpet on May…
A COMMON type 2 diabetes test may be inaccurate for tens of thousands of south Asians in the UK, a new study has shown, prompting calls for more research. A genetic variant almost exclusive to people with south Asian heritage affects the accuracy of the diabetes haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test,…
Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives in the US that condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry, hate, and intolerance. The resolution was presented on Wednesday and has since been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The resolution reads that despite their positive…
Driving around with hockey sticks in the boot of the car and stockpiling petrol bombs to defend themselves are among some of the gripping accounts that make up a new UK documentary chronicling racist attacks faced by British Indians in the 1970s and 80s. Defiance: Fighting the Far Right, a…
Thousands are lured to Cambodia with promises of data entry jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a nightmarish world of forced labour. These "cyber slaves" are forced to run online scams that target people worldwide. These victims are held captive in high-security complexes, guarded by armed men. Their passports…
CANCER screening services must be more culturally competent and sensitive to the needs of south Asians - especially women, a leading doctor has told Eastern Eye. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the first person of colour to lead the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association (BMA), said south Asian women were less…
BORN and raised in England, Humera Malik admired the power of words from an early age. The US-based elementary school teacher has turned that love for reading into a writing passion that has led to her writing a newly published children’s book, The Great Henna Party. The beautifully illustrated book,…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to the “incredible contribution of south Asian people to our economy and our society” as he congratulated winners at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity awards. Sunak also witnessed the unveiling of the GG2 Power List which profiles the country’s 101 most influential and…
Lord Jitesh Gadhia, chairman of the British Asian Trust, was recognised for over three decades of public and community service with the GG2 Hammer Award at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Tuesday (5). After coming to Britain as a refugee from…
YOUNG Asian girls can be fun, sassy, adventurous and intelligent and should be celebrated, journalist and author Babita Sharma said, ahead of her new children’s book being published next week. Priya Mistry and the Paw Prints Puzzle tells the story of a young girl who loves to solve mysteries, such…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak has retained the top spot on the 2024 GG2 Power List for the third year in a row, along with his wife Akshata Murty. The power couple were recognised for their growing influence in the UK, with Sunak in the top job and Murty playing an…
In the heart of Greater Manchester, a hidden gem beckons the taste buds of locals and curious visitors alike – the legendary 'Rice and Three' cafes. Nestled in the Northern Quarter, these unassuming eateries offer a uniquely Mancunian twist to south Asian cuisine. In the 1980s, the concept of 'Rice…
PLAYING Winston Churchill in a play at the National Theatre is another step towards inclusivity in the arts, actor Tony Jayawardena told Eastern Eye. The 45-year-old will be seen playing the iconic former British prime minister in the play, Nye, which is based on the life of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan…
HARMEET grew up in a vibrant multicultural corner of east London, with her parents, sister and grandparents. And from an early age, she was always encouraged to use her voice to help others. “This ranged from translating information from English to Punjabi for older relatives and supporting my mother to…
RESEARCHERS have called for more equitable access to drug treatment and support for people in minority ethnic groups after a study found they faced barriers such as stigma and lack of culturally competent services or ones they have no faith in them. Funded by the Department of Health and Social…
THE life-saving issue of organ donation, which is rarely discussed, has directly affected many within the south Asian community due to a shortage of donors and subsequent lack of matches. Farhan Sattar was one of those affected, who didn’t get a lifesaving heart donation in time and sadly passed away…
The Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Oldham is preparing to host a pivotal well-being event aimed at combating mental health stigmas in south Asian communities. Organised by the temple's youth group, Yuvak Mandal, known for their dedication to community service, this event aims to address the importance of mental health awareness…
Sohm Kapila, an internationally renowned actress (Aquaman 2, Never Have I Ever, Greys Anatomy, Small Town Big Story), born in India and raised in Nottingham, is back in the Midlands from her home of Los Angeles and spoke to Eastern Eye about her latest role on stage as Rekha in…
CAMBRIDGE does not need to become Britain’s Silicon Valley to be successful – as more talent from south Asia are being attracted to the city, according to experts. They highlighted Indian-origin entrepreneurs – such as Dr Sai Shivareddy, founder of battery firm Nyobolt – who are at the forefront of…
Indo-British actor Saaj Raja best known for his work was recently onstage in a play in the West End in Best of Enemies with David Harewood and Zachary Quinto and has been part of projects such as Marvel's Eternals and BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought series, is set to…
A new NHS England survey has revealed that a significant number of south Asians, 64% to be precise, are experiencing mental health concerns. Among those surveyed, 42% reported experiencing depression, while 29% faced generalised anxiety disorder. The silver lining, however, is that 65% of those who sought professional help for…
AN EXCITING young generation of south Asian creative talent is continuing to add new elements to popular culture with a cool approach. While some have already made an impressive mark with a brilliant body of work, others are showing real potential to be future gamechangers. They are all making themselves…
FORMER Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq said he has received racist messages on social media following the club's approval of a loan offer from a consortium headed by ex-chairman Colin Graves. Yorkshire were fined £400,000 ($510,560) and handed a 48-point deduction in the County Championship last year after an investigation into…
Actress Avantika Vandanapu, who is best known for starring in the Disney Channel Original Movie Spin and the comedy film Senior Year, now headlines the reboot of the beloved classic Mean Girls. The musical teen comedy film directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. in their feature film directorial…
All the glitz and glamour from the 25th anniversary of the Asian Business Awards will be aired on Zee TV on Sunday, January 28th, at 7 pm. A total of nine awards were handed out at the glittering ceremony, held at the Park Plaza Hotel in central London and attended…
BRITISH Asians have a higher rate of catching the life-threatening condition sepsis compared to other population groups, a study found. The illness, which kills around 48,000 people every year in the UK, occurs when the body overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs. Leading doctors…
THE glitz and glamour of American dance competitions will hit the Birmingham Rep theatre next month in the form of Bhangra Nation – A New Musical. Director Stafford Arima told Eastern Eye that bhangra groups are “not just in a couple of states, but spread across America”. “The writers felt…
Richa Moorjani, who shot to fame after playing the role of Kamala in Mindy Kaling’s global hit series Never Have I Ever, surprised audiences with a completely different character in her next project. She essays the role of Indira Olmstead, a cop in the new season of the Golden Globe-winning…
Former chancellor and home secretary Sajid Javid described his knighthood as a “tremendous honour” after he was recognised for his achievements in the New Year’s Honours List announced last Friday (29). Javid, who represents Bromsgrove, served under three different prime ministers in six different Cabinet posts, including as culture secretary,…
A British Asian man has taken legal action against Liverpool FC, accusing the club of racial discrimination in the handling of his job application, The Guardian reported. The lawsuit alleged that Liverpool rejected Asad Farooq's (25) application, favouring a less experienced candidate for the position. According to Farooq, he has…
MPs and immigration experts have criticised ministers for “deliberately targeting” British Asian families in their quest to get immigration figures down. Home secretary, James Cleverly, announced last week (13) that from April 2024, the minimum salary threshold for UK nationals and permanent residents applying to bring family members to join…
AN EDUCATION and physical activity programme targeted towards people suffering with type 2 diabetes among south Asians in Leicester has proved to have a “lasting impact” on long-term health of participants. Since the development of the 12-week Healthy Goals programme in 2018, the evidence-based lifestyle initiative has helped 84 individuals…
An educational physical activity initiative, Healthy Goals, designed to combat rising type 2 diabetes rates within the South Asian community, has demonstrated enduring positive effects on participants' health. Notably, 100% of those who participated adopted healthier dietary habits after completing the programme, reflecting significant lifestyle changes, a press release by…
A GROUND-BREAKING year in entertainment saw glass ceilings shattered, greater heights conquered, creative horizons expanded, and new paths carved globally. There was also ground-breaking work, international crossovers, and exciting new talent announcing their arrival. Top south Asian talent from diverse fields were at the forefront of the marvellous moves being…
HEART ATTACKS account for approximately 80,000 hospital admissions in England each year, and at least seven out of 10 people survive them. This number rises to nearly nine out of 10 (94 per cent) for those who get to the hospital and get the right care. Although chest discomfort is…
KRYSTLE KAUL, an Indian-origin foreign policy and national security expert with roots in Kashmir, has announced that she will run for the US House of Representatives from Virginia with a focus on core issues like public safety, education and healthcare. Kaul, if elected in 2024, would be only the second…
THE government continues to fail south Asian women, girls and boys who are suffering domestic abuse, and it has not learnt lessons from the pandemic, campaigners have told Eastern Eye. They said they remain concerned that should there be another pandemic, south Asians and minority groups would be in unnecessary…
AN INSPIRATIONAL businessman whose company has donated over a billion pounds to charitable causes was crowned the Business of the Year at the 25th anniversary of the prestigious Asian Business Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Wednesday (22). Nirmal Sethia is an internationally renowned entrepreneur whose business empire…
WHETHER it is on stage, television, film or in a popular ASDA commercial, Muzz Khan has consistently shown off his impressive range as an actor and worked with many established names. The versatile British Asian, who is also an accomplished DJ, rcently joined the cast of West End show, The…
SOUTH Asian families have been warned about potential hefty inheritance tax bills over their property portfolios. Ahead of the chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday (22), experts highlighted a lack of awareness among some first-generation British Asians about the tax rules on real estate. The average property wealth of…
A Muslim officer has encouraged individuals from various communities, especially South Asians, to consider pursuing roles as prison officers. Hammad Butt, prison officer at HMP Norwich in Norfolk, has asked people to consider joining the service, as applications for the role of prison officer are currently open. The Lammy Review…
DIWALI celebrations at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard last Thursday (16) were attended by members of the public who got the chance to explore the shared maritime heritage of Indian communities and the Royal Navy. Military personnel, including the Royal Navy Race Diversity Network and the Defence Hindu Network, as well…
The NHS will visit thousands of people in England’s lung cancer hotspots with giant inflatable lungs this month, to raise awareness of potential cancer symptoms and help catch cancer earlier. The Let’s Talk Lung Cancer roadshow, run between NHS England and Roy Castle Lung Foundation, kicks off as new survey…
HAILING from India originally, Joshua Bethania has been making a big impact on the UK stand-up comedy scene in the past few years with winning performances, great acclaim and recognition for his talent. The young London-based funny man is joining an impressive line-up of comedians on The Indians Are Coming…
PLAYING the lead character in Jack in the Beanstalk, actor Nikhil Singh Rai hopes he can “light a spark” in young south Asians to think about acting as a career path. The panto will be staged at the Stratford East Theatre, an area with a large ethnic minority population which…
DIWALI – the story of good triumphing over evil – shows how multiculturalism is not failing but instead enhancing community relations in today’s Britain, prominent politicians and business leaders have told Eastern Eye. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, added their voices to the…
MONTHLY stand-up comedy night Brown Sauce is a spicy mix of tasty new talent, established names and raising money for good causes. The laughter-filled shows in central London, founded, hosted and curated by Sharlin Jahan, regularly light up the Bill Murray comedy club in Angel. The Bangladeshi, Canadian comedian based…
A HIGHER proportion of British Asian children are classed as overweight compared to other groups, according to government data. Experts have expressed concerns over the disproportionate number of youngsters of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin who are having weight problems when they turn 10 or 11. Some 36.2 per cent…
RESEARCHERS have called on the government to prioritise funding towards analysing the impact of racism on mental health, saying countries such as the US were “way further ahead” in this area. A study by the Centre for Mental Health and King’s College London found that both past and present experiences…
CALIFORNIA governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday (7) vetoed a bill passed recently by the state legislature to explicitly ban caste discrimination, citing existing laws that already prohibit ancestry discrimination, which made the bill "unnecessary." Had Newsom signed the bill, officially called Senate Bill 403 or SB 403, California would have…
DIVERSE work across multiple platforms has established Raj Ghatak as one of the best British Asian actors. The versatile performer, with a chameleonlike ability to transform himself, is currently in the cast of The Father and the Assassin, which has returned for another successful run at the National Theatre in…
Actor Chaneil Kular, who rose to fame after playing a gay man named Anwar Bakshi in Netflix’s worldwide hit Sex Education, is excited about his first lead role in a new film, titled Accused. In the pulse-pounding thriller on Netflix, the actor essays the powerful role of a young man…
Members of the Hindu community in Seattle came together to organise a prayer ceremony in memory of Jaahnavi Kandula, the 23-year-old Indian student who tragically lost her life when struck by an overspeeding police car while crossing a street. About 25 people gathered under a cloudy sky at Denny Park…
MIGRANTS from Bangladesh are more likely to report a religious affiliation than any other group living in England and Wales, according official figures. Analysis of the 2021 Census data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that 94.9 per cent migrants from the south Asian country reported a…
SEEMA MALHOTRA MP and healthcare workers have urged South Asians to sign up to become organ and stem cell donors at an event held in the House of Commons, a statement said. The awards ceremony was hosted by the MP to recognise the work of volunteers for Upahaar, a charity…
MEMBERS of the south Asian community in Seattle held a rally on the site where Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula was fatally hit by a speeding police patrol car, demanding jail for police officers responsible for her death. Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave…
A new survey published last week by NHS England has revealed a lack of confidence among south Asians in recognising the symptoms of a heart attack, with nearly half (44%) in the community saying they were not confident that they could recognise the signs. Furthermore, almost half (48%) claimed they…
LONDON’S Barbican Theatre will soon reverberate to the sounds of “operatic telling” and dramatic, ancient Indian dances as it is set to host a fresh two-part adaptation of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, on October 1. Canada-based Why Not Theatre has adapted this ancient work into a “more accessible form…
THE union which represents judges has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the way the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) uses taxpayers’ money to fight legal cases. For three months, Eastern Eye has used freedom of information requests to investigate court action against the JAC from unsuccessful candidates. South Asian judges…
LUCY FULFORD, a 34-year-old freelance journalist and filmmaker, has written a personal book, The Exiled: Empire, Immigration and the Ugandan Asian Exodus, about the Asian expulsions from Uganda. What is different about her account is how she has woven her own story and that of her family into the larger…
GATE Theatre’s Brassic FM, which opens next Monday (4), will showcase an “unfiltered and unique” take on the working class, as seen through the lens of a pirate radio station. Co-created by poet Zia Ahmed and artistic director Stef O’Driscoll, Brassic FM is described as a love letter to working…
Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in south Asia, one of the world's most polluted regions, according to a report published on Tuesday (29) which flagged the growing burden of hazardous air on health. The region, which includes the world's most polluted…
A commonly prescribed blood-thinner, clopidogrel (Plavix), may not be effective for individuals of South Asian descent due to a genetic mutation, a study suggests. The research reveals that over half of those with Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage have a genetic mutation that hinders the proper function of clopidogrel, the Daily…
A STAND-OUT show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe is The Department of Britishness. The latest offering from acclaimed Indian stand-up comedian Anuvab Pal is a laughter-filled look at embracing Britishness and continues his strong run of live UK performances. It also adds to an impressive body of work that has…
RACISM has no place in the National Health Service, the health secretary has told Eastern Eye. His comments come after doctors’ leaders made clear that medics of colour were more likely to face complaints and disciplinary hearings than their white colleagues. Two years ago (August 2021) this newspaper revealed that…
Over a third of south Asian communities in the UK are projected to achieve a comfortable retirement, a Scottish Widows' latest Retirement Report revealed. The report's National Retirement Forecast offers a comprehensive perspective on the nation's retirement landscape, presenting a particularly positive outlook for Indian communities. Released on Monday, August…
CRICKET, tapas and a TV advert featuring footballer Lionel Messi may seem like a strange combination, but it has been a winning one in helping to grow the sport in Spain and across Europe, thanks to the south Asian expatriate community. In Malaga, the Cartama Oval has become the new…
THE big budget thriller, which marks Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt’s entry into Hollywood had a premiere on Netflix recently. The story revolves around a secret agent (Gal Gadot) working for a mysterious organisation designed to keep order globally. She then crosses paths with a young Indian hacker (Alia Bhatt) and…
HOW do you write about sex? This was the question put to Reshma Ruia, the co-founder of a south Asian women’s writing collective, The Whole Kahani (the complete story), when the group of eight authors launched their third anthology in London last week. Tongues and Bellies, a short story collection,…
IN FEBRUARY 1999, Sir William Macpherson released a devastating report into the racist murder of the black teenager, Stephen Lawrence. The term ‘institutional racism’ started to prick the conscience of our wonderfully tolerant country. I say this without any hint of sarcasm or irony because I can’t imagine living in…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has failed to step up and investigate why Lord Ian Botham trashed an independent report which found cricket to be racist and misogynist, according to those close to the sport. Eastern Eye has spoken to several prominent cricket sources who have accused the…
WHO were the first Asian faces that you remember featuring regularly on television? Beyond the specialist Asian community programmes on a Sunday morning, there were pretty slim pickings across the ‘eighties. The Eastenders portrayal of everyday East London life would depict one Asian family at a time in Albert Square,…
WHEN Rishi Sunak became prime minister, TV and radio programmes asked for my thoughts. In almost every interview, I said this was our Barak Obama moment, but Sunak would be seen through a different lens from any of his prime ministerial predecessors. He was the first person of colour in…
EARLIER this year, George called me. “Barnie, I need a favour,” he began, “I’m involved with a migration charity, and we’re telling the story of how migrants have helped Britain. “We want an exhibition in Leicester, use my name, I’ll turn up and do what I need to do, can…
THE annual celebration of South Asian Heritage Month explores the shared cultures and histories of the UK and South Asia, with a range of activities from film screenings and concerts to workshops, discussions and events bringing diverse communities together. To mark the important month, being held in 2023 from Tuesday…
St Mary's Guildhall, a 700-year-old Grade-1 listed heritage venue, has collaborated with leading south Asian artists to celebrate the rich culture intertwined with Britain's history. The Guildhall, which survived World War II Luftwaffe bombing raids and underwent a £5.5m restoration last summer, will mark south Asian Heritage Month by hosting…
MORE champions are needed to talk about dementia and raise awareness among south Asian communities in the UK, Alzheimer’s Society ambassador, Dr Karan Jutlla, has said. A survey in May to mark Dementia Action Week showed that one in three people (33 per cent) who noticed symptoms of dementia in…
RIFCO Theatre’s creative director Pravesh Kumar said his family’s expulsion from Uganda, in 1973, prompted a digital series on south Asians fleeing the dictatorship of Idi Amin. Titled GenerAsians – The Ugandan Expulsion, the production charts the story of seven families who left Uganda 50 years ago under tumultuous circumstances,…
ACTING must put more people of colour in creative boardrooms to stop unconscious bias, colonialism and complacency which exist in the profession. That is the call from one of the industry’s biggest south Asian stars. Meera Syal told the Raminklal Pioneers Project, a partnership of the Asian Media Group [the…
MOST of us know someone in our family who has suffered from diabetes, or cancer, or had a heart attack or stroke. Doctors have known for a long time that south Asians are more susceptible to certain diseases. For example, we’re five times more likely than white people to develop…
THE Church of England stands accused of failing survivors of child abuse and punishing whistle blowers who give them a voice, a former independent advocate has told Eastern Eye. The church sacked Jasvinder Sanghera, who founded Karma Nirvana, a charity for mainly south Asian survivors of domestic abuse, forced marriage…
CRICKET owes Azeem Rafiq and Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford an apology for the way they were treated in exposing and trying to overcome racism in cricket, the chair of an independent inquiry has told Eastern Eye. After a two-and-a-half-year review of the sport, the Independent Commission for Equity in…
ENGLAND’S world cup winning cricketer Adil Rashid is among the British Asian names recognised in King Charles’s inaugural Birthday Honours List announced today. With doctors, politicians, educators, authors, community leaders and philanthropists among the 11 per cent of recipients coming from an ethnic minority background, the list showcases the immense…
For motorists wanting to put “Singh” or “Krishna” on a personalised number-plate, the price tag could put the brakes on such ambitions. The most expensive registrations sold at auction were revealed by the government’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). And “51 NGH” made the top 10 after being bought…
The Conservative party has attracted more funding from Asian business leaders and companies than Labour, latest data shows, with one prominent industrialist donating £2 million to the ruling party. [caption id="attachment_236898" align="alignright" width="300"] Sanjay (left) and Vipul Vadera[/caption] Amit Lohia, 48, a director at Indorama Ventures, emerged as one of…
India and the US must work on making bilateral ties stronger and focus on collaboration on education and cultural fronts, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said. He expressed hope that the two sides will talk about cooperation in the education and business sectors and find ways to strengthen the bilateral…
An Indian-origin father-son duo has been elected to the Hertsmere borough council in southern England. Prabhakar Kaza was elected from the Borehamwood Kenilworth ward as a Labour and Cooperative candidate in the May 4 election while his son Aaditya of the Labour Party emerged victorious from the Borehamwood Hillside seat.…
Ever since the writers’ strike began in Hollywood, a number of celebrities have come out to show their support and solidarity, with some of them even joining the picket lines in New York and California. Well-known actress, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling also joined the picket line of striking writers…
LABOUR is "institutionally, structurally and systematically racist” and taking south Asian voters for granted, councillors and party members have told Eastern Eye. They are urging the Labour leadership at national level to investigate why Hindus and Muslims have been barred from standing in next week’s [4 May] local elections. Labour’s…
The annual UK Asian Film Festival returns for another action-packed line-up in May. The longest running celebration of south Asian cinema globally, previously known as Tongues On Fire, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with film premieres and special events. [caption id="attachment_229610" align="alignleft" width="297"] Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry[/caption] Festival director and…
A new research has underscored the disparities in mental health support for South Asian patients with kidney disease, a statement said. The study from the University of Hertfordshire recommended specialist, culturally-adapted approaches for patients who face barriers in accessing mental health screening and care. According to the research, South Asians…
Influencer KSI has apologised for using the racist slur P**i in a YouTube video and has said he will be taking a break from social media. The 29-year-old used the derogatory term aimed at people of south Asian heritage while he was involved in a Countdown challenge with the group,…
People from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian ethnic backgrounds were more likely to rely financially on support networks, such as friends and family, upon retirement, than white British people, a research has revealed. Pension participation among ethnic minorities in UK is lower than average, and non-pension sources are expected to play…
Lilly Singh had a gala time at the recently concluded 95th Academy Awards where she met a host of celebrities including Ram Charan, Guneet Monga, Chandrabose, and Malala Yousafzai, among others. The Canadian YouTuber and host even clicked pictures with a few of them and dropped them on her Instagram…
THIS National Careers Week, the 'We Are the NHS' campaign is highlighting the inspiring stories of senior South Asian staff and the exciting and varied nursing roles available across the NHS. When Asha Day’s younger siblings were born prematurely, she knew she had to step up to help her mother.…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak, Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham and pathbreaking lawyer Ayesha Vardag were among the winners at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Tuesday (7). Sunak took home the coveted GG2 Hammer Award for smashing through the ultimate glass ceiling by…
RISHI SUNAK paid tribute to his family as his elevation to become Britain’s first Asian prime minister kept him on top of the 2023 GG2 Power List for the second consecutive year and was also recognised with a coveted award in London on Tuesday (7). Sunak tops the ranking of…
MEMBERS of the Muslim community had the lowest rates of suicide in England and Wales in the past decade, latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. A survey published on Monday (6) also found that the rates of suicide were lower across the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish,…
ACTOR Tony Jayawardena said memories of his late mother helped him connect with his role in the upcoming play Marjorie Prime, which explores how people deal with the grief of losing a loved one. Set in the year 2062, the play tells the story of Marjorie, an 85-year-old woman suffering…
A DIVERSITY and inclusivity specialist has urged the UK to learn from the boom in the number of Indian-origin CEOs of major organisations and cultivate talent from ethnic minority communities. Last week, US president Joe Biden nominated the former CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Banga, as a preferred candidate to lead…
SEATTLE has become the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination, after its local council voted to add caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws. The move addresses an issue important to the area's South Asian diaspora, particularly the Indian and Hindu communities. India's caste system is among the world's oldest…
A resolution moved by an upper-caste Hindu official in the Seattle City Council to bring in an ordinance banning caste-based discrimination in the city has generated intense debates among members of the Indian-American community. The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote on the resolution moved by Council member Kshama…
MORE people are investing in preloved pieces for their western wardrobe through fashion rental platforms, charity shops and sites like Vinted or Depop. If you have considered the same for eastern pieces, then look no further than Circular Threads. The movement is helping to shift the south Asian mindset towards…
EVERY three minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with dementia – around 210,000 a year – and 25,000 people with dementia are from ethnic minorities. Dementia is on the rise everywhere, but it’s going to hit ethnic minorities the hardest – with an expected 700 per cent increase in…
Labour leader Keir Starmer and London mayor Sadiq Khan have reaffirmed the party’s commitment to diversity while highlighting the contribution of south Asians to the UK’s growth. At a fundraising gala dinner hosted by Labour in London on Wednesday (1), they said inclusiveness made Britain a strong country where aspiration…
ACCLAIMED musician Nitin Sawhney won the top award at Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), which recognise the achievements of Britain’s south Asian community in the arts, creative and media industries. Sawhney, whose latest album, Immigrants, examines the complexities of identities in modern Britain, was presented The…
THE future in the world of arts belonging to the young is perfectly illustrated by a new generation of south Asians who stood out in diverse fields. These exciting talents are breaking boundaries, expanding horizons, shattering glass ceilings, and delighting audiences with their amazing performances. They are inspiring other youngsters…
IN HER quest to carve a space for Asians in UK’s art world, photographic artist Arpita Shah hopes to elicit and celebrate the country’s multicultural history, with a focus on south Asian female identity. Commissioned by Birmingham-based arts organisation GRAIN Projects and funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham City…
A 66-year-old Indian-origin gas station employee was shot dead during an armed robbery in the US city of Philadelphia and police are searching for three men in connection with the murder, according to media reports.Philadelphia police on Thursday released a surveillance video showing the three suspects wanted for killing the…
US President Joe Biden, whose administration has the largest number of India-Americans, understands how much the community has to offer in public service to the country and how special it is, Cincinnati City Mayor Aftab Pureval said. He was speaking on the sidelines of the US Conference of Mayors Winter…
Neelu Kaur is a facilitator, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Executive Coach, and Burnout Management Specialist. She has fifteen years of experience specializing in adult learning and leadership development in large organizations ranging from financial services and consulting to the tech industry. Putting all her expertise to work, Neelu has written a…
The Indian-American lawmakers of the 'Samosa Caucus' have welcomed Shri Thanedar's addition to the exclusive group of Democratic leaders representing the community in the US House of Representatives. Entrepreneur-turned-politician and Democrat Thanedar became the fifth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives in November last year. His…
An Indian-American body has welcomed the nomination of lawyer diplomat Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State, a top diplomatic position in the State Department. In December, the White House in a statement said that Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate 54-year-old Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State…
REHAN AHMED’S journey to becoming England’s youngest-ever male Test cricketer is amazing. He is, no doubt, an inspiration. The support he has received from his family, his immediate community and in particular, from Leicestershire County Cricket Club, has been immense. What he has achieved is just reward for the hard…
THE world of performing arts quickly moved on from Covid-19 with an amazing array of wonderful work. Whether it was films, songs, live performances, web serials, stage shows and everything else, top talents made up for lost time and entertained audiences with boundary-breaking projects that offered something new and cool…
ACTOR Mervin Noronha said he is determined to break the stereotypical representation of south Asian characters through his work so the younger generation can identify with someone on stage and screen, something which he didn’t get to see much in his childhood. Noronha is part of Curve theatre this Christmas,…
An NHS campaign backed by South Asian healthcare professionals is encouraging people with potential cancer symptoms to come forward for life saving checks. Despite abdominal and urological cancers making up nearly half of all cancer diagnoses in England, as well as two in five cancer deaths, new data reveals that…
Though Mindy Kaling’s teen comedy-drama The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max is a hit among the majority of the audience, some South Asian TikTok users do not seem very impressed with how certain things are portrayed in the series furthering harmful South Asian stereotypes. A video clip…
THERE should be a “home” in the UK for south Asian stories, feels director Abdul Shayek whose latest creation is bringing to life what it was for Bangladeshi women to survive 1971 war and restart in a strange new land. Tara Theatre is presenting Virtual Reality (VR) play titled AMMA…
A viral video showing the recipe for one-pot chicken korma has sparked outrage on Twitter as netizens called it a 'westernised version of a desi dish'. The video was shared by popular online Food channel, Tasty UK, with the caption 'One-pot chicken korma' on the official Twitter handle of the…
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan became a household name after the global success of her Netflix show Never Have I Ever. Created by Mindy Kaling, the teen comedy-drama has seen the premiere of two seasons so far, with a third season expected to hit TV screens in 2023. 20-year-old Ramakrishnan witnessed an exponential…
A new Asian author, and her first work of fiction of roller-coaster emotions I don’t like fictional books which use a first-person singular voice. You know, that’s when someone writes a work of fiction through the eyes of one person. “I did this…I did that…For me, it was…” Yuck. Where’s…
Dr Mahendra Patel, a pharmacist from Btradford, collected on October 12 his OBE at a historic investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the first to take place since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. Anne, Princess Royal, the ceremony's host, honoured Patel. The renowned pharmacist was awarded the…
LABOUR does not take the British south Asian vote for granted, party leader Sir Keir Starmer told Eastern Eye. He also revealed his determination to work as “grown up” partners with the communities and his ambition to be the next prime minister. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview prior to…
In a momentous day, Britain’s first south Asian prime minister, who became the Conservative Party leader on Diwali day [24], has vowed to unite the country and his riven party. Speaking on the steps of Number 10, Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu, told the country that he would be a…
The NHS has launched a new campaign to encourage South Asian community to consider nursing as a career, the health service said in a statement. The ‘We Are The NHS’ campaign by NHS England, now in its fifth year, has been revamped to champion the extraordinary work of South Asian…
New research released this week reveals almost 6 in 10 South Asians regularly experience anxiety (57%). Despite Sunday being the traditional day of rest and recreation for most, as the weekend draws to a close, many begin to worry about the week ahead with lack of sleep (57%), juggling family…
In a significant decision, Diwali will be a public school holiday in New York City starting 2023, with Mayor Eric Adams saying this sends a message about the significance of the city's inclusiveness and this “long overdue” step will encourage children to learn about the festival of lights. Adams, joined…
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has wished all Eastern Eye readers a happy Diwali. In a specially arranged visit to the newspaper’s offices, Sir Kier met the Solanki family which owns and runs the biggest portfolio of south Asian publications in the UK, and some of the newspaper’s journalists. It…
Prime minister, Liz Truss, and chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have “risked” the Conservative Party’s election chances because of their “incompetent handling” of the mini budget, Asian parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye. In a so-called mini budget on September 23, Kwarteng abolished the 45p higher tax rate. However, on Monday (3) the…
Football coach and author Manisha Tailor has called for action to bring more British Asian women to the top division of the game.Despite making up the largest single ethnic minority female group, South Asian women account for just 0.3 per cent in the top division of football.Tailor, who trained as…
British South Asians with dementia are at higher risk of early death than their white British counterparts, new research has revealed. According to the findings of the study, South Asian people with dementia die 2.97 years younger and black people 2.66 years younger than white Britons with similar conditions. The…
Author Mita Mistry discusses her new self-help book Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their life and that feeling of worry, fear or deep unease can be crippling. In some severe cases, it can lead to panic disorders, phobias and being unable to cope in social situations. Feeling socially…
SENIOR TORIES have urged the new prime minister, Liz Truss, to continue “engaging, consulting, and listening to” south Asian communities. They have told Eastern Eye that they are concerned the new PM will undo the progress made by her predecessors. “The problem with Liz is that she doesn’t listen,” said…
Dr Karan Juttla, author of a report which has claimed that South Asian people living with dementia in the UK and their families are being failed by a culturally inclusive support after their diagnoses, has been appointed as the new ambassador of Alzheimer's Society. Her appointment came on the occasion…
Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked the police in Dallas to prosecute to the full extent of the law the woman responsible for the hate-motivated harassment and assault on four women of Indian descent last week, saying such bigoted attacks victimise not only those targeted by them but also broader…
High energy stage play Speed Dial has been delighting audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The 1970s-set physical comedy thriller, filled with puzzles, a mystery and funny moments, has a talented cast that includes Genevieve Sabherwal. The talented British actress is enjoying being on stage with fellow cast members and…
A minority of racists among Conservative grassroots members could stop Rishi Sunak from becoming the first non-white prime minister. That is the concern among some south Asian Tories who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They are concerned that Britain is “not ready to take orders from a brown boy”. They…
Fifty years ago, dictator Idi Amin announced his intention to expel Uganda's thriving community of British South Asians. They were given 90 days to leave, or be rounded up in concentration camps. More than 27,000 ethnic Indian and Pakistani holders of UK passports made their way to Britain, which reluctantly…
PARTITION, for so many people from south Asia, evokes the horrors of the violent and brutal separation of India and the creation of Pakistan. Less mentioned, however, is life before 1947, when people from different cultures and religions lived side by side largely in harmony for many years. Author Kavita…
ALNOOR MITHA had an idyllic childhood, spending his days climbing hills, swimming in lakes and listening to the sounds of lions roaring in his home town of Ngora in Uganda. Then, when he was nine, it was all snatched away in a heartbeat. He and his family were among the…
Senior Conservative parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye the country is ready for its first south Asian prime minister. They believe the days of the Tories being considered as the “nasty and racist” party are over. Four candidates of colour were among the eight nominated in the leadership race as Eastern…
The Emmy Awards nominations for the year 2022 have been announced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, with the HBO drama Succession leading the pack with 25 nominations. It was followed by Ted Lasso and The White Lotus with 20 nods apiece. Comedy series Hacks and Only Murders…
Farhan Akhtar, who is mostly in news for his high-profile films or streaming shows that he produces under Excel Entertainment, is presently in the spotlight for his appearance in Marvel Studios’ streaming show Ms Marvel, which recently debuted on Disney+ Hotstar. The show marked the debut of a Muslim superhero…
According to an alarming review that has come to light – thousands of south Asian people with dementia are not provided with the right treatment for this disease due to an outdated system that favours white British patients. The report by the Alzheimer’s Society consists of 55 pages and is…
SOUTH ASIAN mental health experts and survivors are urging the government to provide care specifically to meet their needs. They warned that the Covid pandemic has highlighted the lack of “culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive” services, and people are “suffering in silence”. As part of its 10-year mental health strategy,…
Award-winning Phizzical Productions have announced the world premiere of Bombay Superstar, a dazzling new Bollywood musical set in the sizzling disco era of the 1970s. The show features some of the most-loved songs from the golden age of Bollywood, telling a passionate tale of star-crossed romance between a fiery rising…
His cancer came without notice, and for three months Keyur Patel – known as Kiwi – was planning his own funeral. Now, 10 years on, Kiwi is “grateful” that he can tell his story and live the life he thought would end prematurely. The Met police sergeant remembers vividly the…
WITH great power comes great responsibility,’ are words etched in Marvel folklore, thanks to Spiderman. But now, these words are just as important to Iman Vellani, Marvel’s first-ever Muslim superhero. The 19-year-old plays Kamala Khan, aka Ms Marvel, in the new Disney+ series of the same name. “We’re really shifting…
Though a lot still needs to be done, it is no longer a rare sight to see South Asians creating their own space in showbiz. Talking about South Asian actors, in particular, they are getting meatier roles to play in movies as well as TV series and are no longer…
IN JULY 2020, the Metropolitan Police stopped and searched the car of two athletes, Bianca Williams, and her partner, Ricardo dos Santos. The shocking bodycam and mobile phone footage went viral. It was shown by the TV news channels, and shared on social media. The incident brought shame, once again,…
Speaking at Alzheimer’s Society Conference 2022 in central London last Tuesday (18), he confirmed that the plan will focus on how new medicines and emerging science and technology can be harnessed to improve outcomes for dementia patients across the UK. Javid said he wanted the initiative, which would be published…
SOUTH ASIAN men and women owe it to their families to get tested for cancer. That is the stark message from Britain’s top south Asian newsreader, George Alagiah. The BBC journalist, who was born in Sri Lanka, has lived with bowel cancer for nine years, and he told Eastern Eye…
ASIAN INDIANS are up to four times more likely than white Europeans to develop young-onset type 2 diabetes while having a normal body mass index (BMI), partly due to a genetic predisposition to poorer insulin secretion.Research carried out by the University of Dundee and Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centres, the…
PLAYWRIGHT S Shakthidharan (Shakthi) is bringing his debut play, centred around the story of Sri Lankan migrants to Australia, to the UK as part of this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Counting and Cracking follows the lives of Radha and her son Siddhartha as they release the ashes of her mother into…
Actor Riz Ahmed and filmmaker Aneil Karia, who won the 2022 best live-action short film Oscar for The Long Goodbye, have joined forces again to give a modern spin to William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, Hamlet. Deadline reports that Ahmed will star as the titular Prince of Denmark in a script…
MANCHESTER MUSEUM has invited young British south Asians passionate about music to join a mentoring programme with an opportunity to travel to India.The collaborative project between Manchester Museum and the Indian Music Experience Museum seeks to explore “rhythm” as a shared language between east and west.“We are inviting two young…
A REMARKABLE rise has seen Hussain Manawer impact the British cultural landscape with perfectly written poetry. This has not only drawn attention to the power of words, but broken new ground for creative talent, including him becoming the first poet to open Soccer Aid, the FA Cup and BAFTA awards.…
A LEADING Indian comedian has criticised the country’s alleged “censorship of comedy” ahead of the launch of his Amazon Prime show. Anuvab Pal, 45, has become popular in the UK since his first performance in this country five years ago. His most recent show, Empire, which debuted at the Edinburgh…
A MARVELLOUS musical achievement of 2022 has been Falguni Shah magnificently winning a Grammy award for her second children’s album A Colorful World. It follows on from her debut album Falu’s Bazaar getting a Grammy nomination in 2019 and adds to an impressive song-filled journey that took her from India…
In 1999, a court found a brother and mother guilty of murdering a 19-year-old Muslim woman. While he strangled her, their mother sat on her legs. Her crime was to be carrying the baby of her childhood sweetheart while her husband, by forced marriage, was in Pakistan. The story of…
IN a landmark moment for refereeing in English football, the highest-ranked Black referee along with the top referee from Britain's South Asian community will preside over Swindon vs Leyton Orient game on Easter Monday, reported Sky Sports. Sam Allison and Sunny Singh Gill will "break down barriers" when they officiate…
THE UK’s health service has launched a new review to promote the importance of Vitamin D and identify ways to improve intake across the population, especially among South Asians. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets in children and bone pain and muscle weakness in adults. A call for evidence…
Getting screened and tested early for cancer is a personal battle, Sajid Javid revealed. Speaking to Eastern Eye, the health secretary, disclosed how his late father was diagnosed too late for the illness. “My father died from cancer, but he died from, firstly, lung cancer, then it spread everywhere,” Javid…
THE department of health and social care (DHSC) told the Parliament that it plans to regulate 'most harmful tobacco products' used by half a million British south Asians, a statement said. The cancer-causing chewed tobacco products are facing a clampdown 16 years after scientists warned of their dangerous contents, it…
ACE DIRECTOR DISCUSSES HIS NEW PLAY ABIGAIL’S PARTY TALENTED director Pravesh Kumar has breathed new life into classic Mike Leigh play Abigail’s Party with a recently premiered production at Watford Palace Theatre, which runs until April 2. He has added to his long list of stage accomplishments that have included…
Indian-Canadian star Lilly Singh, who recently revealed in an Instagram video that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cysts and had to be taken to the hospital, says that she wants to use her position in highlighting South Asian talent. Speaking on the inaugural day of the Jaipur Literature Festival…
Much has been written about “Polar Preet” over the past few months. How she became the first woman of colour to trek solo in the Antarctic, reaching the South Pole. How she beat the -50-degree weather, suffering from sickness and diarrhoea, to complete her mission. But until now we do…
Business and doctors’ leaders have criticised the government’s decision to stop free lateral flow tests in April. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced the decision in his “living with Covid” statement to parliament on Monday (21). He told MPs that all Covid restrictions would end in England on Thursday (24)…
A new NHS campaign is encouraging people struggling with their mental health to seek confidential help from NHS talking therapies. Research shows that nearly half of South Asians put off seeking professional help and the NHS is encouraging them to make use of a range of free services available for anxiety,…
FORMER football referee Jarnail Singh says his sons Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill are making themselves and their community proud by doing well in their careers. In the history of English league football, Jarnail is the first turbaned referee, who took charge of more than 150 games across divisions from…
A NEW study has revealed that mutated genes inherited from Neanderthals doubled the risk of severe Covid in South Asians, The Telegraph reported. The report added that these genes, which protected people from smallpox, could be the reason some ethnic groups are more at risk from Covid. South Asians in…
The six-part streaming is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India and directed by Shaad Ali. ZEE5, which collaborated with Applause Entertainment on a multi-show partnership at the end of last year, has now announced its hat-trick project with the premier production house. After Kaun Banegi Shikharwati…
The Telugu-language supernatural drama film Bangarraju, which hit theatres on January 14, 2022, on the auspicious occasion of Sankranthi, is now set to stream on the largest streaming platform for South Asian content, ZEE5 Global. Directed by Kalyan Krishna Kurasala, Bangarraju stars Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya in lead roles. The…
Health secretary, Sajid Javid and London mayor, Sadiq Khan, have led tributes to Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on Sunday (6). The Bollywood legend and playback singer died after a long illness caused by contracting Covid. She was afforded the sobriquet of the “Nightingale of India”, and the popularity of…
Representation of south Asian and black judges “remains unacceptably low”, according to the man who heads the UK’s tribunal courts. Writing on the judiciary’s internal website, the senior president of tribunals, Sir Keith Lindblom said ethnic minorities do less well than white candidates being considered to join the judiciary. In…
FORMER Hampshire cricketer has slammed the chairman of Middlesex for his south Asians prefer studies comment. John Holder, who is only non-white British umpire, said Mike O'Farrell's testimony to a racism inquiry by Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, was "utter horse muck". O'Farrell later apologised after commenting that black…
Mental health stigma in community leads to delay in diagnosis, say experts ASIAN men suffering from mental health issues have said they would like to see more Asian therapists and counsellors so they “can empathise with their problems”. There is a stigma around mental health among south Asians and this…
Aaqil Ahmed should not have succeeded. Working class. A northerner. Brown. A Muslim. Definitely an outsider. Definitely a maverick. When you look at his 30-year career, which he celebrates this year, you know that sheer hard work, determination and bloody-mindedness – the south Asian way – were just some of…
THE Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) this January launched a new Better Health campaign revealing six major health benefits of losing excess weight and encourage south Asian adults to live a healthier lifestyle. It is estimated that over 56 per cent of south Asian adults in the UK…
EXPECT AN ACTION-PACKED YEAR FILLED WITH ENTERTAINMENT AND TALENT THE world slowly opening back up again after the awful pandemic means there will be plenty to look forward to this year. From great live events and delayed movies finally releasing to emerging talent, boundary breaking artists and unexpected surprises, it…
THIS YEAR’S MEMORABLE MOMENTS INCLUDING ON FILM, TV, MUSIC, ONLINE AND THE LIVE ARENA THE last few years have seen creative boundaries being expanded around the world and south Asians crossing new frontiers. This has resulted in interesting work right across the board and offered beautiful rays of light during the…
Revealed: Fewer than one in four has had third vaccination Health experts are urging south Asians to get their booster jab after Eastern Eye revealed that fewer than one in four has taken a third vaccine. Analysis by this newspaper suggests that as of 5 December, only 22.6 per cent…
Young starlet Zidane Iqbal made history when he became the first British Asian footballer to represent Manchester United. The 18-year-old came on as a second-half substitute in the Red Devils Champions League match against Swiss side Young Boys on Wednesday (8). Iqbal joined United at nine. Having come through the…
HISTORY was created in English football when Manchester United was playing against Swiss team Young Boys this week. As Zidane Iqbal, 18, took the field as a substitute, he became the first-ever British south Asian to play for the top English club. Iqbal’s feat came weeks after Dilan Markandey, another…
A BRITISH Asian star of a new Aladdin play, believes diversity is being taken more seriously in the theatre industry. Minal Patel, from north-west London, is delighting audiences at the Mercury Theatre, in Colchester, playing Emperor of Colchestaria, an original character adapted from the Aladdin movie. He told Eastern Eye,…
A senior emergency doctor has warned that NHS staff are dealing with the worst health crisis in 20 years. They are under so much pressure more health workers than ever are quitting front line medicine for other hospital jobs. Dr Joydeep Grover, a consultant who has worked in emergency medicine…
Indian actor Prabhas has been named as the number one Asian celebrity on the planet for 2021. The biggest Pan-Indian movie star beat off tough global competition to top the latest edition of the 50 Asian Celebrities In The World list, published by the UK based Eastern Eye newspaper. The…
South Asians feel "like outsiders" even in grassroots cricket, a senior figure in a Yorkshire league told MPs on Tuesday (7) as the English game grapples with a racism scandal. Former Yorkshire county player Azeem Rafiq gave harrowing testimony to the same committee of MPs last month, saying his career…
Black and south Asian people in the UK urged to get jabs to cut higher Covid death rates DOCTORS have urged unvaccinated black and south Asian people to get their Covid jabs as new data revealed that hospitalisations and deaths are higher in those groups, reported The Guardian. Infections were…
As a new variant hits Britain, infections’ expert warns of surge in pandemic deaths A leading infections’ expert has launched a scathing attack on the prime minister for not doing enough to protect lives after the discovery of a new Covid virus variant. The World Health Organization named the variant…
Praise for Sajid Javid’s inquiry, but more action needed say doctors Doctors’ leaders and hospital chiefs want ministers to widen their investigation into health disparities among south Asian and black communities. The leader of the British Medical Association (BMA) and a senior health authority boss have told Eastern Eye that…
A new research has found how class and ethnic disparities are rife in English cricket. This comes after when Yorkshire's racism scandal has rocked the sport. It said privately educated British players are 34 times more likely to become professional cricketers than state-educated British south Asians. The research, done by…
ONE OF BRITAIN’S leading wholesale companies won the coveted top award at the Asian Business Awards, hosted by Eastern Eye, on Friday (19). Bestway Group was named Asian Business of the Year at a gala event held at the newly opened Londoner in Leicester Square. Founded by Sir Anwar Pervez…
THE movie everyone has been talking about is November’s biggest blockbuster release The Eternals, and a major highlight is the presence of Kumail Nanjiani playing a path-breaking superhero. This is another major step forward for south Asians in Hollywood, after almost exclusively appearing as stereotypical caricatures, including ones where a…
TRIBUTES have been paid to two Asian Americans who were among the 10 dead from a lethal crowd surge at a rap concert in Texas last week. Indian-origin Bharti Shahani,22, and Pakistani-origin Danish Baig, 27, were caught up in the crowd that rushed the stage during a performance by hip-hop…
EVERY Sunday, we had a ritual in our family. It was 1969, and like tens of thousands of new arrivals from India, we would sit in front of our black and white televisions to watch Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan. Translated, it means ‘New Life, New Life’ but we can take…
Diaspora watch ethnic content but UK channels 'do not cater to diverse audiences' entertainment ETHNIC MINORITY viewers in the UK have said watching Asian channels helps them keep in touch with their culture, according to a survey for Ofcom, but the regulator was criticised for not acknowledging that British TV…
Sadiq Khan: Bring back police enforcement on mask wearing More south Asians will catch and die from Covid during the traditional winter health crisis unless the government toughens its stance on vaccinations and mask wearing in public places. That is the warning from the British Medical Association, the London mayor,…
Cricket’s governing body, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), must immediately investigate racism at all levels of the sport. That is the demand from Bradford West MP, Naz Shah. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Shah said that the game was institutionally, structurally and systemically racist, and the problem went…
SCIENTISTS at the University of Oxford have identified a gene that may double the risk of lung failure and death from Covid-19, and could explain why people of south Asian origin have a higher risk of severe disease. The LZTFL1 gene changes the way the lungs respond to viral infection,…
PSYCHOLOGICAL horror Barun Rai and the House on the Cliff is being released this Halloween. The chilling tale set in a coastal town in England tells the story of Harmesh and Soumili, who turn to a paranormal investigator after moving into their dream house and being confronted by a spate…
Type 2 diabetes is up to five times more predominant in South Asian populations living in the UK as compared with their white European counterparts, health experts have said. Managing diabetes is now a global issue mainly because those seen at higher risk of the disease are people of South…
A FEW days ago, I spoke to a colleague in India about the situation there related to the pandemic, and her observation was that the situation was “pretty well back to normal”. As the festivals of Dussehra and Diwali are round the corner, there appeared to be a general sense…
ALMOST two-thirds of south Asians said the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing, with the data prompting community leaders to call for culturally sensitive mental health services. Adults from the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities reported struggling the most, with 60 per cent saying their mental wellbeing…
SOUTH Asian women are the least likely to check their breasts for signs of cancer, new research revealed this week. Around 40 per cent never check their breasts at all, compared to 27 per cent of black women and 13 per cent for other ethnicities, according to the Estée Lauder…
A new mental health campaign has been launched in England to improve the mental health of adults and South Asians. The Every Mind Matters (EMM) initiative started after half of all adults and almost two-thirds of South Asians have said that the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health, a statement…
Figures reveal four in 10 British-Pakistanis still unprotected The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has told Eastern Eye that he is “very concerned” that three in 10 south Asians remained unprotected against Covid. During a meeting of specially invited non-white press and broadcasters, Javid revealed that among British-Pakistanis the take up…
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil hopes to boost the numbers of British Asians breaking into professional football after helping launch a development centre in Bradford. The United Kingdom has a South Asian population of more than three million people, which amounts to seven per cent of the population. Yet only…
A WRITER has said his new play following an Asian family impacted by the 2007 financial crisis is an opportunity to show ethnic minority communities have the same aspirations as anyone else. Touring this autumn, Our White Skoda Octavia follows the lives of the Afridis, a British-Pakistani family living in…
SOUTH ASIANS are less likely to recognise cancer symptoms which could prevent them from seeking lifesaving help from their GP, new research has found. NHS analysis showed the awareness of a range of potential cancer symptoms was in each case lower among South Asians than for the general public. For…
REALITY SHOW STAR APARNA SHEWAKRAMANI DISCUSSES HER BOOK INDIAN MATCHMAKING has been a big success since it premiered on Netflix and the most memorable person from the eight-part reality series was Aparna Shewakramani. The no-nonsense attorney, who knew exactly what she wanted when looking for a husband, divided opinion, with…
Pioneering journalist, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, has revealed how she almost gave up journalism six months ago after a torrid time of threats and abuse. The columnist with the i-newspaper was speaking to Eastern Eye ahead of her historic conversation with the BBC’s Ritula Shah for next week’s (29) event organised by…
THREE South Asians-two Indians and one Bangladeshi, have found a place on the shortlist for Prince William's Earthshot environmental prize to reward innovative solutions to the planet's biggest problems. A 14-year-old schoolgirl Vinisha Umashankar from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, who invented a solar-powered ironing cart to drastically cut pollution, is the…
BRITISH Indian workers are now dominating the finance industry in the UK, official figures have revealed. Some 20.5 per cent of employees of Indian origin are in the banking or financial sector, the highest proportion of any group. The figure was 14.6 per cent for those of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin…
A potentially life-saving stem cell donor has been found for a four-year-old east London girl who was diagnosed with cancer and was given just three weeks to live, reported The Daily Mail. Esha Nadeswaran, from Gants Hill, east London, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) on May 13 and…
THE RAPID CREATIVE RISE OF DIGITAL ARTIST, SOCIAL MEDIA STAR AND RADIO HOST ZOE HARVEEN KAUR WHETHER it is designing jewellery, creating eye-catching digital artwork, entertaining social media followers with the popular Brown Girl Memes or hosting an empowering global radio show, Zoe Harveen Kaur has a strong connection to creativity. The imaginative…
ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest streaming platform for South Asian content, takes to the streets of London this weekend in an iconic ice cream van to serve Londoners their favourite soft serves and create brand awareness from 10th to 12th September. Titled ‘On The Road’, the streaming platform’s newest campaign…
WHEN I saw her lying in the hospital bed, my heart broke. Again. It was the seventh time in her 30 years she had tried to take her life. Once again, I did not know why. Once again, I was woken up by a frantic, drunken, late-night phone call from…
Revealed: 10 south Asians stopped and searched every hour during pandemic Police in England and Wales stopped and searched almost 10 south Asians every hour during lockdown. Eastern Eye has found that during April 2020 and March 2021 they detained almost 86,000 south Asians. This is a rise of more…
by NADEEM BADSHAH FOOTBALL may not have come home but the success of the men's and women's England teams has led to a boom in the number of young south Asian female players, according to coaches. Since the 2019 Women's World Cup, rising stars have emerged including England youth international…
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a global star. After making a mark in the Indian film industry, the actress is now doing very well internationally and has many interesting projects lined up. Recently, while talking to Vogue, Priyanka spoke about how South Asians have been marginalised in the entertainment industry and…
NEW research has warned of a worrying increase in the number of young people who have type 2 diabetes in the UK. Analysis by NHS Digital showed an estimated some 1,560 people aged 18 or under have the condition. The disease is known to be more severe in young people.…
THERE are not enough south Asians starring in TV adverts, according to leading actors. They believe progress has been made in making commercials more diverse, but said it is too slow. Some broadcasters feel there are more Asian-origin people cast in mixed-race relationships in adverts, but racial stereotypes remain common. It comes…
AN ASIAN food blogger’s call to cancel the word “curry” for its ties to British colonialism has sparked debate about the use of the term. Several US-based food bloggers have argued the term “curry” should be boycotted due to its connotations with imperialism and racism. In a viral video earlier…
A STUDY exploring the take-up of digital healthcare technology among south Asians has been launched this week by a UK university. UCL (University College London) has invited people to share their experiences for the research, which is looking at inequalities in the use of digital health interventions, such as websites…
AN artificial pancreas trial currently running in the UK will help the healthcare sector leap to a new digital era, the NHS national speciality adviser for diabetes has said. As many as 1,000 NHS patients with type 1 diabetes are taking part in a study where their blood sugar levels…
WAKEFIELD'S South Asian community has been urged to get involved in the district’s City of Culture bid. Wakefield Council is vying to become the UK’s next holder of the coveted title in 2025, but has said it will have a cultural celebration regardless of whether or not it wins. This…
‘ARE you on insulin yet?’ This is a question I’ve heard fellow south Asians ask each other frighteningly often. It implies that the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes – a potentially life-threatening disease – is somehow inevitable, or at the very least, unsurprising. This must stop. Our risk of diabetes…
AN Asian author has expressed hope her debut graphic memoir will “become a safe space” for others. Sabba Khan’s The Roles We Play is described as a “vivid snapshot of contemporary British Asian life” which “investigates the complex shifts experienced by different generations within migrant communities.” It explores her Mirpuri…
Rishi Sunak tops annual ranking of most influential Asians in the UK PANDEMIC heroes who went above and beyond their call of duty have been honoured in a special edition of the GG2 Power List, which ranks the 101 most influential Asians in Britain. Thirty Asian doctors, nurses and researchers…
Over half south Asians still unprotected The vaccine minister, Nadim Zahawi, is urging south Asians not to waste the chance of getting a Covid vaccination. He also backed family doctors who are demanding patients continue to wear masks in surgeries, even though restrictions were lifted last week (19). In an…
SOUTH Asian communities in Greater Manchester are 2.3 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white Britons, according to a report published on Tuesday (27). The figure is higher than the national average of two, indicating that people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladesh heritages faced more inequalities in…
“Don’t let racists spoil the success of England Lions in bringing the country together” Anti-racism pressure groups, think-tanks and MPs are urging everyone associated with professional football to build on the achievements of England during Euro 2020, in cementing better race-relations throughout the country. During the past four weeks the…
A new whistle blowing policy for judges is “virtually ineffective”, “a missed opportunity”, and “unlikely to make effective change” to the existing culture of fear, bullying and racism in the judiciary, angry south Asian judges have told Eastern Eye. They also criticised the appearance before the justice select committee of…
FOR months those against taking the Covid vaccines have been spreading fake news about the vaccine. They include false claims that the Covid vaccine contains pork, and so they cannot be taken by Muslims. In WhatsApp messages, south Asians have been told the vaccine will make women infertile. Others simply…
Eastern Eye and its sister paper, Garavi Gujarat, have been telling the story of the pandemic and campaigning to make sure south Asians take the opportunity to get vaccinated. Dr Nikita Kanani, a working GP, as well as a director in NHS England, recognised our work and told this personal story…
AUTHOR Alka Joshi has revealed she was surprised by the success of her best-selling debut novel The Henna Artist, as she celebrated the release of its sequel last Friday (25). The Henna Artist follows Lakshmi, a 17-year-old girl who escapes from an abusive marriage in 1950s India. She journeys to…
AT LEAST one in three south Asians, aged 18 or over, is still not fully protected from the Covid virus, Eastern Eye can reveal. Despite the government spearheading a “concerted community-led effort” to persuade minority communities to get vaccinated, the latest figures reveal that about 67 per cent of “Asians…
Priyanka Chopra Jonas made her digital debut with Netflix’s The White Tiger which released earlier this year. Recently, at the launch of streaming platform ZEE5 in the US, PeeCee opened up about how things have changed after the launch of streaming services. According to PTI, the actress stated, "That's what…
YAN DHANDA always wanted to make a difference for the upcoming British South Asian footballers, and now being part of the Kick It Out Player Advisory Group - will give him that opportunity. He along with other British South Asian footballers such as Mal Benning and Anwar Uddin are part…
By Amartya Sharma “HATE has no place in America,” said US president Joe Biden, while signing the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. Yet, hate has a long history in this New World, going back to the founding of America. The recent spate of violence against Asian Americans has seen a significant…
Exclusive The government, police and councils are failing thousands of south Asian children, some just a few months old, who have been sexually abused, an eleven month Eastern Eye investigation has uncovered. Using freedom of information requests, we asked 50 councils and 13 police forces how they collate figures for…
Honest debate needed to avoid repeat of Oldham race riots 20 years ago by Barnie Choudhury “Virulent racists” are harming the chances of racial harmony in Britain. That is one of the conclusions of Professor Ted Cantle, the man tasked by Tony Blair’s government to investigate the causes of a…
Expert explains how south Asian culture can hinder recovery by Barnie Choudhury One of the country’s leading experts on mental health is urging companies to recognise the important of mental wellbeing in the workplace. Poppy Jaman, chief executive of the City Mental Health Alliance, made the call during the Ramniklal…
AUTHOR SHABNAM SAMUEL SHOWS IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO FOLLOW A PASSION by PRIYA MULJI AT THE age of 57 and after decades of silence, Shabnam Samuel wrote her deeply emotional memoir A Fractured Life. The author, motivational speaker and philanthropist has documented her journey from being abandoned by her parents…
THE TALENTED BRITISH WRITER-DIRECTOR DISCUSSES HIS DEBUT FILM GRANADA NIGHTS by ASJAD NAZIR THE 2021 UK Asian Film Festival will once again serve up a feast of fascinating cinema. A big highlight from the 23rd edition of the long-running festival will be Granada Nights, which revolves around a heartbroken British-Pakistani…
Mentoring, a changing of mindsets and ditching "lazy stereotypes" will ensure more English-born professional footballers of South Asian descent make it to the top of the game. That's the view of Riz Rehman, player inclusion executive for the Professional Footballers' Association, who is tasked with tapping into under-used reserves of…
THE UK and India will support four collaborative bilateral research projects worth £5 million to better understand Covid-19 severity in South Asian populations in both the countries. These projects will be funded by UK Research and Innovation, India’s department of biotechnology and ministry of science and technology through the UK-India…
Top south Asian cop warns of growth of online radicalisation during Covid By Barnie Choudhury Britain’s top south Asian police officer has warned that the pandemic could be creating more home-grown terrorists. Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu was speaking at the Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers event, organised by the Asian Media Group and the…
By Professor Kiran Patel Chief Medical Officer, Cardiologist and Chair of Trustees of the South Asian Health Foundation IN RECENT days we have seen devastating scenes in India as desperate citizens attempted to seek healthcare in hospitals which were full to the brim with patients suffering with Covid-19 infection.…
Minority ethnic groups in general and South Asians, in particular, had a higher risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and of COVID-19 related hospitalisations, intensive care (ICU) admissions and deaths during the second wave of the pandemic in the UK compared to the first, according to a new observational study…
by LAUREN CODLING AN ART exhibition exploring the “victimisation” of Muslims in the UK and abroad is a response to the rise in racism against the community, its creator has said. Faisal Hussain’s Suspect Objects Suspect Subjects (SOSS) analyses the impact of government policy and monitoring of the Muslim community,…
By Barnie Choudhury THE UK government must stop “weaponising race” and using it as a political tool to further its political agenda, a panel of experts has told Eastern Eye. The experts, who were taking part in a virtual debate, unanimously concluded that Britain today was more divided about race…
Individual successes do not tell complete story about industry’s “systemic imbalance” by Barnie Choudhury RIZ AHMED, the first Muslim actor to be nominated in a leading role in the 78-year history of the Oscars has told Eastern Eye there is “still a lot of work to do” to create equality…
As tributes pour in for Prince Philip, we reveal his legacy on British Asians By Barnie Choudhury Prince Philip crossed generational divides and helped south Asians to transform Britain, according to politicians, business, global and Commonwealth leaders. They also told Eastern Eye that the duke was wrongly characterised as racist,…
HISTORY will be made in English Football League on Saturday (10) when sikh brothers Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill will become the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship game. Their father, Jarnail Singh, was the first turbaned sikh to have been a referee in…
By Mita Mistry TALENTED AUTHOR AYESHA S CHAUDHRY DISCUSSES HER POWERFUL NEW MEMOIR TALENTED author Ayesha S Chaudhry began writing her newly released debut book The Colour Of God accidentally in September 2015 while on a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. During that…
A landmark review has found 'terrible' examples of sexism, racism, and homophobia meted out to surgeons throughout their careers. The review by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC do not cast surgeons or the the Royal College of Surgeons in a progressive, modern or particularly attractive light, reported The Telegraph. Baroness Kennedy…
Revealed: Asian children under 10 ‘arrested’ for sex crimes By Barnie Choudhury & Abhijeet Gaur Police have arrested more than 30,500 south Asians for sex offences in the past decade. Shockingly, during that period they arrested 1,490 children, Eastern Eye can reveal. Two of these were under 10 and cannot…
By Dr Raj Persaud SOUTH ASIANS are more likely to be carrying Neanderthal genes. This ancient genetic heritage has recently been found to be a key risk factor for catching the virus, becoming seriously ill, or dying from Covid-19. Neanderthals are a now extinct, ancient, species of mankind who occupied…
By Barnie Choudhury THE Asian Media Group (AMG) and the University of Southampton have teamed up to recognise south Asians who have transformed the UK. Named after the founder of AMG, the Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers Project will tell the life stories of 100 people whose work has left an…
“Vaccine hesitancy” because Asian communities do not trust government, says top doctor Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury Politics is interfering “far too much” with caring for sick patients during the pandemic. That is according to the chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul. Speaking during the second Ramniklal Solanki…
A 19-YEAR-OLD Pakistani student who shot to fame after her five-second video went viral on social media across the subcontinent, hopes numerous renditions of her monologue will translate into more dialogue between rival neighbours India and Pakistan. The short video shot by Dananeer Mobeen in the Nathaigali mountains of northern…
SOME ethnic minority groups in Britain were relatively less badly affected in the second wave of Covid-19 than they were in the first, a government report into the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on minorities said on Friday (26). The quarterly report has previously found that the increased risk to…
by SHALINA PATEL STATUES of south Asians are a rare sight in Britain today, so when I came across one outside Bristol Cathedral (pre Covid), I had to find out more. Raja Rammohun Roy was born in India in 1772, and his extensive education led him to grasp many languages,…
Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury Parliamentarians and religious leaders are urging south Asian families to work with the police to tackle the blight of drugs which they say are “decimating our communities”. Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, a senior imam at the Muslim Council of Britain, told Eastern Eye, there had been a…
By George Willoughby AN INVESTIGATION by Eastern Eye can reveal that police stop and search an Asian person every 10 minutes in England and Wales. The latest Home Office figures show officers stopped more than 57,800 Asians in the year ending March 2020. That is nearly up 46…
WHY PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS WASN’T AFRAID TO WRITE A REVEALING BOOK ABOUT HER LIFE by LAUREN CODLING IS THERE anything Priyanka Chopra Jonas cannot do? Not only is the 38-year-old an internationally recognised actress, producer, businesswoman and Unicef goodwill ambassador, she is now also an author. The release of her…
SWANSEA's Yan Dhanda has said that Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury is a 'class footballer' and he is 'proud of his roots'. "The good thing that I love about Hamza is that he is proud of where he's from," Dhanda told Sky Sports News. Dhanda and Choudhury are the highest-profile British…
THE Professional Footballers' Association's (PFA) new mentoring scheme to increase Asian representation in UK football has got the backing from Neil Taylor and Danny Batth. Aston Villa's Taylor and Stoke's Batth will educate families and inspire youngsters as part of the five-year Asian representation plan, reported Sky Sports News. South…
By Shaun Bailey WE’VE all had that one person we’ve been worried about during the pandemic. For some it was grandparents. For others it was a partner. For me it was my mum. My mum works in the NHS. She has been on the frontlines every day helping doctors and…
Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury MPs and experts have called for an overhaul of the Home Office’s strategy to tackle drug-related crime after an Eastern Eye investigation revealed a steep increase in the number of south Asians being arrested for drug offences. After an 11-month investigation, we can disclose that in…
A recent survey has revealed that over 90 per cent of South Asian adults in England have decided to make healthy changes in 2021, with 7 in 10 said that coronavirus pandemic motivated them to make these changes. Besides, 34 per cent of the respondents said that they wanted to…
By Amit Roy LORD SWRAJ PAUL tells me he and his wife, Aruna, have had the first and the second doses of the vaccine (the Pfizer-BioNTech one, he thinks). “One of the privileges of age,” says Swraj, who will turn a sprightly 90 on February 18. “I’m happy that…
A SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG AND SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS FROM DIVERSE FIELDS, WHO ARE MAKING A MARK WITH THEIR UNIQUE WORK AND TALENT by ASJAD NAZIR THE future belongs to the young and one look at rising south Asian stars globally shows it is looking very bright. These terrific talents, bringing something…
The national treasure tells us how she beat up racists, and why she is optimistic for the future for Asian artists by Barnie Choudhury Meera Syal is ferociously funny, intensely intelligent, and she has an edgier side that shows off her campaigning spirit for equality. Let’s get one thing clear.…
By Barnie Choudhury SENIOR south Asian doctors have accused the government of failing to protect the most vulnerable frontline health workers. Their comments came during an end-of-year virtual roundtable on the government’s handling of the pandemic. Board members of the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, told Eastern…
GIANT FEAST OF ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL MAKE THE YEAR AHEAD EXCITING by ASJAD NAZIR 2020 getting cancelled shouldn’t stop us from hoping for brighter days and looking forward to plenty of exciting things that lay ahead. There is lots to look forward to in the next 12 months with everyone…
NORWAY international Ghayas Zahid, who became the first player of South Asian origin to score for the country, wants more South Asian heritage players from across the world to make it at the highest level. Last month, Pakistan-origin Zahid answered Norway's SOS call and scored on his competitive international debut…
A CELEBRATION OF MOVERS, SHAKERS AND ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE by ASJAD NAZIR THE creative output may have got cut down due to Covid-19, but that didn’t stop plenty of great work from getting released and resulting in bright moments during a decidedly dull year. Always one to focus on positives, Eastern…
FORMER Premier League striker Michael Chopra has said that the Football Association and the Premier League are doing enough to get British South Asians into football. Chopra, whose father is from India's Punjab, is one of the finest footballing talents to emerge from Britain's South Asian community, making over 400…
ETHNIC minority groups are the least likely to want the coronavirus vaccine, a new poll has revealed. A little more than half (57 per cent) of respondents from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds were likely to accept a vaccine, compared to 79 per cent of white respondents, according…
Sikhs in the US experienced a slight decrease in the number of hate crimes last year, a leading community advocacy organisation has said, citing an FBI report which showed that 2019 was the deadliest year on record with the highest number of hate crime murders since 1991. The South Asian…
SWANSEA midfielder and British South Asian superstar Yan Dhanda, while responding to the recent comments by Greg Clarke, has said that the mistreatment of Asian people in football is often 'swept under the carpet'. Dhanda added that he would be happy if a suitably-qualified British Asian applies for FA chairman…
As the festival of lights is cancelled, businesses say 50 per cent may stay permanently closed By Barnie Choudhury Police are warning south Asians to observe Covid lockdown rules during Diwali or face huge fines. In cities, such as Leicester, upwards of 45,000 traditionally gather to celebrate the festival of…
By Barnie Choudhury SOUTH ASIANS have been “completely forgotten” and not been given enough support by the government during the pandemic, according to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, imposed the highest tier of restrictions on the area that the former Labour health secretary leads,…
THE UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India's department of biotechnology(DBT), under the federal ministry of science and technology, has launched joint fund of £8 million to understand the severity of Covid-19 in South Asians in both the countries. Through the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Economic and Social Research…
COMMUNITY VOICES and celebrities have urged South Asians in the UK to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in new NHS campaign. Celebrity chefs Atul Kochhar, Anjum Anand and media medic Dr Ranj Singh are part of the inaugural campaign supported by the South Asian Health Foundation, the British Association…
By Dinesh Sharma LOOKING at the cold statistics in the US presidential election, it seems the Donald Trump-Joe Biden race in 2020 is where the Trump-(Hillary) Clinton race was in mid-October 2016. Clinton at the time had a nearly 10-point advantage in the national polls; several nation-wide forecasts have…
by Priya Mulji AS A teen and into my twenties, I was always an avid reader and devoured everything. I went from Sweet Valley High books in my teenage years to more hard-hitting stories like Shantaram in my twenties. Then life, work and responsibilities meant reading took a backseat, but…
ABID is part of the Government’s Windrush Help Team, dedicated to helping eligible people get the documents they need to demonstrate their right to live and work in the UK and to claim compensation. Today, we speak to Abid about his role. [caption id="attachment_117983" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Abid[/caption] How would…
New figures show over one in five in intensive care with COVID is Asian By Barnie Choudhury Leaders of doctors’ groups have accused the government of “letting down” south Asian communities in its handling of the pandemic. Their criticism comes as new figures show that in the past month, 170…
BLACK and South Asian patients are more severely affected by Covid-19 than white patients as the way the body functions is a more important factor than poverty or existing health problems, says a new study. The study of 1,800 hospital patients, carried out at King's College Hospital in south-east London,…
Asserting that Sikhs in the US have never been as safe as under the Trump administration, a prominent Sikh-American leader has claimed that the Biden campaign is trying to "demoralise and demotivate" the community. Jasdip Singh, co-chair of the Sikhs for Trump, said on Monday that it was because of…
CELEBRITIES have come together in a new film with healthcare professionals and community influencers to encourage the South Asian community in the UK to download the new NHS Covid-19 app. Actor Ameet Chana, dancer Madhu Singh, magician and content creator Arshdeep Soni have joined the government in creating the new…
The Biden campaign has launched an initiative to reach out to the Sikh community in the US and vowed to address the unique challenges, including xenophobia, being faced by the minority religious group in the country. The Biden campaign, which launched the ''Sikh Americans for Biden'', said it has plans…
by LAUREN CODLING JAMIE GILL is a name that should be on every fashion lover’s lips. Following a career that spanned architecture, finance and fashion, the 32-year-old was recently appointed to the British Fashion Council (BFC) as a non-executive director. His star looks set to rise as it was only…
Nizar Kochery has been fighting for migrant workers' rights in the courts for decades, but he has never felt so overwhelmed. As the coronavirus pandemic forced tens of thousands of South Asian migrants to leave the Gulf countries where they worked, the Doha-based lawyer was flooded with calls about unpaid…
A key US Congressional committee has advanced a bipartisan bill which aims to promote heart health among citizens of South Asian-origin, amidst an alarming rise in heart disease among them in the country. Promoted by Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act was advanced…
MPs call for public inquiry amid fresh allegations of bias by ‘scared’ Asian staff by Barnie Choudhury THE BBC’s new director general, Tim Davie, will be questioned by MPs over claims of “insidious, toxic and covert racism” in the corporation after Eastern Eye’s exposé last week prompted further complaints from current and…
The two million Hindus in the United States are a vital and key voting bloc in several swing states this presidential elections, Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said as he told fellow community members that it was their dharma to exercise their franchise. In his virtual key note address at…
by LAUREN CODLING AN award-winning novelist has emphasised his passion in helping to increase the representation of South Asians in fiction, as the second book in his highly anticipated fantasy series released last month. Taran Matharu is the author behind the hugely successful series The Summoner, an epic fantasy trilogy.…
by LAUREN CODLING THE mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has condemned critics for blaming Asian communities for spikes in Covid-19, claiming some were using the virus as “a way to divide communities”. In recent months, local lockdowns have been implemented in areas in Leicester, Greater Manchester and Blackburn – cities…
Two words summed up Tamani Jayasinghe’s exuberance for the first Indian American and Black woman to run for vice president: “Kamala Aunty.” That title of respect that goes beyond family in Asian circles immediately came to mind when Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate. So the 27-year-old…
Leading Indian-American groups and individuals, including former Pepsico chief Indra Nooyi, have hailed the nomination of Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as Democratic vice presidential candidate, saying it was a "great choice" and a "moment of pride" for the entire community in the US. However, there were also some community members…
By Dinesh Bhugra Professor Emeritus Mental Health & Cultural Diversity King’s College, London ANOTHER day and another enquiry has been ordered to look at why there are disparities between black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals and the majority white population. Yet another commission on race and ethnic disparities…
Joe Biden's campaign on Thursday announced launch of its outreach to the influential Indian-Americans in 14 languages, reflecting the linguistic diversity of an ethnic community, which is being sought after by both Democratic and Republican Party in the key battleground states. For instance, "America Ka Neta Kaisa Ho, Jo Biden…
A four-year-old Gujarati boy in London needs a stem cell donor as he suffers from a rare disease. Veer has been diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder called Fanconi Anaemia. It is a rare inherited disease that mainly affects the bone marrow. It results in decreased production of all…
A group of Indian-origin doctors has warned that inherent racial bias in medical research and practice could be exacerbating the disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 among ethnic minorities in the UK and globally, as they call for a wider study into lifestyle-related risks among them. While metabolic syndrome (MetS) that…
By Jasvir Singh OBE and Dr Binita Kane, co-founders of South Asian Heritage Month THIS year sees the very first South Asian Heritage Month being marked in Britain. All the south Asian countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – have been hugely impacted by…
SUCCESSFUL HOSTS ON WHAT INSPIRED THEM TO START THEIR ONLINE SHOW AND GIVE KEY ADVICE TO THOSE WANTING TO PRODUCE ONE TOO by MITA MISTRY ONE of the fastest and most popular ways to hear some real talk is podcasts. There is a wide variety of free podcasts available on…
THE south Asian community accounts for about 85 per cent of new coronavirus infections in Blackburn with Darwen, official data has revealed as a “rising tide event” of cases triggered fears of a local lockdown. The figures were published as a government-backed study confirmed that south Asian communities were the…
THE south Asian diaspora in the UK often becomes the victim of "casual racism", but that can't be compared to what the black community has to endure in everyday life, feels Monty Panesar. Calling for a mindset change, the former England spinner said authorities should initiate a five-year plan to…
by MITA MISTRY I WRITE these words with a heavy heart as we mourn the loss of those who lost their fight against Covid-19 or other illnesses. These are not normal times and there is huge suffering around us. Every single day, we learn of someone losing their life, like…
By Barnie Choudhury SOUTH ASIAN children who have been sexually abused are being let down by police not being thorough in their investigation and having a “poor” grasp of the trauma that victims experience, campaigners said. Eastern Eye can also reveal that a women’s group has this week launched a…
By Nadeem Badshah THE NHS marks its 72nd birthday on Sunday (5), a welcome celebration after the most challenging year it has endured in its history due to the coronavirus crisis. For the estimated 118,000 doctors, nurses and staff from south Asia working on the frontline in the battle…
DR SAMARA AFZAL is a GP at the Limes Medical Centre in Stourbridge and the Urgent Care Centre at Russell’s Hall Hospital. She works in an inner-city surgery with a lot of deprived patients, many among them are south Asians. She became a GP three years ago after training in…
By Barnie Choudhury GETTING the trust and confidence of south Asians are vital to winning the battle against diseases which are more widespread in their communities. That is the warning from Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chair of the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Nagpaul…
By Barnie Choudhury THE data is there. The recommendations are there. What is lacking is the government’s political will to end racism once and for all in the UK. That is the damning accusation of black and Asian leaders from the world of politics and anti-racism activism. In an exclusive…
SOUTH ASIAN people are the most likely to die of Covid-19 after being hospitalised in the UK, an extensive analysis has found. The study covering about 35,000 people admitted to 260 hospitals noted that those with south Asian backgrounds faced about 20 per cent higher risk of death compared with…
By Barnie Choudhury SIXTEEN of the 17 doctors who died during the time it took Public Health England to carry out its review into the disproportionate number of Asian and black people dying from coronavirus were BAME, Eastern Eye has learnt. The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, also…
By Amit Roy AN ACADEMIC who has been studying the two- and three-fold incidence of heart disease and diabetes, respectively, among Asians for 35 years, has some common-sense advice on how they can protect themselves during the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Raj Bhopal, 67, emeritus professor of public health at Edinburgh…
By Barnie Choudhury and Rithika Siddhartha DOCTORS’ leaders have urged NHS managers to carry out “proper risk assessments” for frontline black, Asian and ethnic minority staff who are treating Covid-19 patients. Their recommendation comes as new analysis by the Guardian newspaper on Monday (25) showed that among healthcare workers who…
By Barnie Choudhury “TRUST is a fickle friend, Hari Puttar. Journalism is as journalists do. Remember that,” as the south Asian JK Rowling would never have said. I jest, but there is a serious message to my rambling thoughts. For some reason, those words sprang to mind when I read…
By Barnie Choudhury ONE of the country’s leading national charities which helps south Asian women escape domestic abuse says it fears Covid-19 will make it more difficult to get funding in the future. For the past 40 years, London’s Southall Black Sisters has helped hundreds of women flee violent…
Poor diet is a major cause behind the COVID-19 deaths and Indians must urgently cut down on ultra-processed food to build resilience against the deadly virus, a leading Indian-origin cardiologist in the UK has cautioned. Dr Aseem Malhotra, who is among the UK's National Health Service (NHS) frontline medics and…
A REVIEW into why a disproportionate number of ethnic minorities across the UK have succumbed to the coronavirus was announced by the government this afternoon. Recent data has revealed a third of patients suffering from Covid-19 symptoms and who are in intensive care are of BAME heritage. A spokesperson…
By Sabu S Padmadas Professor of Demography and Global Health University of Southampton [caption id="attachment_100122" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sabu S Padmadas[/caption] WE LIVE in anxious and uncertain times. Every day we get updates on the numbers of people who have contracted and succumbed to Covid-19, this 21st century killer disease. Yet…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist OM SHANTI OM. Greetings from socially distancing SouthAsiastan, better known as Leicester. You know, that Rishi is such a good boy. His parents could not have known, but they named him appropriately. Significantly, the past few weeks suggest that ‘Rish’, as our esteemed prime…
THE BRITISH MUSIC PRODUCER ON HIS NEW LIFE IN CANADA, RADIO SHOW AND UPCOMING TRACKS by ASJAD NAZIR BRITISH music producer D Boy made a name for himself in the UK and then moved to Canada, where he lives today with his wife and child. He hasn’t disconnected himself from…
By Amit Roy MIRA NAIR looks set to usher in an Indian summer with a musical version of her 2001 film, Monsoon Wedding, while BBC One will show the filmmaker’s sixpart adaptation of Vikram Seth’s magnum opus, A Suitable Boy, at around the same time. “The story of Monsoon Wedding the musical…
A SURVEY from Public Health England (PHE) reveals more than eight in ten (82%) people from an Asian background have experienced early signs of poor mental health including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping in the last 12 months. While these can be a natural response to life’s challenges, they can become more…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist IT WOULD seem that British politics is more ruthless than the Game of Thrones. Last September, Sajid Javid was Ned Stark. He rallied the party faithful during the Conservative conference in Manchester. We learnt his mother thought that the first south Asians to…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist IN MARCH 2005, I was having coffee with an officer from the National Crime Squad, and she asked me what my biggest fear was post-9/11. I knew children as young as seven were being groomed to sell drugs, and I had heard chatter…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist THE BBC’s Nick Robinson recently made not one but two mistakes in the course of a 20-second programme link. He did not call the MP Clive Lewis black, and he mistakenly said there were no other ‘non-white’ candidates in the Labour leadership race.…
by LAUREN CODLING SOUTH ASIANS need to act early to prevent future health problems, academics have warned as new research found ethnic minorities are at a higher risk of developing a physical disability. Data compiled from a study of 40,000 men and women showed that those from a south Asian…
PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND is encouraging South Asian parents to protect their children from the flu this winter, as the largest ever flu vaccination programme gets underway. Kuljit Deeljur, mother of three, Colly Ullah, mother of two, and Hamisha Mehta who is pregnant with her second child, share their experiences of the flu…
Author: C. Scott Jordan & Ghayasuddin Siddiqui Publisher: Beacon Books Rating: 3/5 THE Muslim community being in the news for different reasons has not only sparked various debates, but also resulted in books, TV shows, films, stage productions and much more. What this book attempts to do is document the…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist I LOVE this country, and I would be willing to die for it. Britain has given me almost everything, and for the past 50 years, it has been home. It gave me my career in journalism. It let me join a quintessential symbol…
By Nadeem Badshah FEWER British Asians are taking part in the arts compared to other ethnic groups, the latest government figures have revealed. Campaigners have expressed concern after data showed that 59 per cent of Asians aged 16 and older went to an exhibition or performed in a play…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist IN FEBRUARY, the main broadcasters will be waiting to see who has won the Royal Television Society journalism awards. I have had the privilege of being one of the judges for almost a decade. Like any competition, the shortlists will be analysed, and…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist FOR the past 20 years, I have been resolute that I would return to karate. I gave up soon after our daughter was born, and the once-toned muscles of a former British champion went to mush. Perhaps writing it down, in black and…
By Nadeem Badshah MINISTERS have been urged to step up in 2020 and tackle problems faced by Asian families looking after a disabled loved one. Campaigners say there remains a low uptake among south Asians for accessing some support services. They have also highlighted the high number of benefits…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist I LOVE general election night, and to be more precise, I love being in the thick of it. So, I was super-excited to be at an election count for the first time in 15 years last Thursday (12). It was Leicester, my home city,…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist I HAVE been really lucky during my professional career. It is not just the variety of roles I have undertaken, but the people I have been blessed to meet and from whom I have learned. In 1997, I was reporting about the Black Police…
by LAUREN CODLING LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn revealed he has had “positive” conversations with the high commissioners of India and Pakistan about Kashmir, as he stressed that a Labour government would prioritise family reunions under a reformed migration system. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye on Tuesday (3), the…
Barnie Choudhury, Former BBC journalist THERE was a time when retailers had Christmas all to themselves. But that darn prime minister of ours decided to be the Grinch and call a general election. How thoughtless, because every conversation from now until December 12 will be about who you are going…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist EVERYONE knows where they were on September 11, 2001, when two planes slammed into the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York. But few of us will remember where we were the day before. Except I can, and for reasons which will soon…
By Nadeem Badshah BRITISH INDIANS, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are among the happiest people in the country, an official study has showed. South Asians scored higher than the average score of 7.54 out of 10 when they were asked how happy they felt. People of Indian origin scored 7.67, Bangladeshis 7.64…
by Barnie Choudhury IN THE late 1960s, those east African-Asians who saw signs that things were about to change for the worse fled Uganda. A few years later the dictator, Idi Amin, expelled the remaining 60,000, generously allowing them the clothes on their back and £5 in their pockets. Among…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist IT WAS 1996, and I had moved to Leicester where everyone was waxing lyrical about this dynamic, eloquent and change-making MP. His name was Keith Vaz and his record was impressive. A first-class law degree from Cambridge. A successful solicitor who moved to the…
by NADEEM BADSHAH MORE awareness is needed about the cancer risks from chewing paan among south Asians in the UK, experts have said. The chewing tobacco is often eaten after meals and on special occasions, such as Diwali. The stimulant, known as gutkha, can cause mouth and throat cancer, tremors…
AN inclusive stock image gallery dedicated to showing the diversity of British Asians has been launched this week. Developed by cultural consultancy group The Unmistakables, Despora is described as a collection of free-to-download images of second-generation British Asians. The idea was born after the group noticed the low scale of…
by LAUREN CODLING IT’S LEGIT – Instagram is taking over the world. The photo-sharing app has become one of the most popular social media platforms with around 500 million users accessing it on a daily basis. And within the Instagram world, a new breed of user has been born –…
by Barnie Choudhury THIS week I want to declare a personal interest – I am the chair of Awaaz, a mental health charity in Nottingham which helps BAME people. We are celebrating 25 years in existence, and it is thanks to our chief executive, Angela Kandola, that we have survived…
BRITAIN will commission a commemorative coin to mark the 90th anniversary of the final visit by Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, Chancellor Sajid Javid announced Thursday (10). Gandhi came to London in 1931 for a roundtable conference on India's future and ended up travelling around Britain, including visiting textile workers in…
by Barnie Choudhury BACK in 1981, a Sikh man was murdered in Coventry city centre. Tensions had been rising for weeks, and south Asians, Africans, Caribbeans and white residents could feel that this was only the start of our troubles. So when we heard that the anti-Nazi League was organising…
CHANCELLOR Sajid Javid has been named the most influential Asian in Britain for the second consecutive year, as the annual edition of the GG2 Power List will be unveiled this evening. Britain’s first Asian chancellor of the exchequer tops the ranking, while Priti Patel, Javid’s successor in the Home Office and…
by LAUREN CODLING SENIOR doctors have raised concerns over young British Asians showing increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, and urged more education from government on prevention. Research has shown that people of south Asian origin have an increased risk of developing diabetes and may be more likely to…
by NADEEM BADSHAH URGENT action is needed to tackle the type 2 diabetes crisis among British Asians after it emerged more younger people are being diagnosed with the disease, doctors said. One in eight people aged 18-40 years in the UK across all groups has the condition linked to obesity,…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist “I AM completely party-less,” were the words of my friend Ashish as we met for lunch last week. In the turmoil of Brexit, I dismissed it as hyperbole. He continued, “I hate the Tories, can’t stand Corbyn, and I know I am liberal and…
The under-representation of British Asians remains one of football’s most unfortunate stats. It is a national crisis that has been festering for decades. Only three South Asian players have graced the Premier League, and with Wolves' Danny Batth set to become a top-flight captain next season, it's clear things need…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist FOR those who don’t know about the best city in the UK, let me enlighten you. Leicester is home to the 2015-16 Premier League football champions; the place which produced Martin Johnson, the man who led the England squad to a glorious rugby World…
By Nadeem Badshah MORE awareness needs to be raised in the Asian community about the skin condition vitiligo to tackle the damaging stigma, campaigners said. The condition, in which pale white patches develop on the skin caused by a lack of the pigment melanin, is common among south Asians. It…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist THE humble cabbie is my go-to when I want to know what is happening in a place that I’ve never visited before. They are priceless when you want authentic, unvarnished and unpalatable views. So, meet Shahid, an immigrant Muslim who has been ferrying people…
By Nadeem Badshah FEWER than half of British Asian adults eat five fruit or vegetable portions daily, compared to around 56 per cent of white people, as experts warned the figures are a “wake-up call”. Some 47 per cent of people of South Asian origin in England had the…
By Nadeem Badshah BRITISH ASIAN parents are being urged to set a healthier example for their families after figures showed children of Bangladeshi origin have the second-highest rates of being overweight. Government data published earlier this year showed that 44 per cent of British-Bangladeshi youngsters aged 10-11 were classed…
NOBEL Peace Prize winner and Pakistani education rights activist Malala Yousafzai on Thursday (8) appealed for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying "we can all live in peace" and there is no need to "hurt each other". Malala's statement comes after the Indian government on Monday revoked Article…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist “I HEAR you’re the most hated Asian in the BBC,” the national newspaper journalist said. It was December 2001, and I was at a Radio 4 Today Christmas party. “I was told by one of your Asian colleagues that you’re a sell-out, an Uncle…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist I WILL never forget the first time I got up close and personal with Boris Johnson. It was in New York in 2017, and we were at the UK embassy. He was the foreign secretary and I was the Commonwealth secretary-general’s media and PR…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist SOMETHING seismic has happened in the history of British broadcasting. No, it wasn’t that England’s brilliant victory in the Cricket World Cup was shown simultaneously on Sky and Channel 4. It was that after almost a century, the BBC has appointed its first ethnic…
By Sarwar Alam CRICKET can be a catalyst to transform the health and well-being of South Asian communities, an influential member of the English Cricket Board (ECB) has said. Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford is the chair of ECB South Asian Advisory Group. At the launch of an Urban Cricket…
by NADEEM BADSHAH CRICKET clubs are moving away from its booze culture and grounds are introducing prayer rooms and diverse menus in a bid to attract more British Asian stars. Previous research cautioned that drinking sessions were putting off some Asians from reaching the top of the game and the…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist THERE’S an old joke. How do you know when a politician is lying? When their lips move. I was reminded of that when I watched the BBC’s The Secret Windrush Files. My old friend David Olusoga forensically destroyed any idea that the UK’s “hostile…
by NADEEM BADSHAH LEADING British Asian actors have backed calls for TV bosses and film directors to hire more ethnic minority performers and writers to tackle the lack of diversity in the industry. BBC presenter Anita Rani is the latest to highlight discrimination that British Asians face, arguing that “posh…
by NADEEM BADSHAH FIRE service chiefs have been urged to investigate the lack of diversity after figures showed only 0.6 per cent of firefighters in England are of Asian origin. Home Office data showed there were 203 British Asians in 2018, which makes up less than one per cent, compared…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist LET’S make one thing absolutely crystal clear. I am proud to be British. No ifs, no buts. The UK is the place I call home, and I have withdrawal symptoms if I am away from this green and pleasant land for more than seven…
by NADEEM BADSHAH FAMILIES need to be educated about suffering a severe allergic reaction following the death of a schoolboy who had cheese thrown at him, experts have recommended. They have also called for places of worship and the NHS to work together to raise awareness of food allergies. This…
Beloved by Toni Morrison: While working on my doctorate in comparative literature, I became fascinated by the literary figure of the infanticidal mother. In Beloved, an American runaway slave kills her infant rather than condemn her to slavery. So, Greece’s Medea, Mexico’s La Llorona, and India’s Putana, who fed Lord Krishna poisoned…
by NADEEM BADSHAH THE proportion of British Asian children visiting a museum or gallery has fallen to around 38 per cent and is lower than the national average, according to government figures. Just 37.9 per cent of people of south Asian origin aged 16 and over went to an arts…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC Journalist IF THERE was anyone with any doubt that the Conservative party has tried to get rid of its racist tag, then the support for Sajid Javid should have given them pause for thought. In the past few weeks, ‘The Saj’ bandwagon has rolled into…
THE population of Indian-origin people in America grew by 38 per cent in seven years between 2010 and 2017, a South Asian advocacy group has said in its latest demographic report. There are at least 630,000 Indians who are undocumented, a 72 per cent increase since 2010, the South Asian…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY, Former BBC journalist BACK in 2002, I was investigating how the Metropolitan Police was dealing with a senior ethnic minority officer they had accused of corruption. In his corner was a relatively unknown human rights lawyer and Labour councillor. Unlike other south Asians who had a taste…
UK home secretary Sajid Javid has issued another personal apology for the Windrush scandal, involving migrants being wrongly denied their British citizenship rights, as a latest official update revealed that hundreds more Indians were caught up in the row. The Windrush generation refers to citizens of former British colonies who…
by NADEEM BADSHAH SLAVERY victims from south Asia are being recruited in places of worship by relatives in the UK who use “threats and blackmail” to control them, a report found. Campaigners have called for more funding and awareness to tackle the issue after the Unseen charity revealed that its…
by NADEEM BADSHAH MENTAL HEALTH services need to be overhauled after figures showed south Asians were among the least likely to show improvement from NHS treatment, experts have urged. The highest rate of improvement was shown by white men with anxiety and depression at 66.5 per cent, while patients of…
by LAUREN CODLING BRITISH ASIANS should “take responsibility for their health”, a medical expert has urged, as it was revealed that deaths related to heart disease are on the rise in the UK. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) unveiled data on Monday (13) showing an increase in the numbers of…
PRAGYA PALLAVI ON COMING OUT AS A LESBIAN, HER ALBUM QUEERISM AND SAME-SEX LOVE by ASJAD NAZIR There is a lot more to Pragya Pallavi than being the first openly gay artist from India to release a commercial music album. The talented singer, songwriter and musician is a unique voice smashing…
PHILANTHROPIST SURINA NARULA ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND REWARDING WRITERS WITH HER DSC PRIZE by MITA MISTRY British philanthropist Surina Narula MBE has worked for over 25 years to change the lives of women and children. She has also made a significant difference to South Asian literature and instituted the…
Singapore has extradited an Indian national to the United States to face charges in a call center fraud that scammed millions of dollars from victims in the United States, the Justice Department announced on Friday (19). Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 42, of Ahmedabad, India, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in…
by LAUREN CODLING LGBT+ Asians have spoken of their concern for fellow members of the community after protests against a school programme which teaches children about same-sex relationships. In recent months, some parents have criticised the No Outsiders programme which teaches pupils about diversity and equality, as well as LGBT+…
SAMMY CHAND AND RAOUL JUNEJA ON THEIR EXCITING NEW RADIO STATION The newly-launched online Rukus Avenue Radio began broadcasting globally earlier this month and it already looks like a game-changer. The commercial-free radio station focused on South Asian content has gathered an impressive roster of hosts selected from around the…
by Nadeem Badshah THE disproportionate number of British Asians doing fewer than 30 minutes of exercise a week can be tackled by sports organisations having a more diverse workforce, campaigners believe. They have also called for GPs to do more to promote physical activity after government figures showed nearly a…
by SUNDER KATWALA BRITAIN feels deeply divided. The sense of a more fragmented, fractious society than any of us find comfortable has, ironically, become at least one thing we can all agree on. There is a public appetite for shared moments that can bring us together – and a concern…
by LAUREN CODLING SURVIVORS of the violent division of India and Pakistan will be able to revisit childhood memories in a new virtual reality (VR) project put together by Oxford University students. South Asians who escaped partition – one of the largest forced migrations in history in 1947, when India…
A UK Parliament committee on Wednesday (6) demanded that the government must not “simply ignore” Indians and other Commonwealth citizens caught up in the Windrush scandal, involving historic immigrants wrongly denied their citizenship rights in the UK. In its report at the end of a review into the scandal, the…
by Nadeem Badshah URGENT action is needed to improve access to GPs in deprived towns and cities with large Asian communities, according to health experts. Research showed rich and poor people in England receive different standards of care from the NHS, with families living in deprived areas waiting longer to…
A GASTRIC bypass surgery can halt symptoms of Type 2 diabetes for years, a study has found. The study, published in medical journal Diabetologia, found that three quarters of obese diabetic patients who had gastric bypass surgery went into remission within one year. About 73 per cent of them remained…
by Nadeem Badshah A VET who suffered racial discrimination throughout his career is leading the fight to make farming more diverse so his children and future generations are welcomed into the profession. Navaratnam Partheeban, 36, has spoken out about the discrimination he has experienced, including one time when a farmer…
by LAUREN CODLING BRITISH ASIANS have been urged to engage with free programmes to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as a new long-term NHS plan which promised to save up to 500,000 lives was announced on Monday (7). The 10-year plan includes doubling the Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) by 2023-24,…
The Simpsons illustrators Stefano Monda and Rino Russo seemed to have given a gift to the newly-wedded couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas who now have their own caricatures from the world of the fictitious town of Springfield. The Quantico star took to Instagram to share the two cartoons that…
More and more South Asian families are realising that nursing can be a good career option for their children, thanks to better awareness about the job. Although attitudes are changing, there’s still a long way to go before Asian families consider nursing a prestigious career option. Former banking professional Farina Saheed…
by NADEEM BADSHAH ADDICTION to gambling games, including Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals, is wrecking Asian families, campaigners have warned. The maximum bet on the terminals will be cut from £100 to £2 from April 2019 after the government bowed to pressure last week. Tracey Crouch quit as sports minister on November…
BY LAUREN CODLING A “heartfelt” play exploring a gay Muslim woman coming to terms with her identity premiered in south London earlier this month. The Funeral Director is centred around Ayesha, a director at a Muslim funeral parlor. When she is visited by Tom, who is looking to organise his…
THE GG2 Diversity Conference last Wednesday (24) featured speeches by a number of inspirational and passionate speakers including politicians, campaigners, entrepreneurs and senior executives. The conference is hosted by the Asian Media Group (AMG), which publishes Eastern Eye, Garavi Gujarat, Asian Trader, Pharmacy Business, the Asian Rich List and the…
Dr Smita Hirani from The Microfaculty Surgery in Chingford is encouraging all at risk groups from South Asian communities to speak to their GP, pharmacist or midwife before the end of November about the flu vaccine to protect themselves and their families before the flu season takes hold. The flu vaccine is free for at risk…
BRITAIN'S home secretary, Sajid Javid, the first Asian to hold the prestigious post, won the top honour at the GG2 Leadership Awards in London last evening (24). Javid, who is of British-Pakistani heritage and was appointed home secretary in April, was presented the coveted GG2 Hammer Award for shattering through the…
by LAUREN CODLING A MUSICAL adaptation of Zadie Smith’s “messy and funny” White Teeth will debut in a north London theatre next Friday (26). Smith’s debut novel tells the story of diverse characters – including the Iqbal twins and the rest of their extended Bangladeshi family – living on Kilburn…
[caption id="attachment_47282" align="alignleft" width="211"] Professor Sir Nilesh Samani[/caption] by Professor Sir Nilesh Samani (Medical director at the British Heart Foundation) SINCE the 1970s, the UK has achieved tremendous success in halving the number of deaths from heart and circulatory diseases. This has been brought about by better treatments, more effective medicines reaching people…
by LAUREN CODLING BRITISH ASIANS have been warned to pay attention to their health by leading medical professionals, as a “diabetes epidemic” is predicted to trigger a rise in heart attack and strokes by 2035. The number of people suffering from potentially fatal medical conditions due to diabetes is predicted…
by ASJAD NAZIR. FORTHCOMING film Helicopter Eela sees Kajol play a devoted mother who makes a lot of sacrifices to bring up her son, but then finds it difficult to let go when he goes to college and becomes more independent. This is a situation many parents face. Eastern Eye spoke with mothers whose children are venturing…
Indians have emerged as the third-largest group affected by the Windrush immigration scandal involving Commonwealth nationals being wrongly denied their citizenship rights in Britain. The Windrush immigration scandal concerns people who were wrongly detained, denied legal rights, threatened with deportation and in many cases wrongly deported from the UK by…
by LAUREN CODLING A MOTHER suffering from a rare genetic disease is supporting a campaign which hopes to collect data in order to develop tests for populations at high risk of genetic birth defects. Neena Nizar, 40, suffers from a condition called Jansen’s Metaphyseal Chondrodysplasia. It is an extremely rare…
JOURNALIST Kavita Puri has been appointed a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum for a period of four years. The award-winning journalist and radio broadcaster commenced her role at the London museum, which is not remunerated, from July 2. Puri currently works for BBC Current Affairs as the editor of foreign affairs documentary programme, Our World.…
ECB’S ACTION PLAN ‘WILL CHANGE BRITAIN’S CRICKETING CULTURE’ [caption id="attachment_39322" align="alignleft" width="175"] by LORD KAMLESH PATEL[/caption] IT WAS as a boy growing up in the Great Horton area of Bradford as a first-generation British Asian that I first fell in love with cricket. I remember playing with friends, family and…
By Sarwar Alam ECB action plan designed to widen south Asian appeal A NEW initiative by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) aims to increase the game’s appeal among south Asians and “transform” the game in the community, with the project’s head, Lord Patel of Bradford, describing it as…
by LAUREN CODLING OPPOSITION leader Jeremy Corbyn has said a Labour government would not set “arbitrary targets” on migration, adding that they would separate student numbers from immigration figures. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye last week, Corbyn also said it was an “economical imperative" that the system to…
by LAUREN CODLING AN ANNUAL arts festival celebrating the “unique” links between the UK and south Asia returns to London next month. The Alchemy Festival at the Southbank Centre will feature dance performances, comedy, DJs, music, food and film. Rachel Harris, the creative producer at the Southbank Centre, told Eastern…
Every Friday evening in Dubai's bustling Deira district, a sandy lot is transformed into the ring of champions. It is kushti wrestling night and Kala Pehlwan is ready to fight. As the sun sinks below towering palm trees, dozens of men -- many in tunics, others in T-shirts -- begin…
Public Health England’s statistics show that over a third (38%) of first time strokes happen in middle aged adults (between the ages of 40 – 69). More first time strokes are now occurring at an earlier age compared to a decade ago and South Asian people are at a greater risk…
BRITISH Asian actors Sanjeev Bhaskar and Bhasker Patel are leading a campaign to raise awareness among the community about stroke. Stroke is now the fourth largest cause of death in England. A new survey by Public Health England (PHE) is aimed at the Asian and black communities and will run…
by NADEEM BADSHAH A GROWING number of south Asian doctors are leaving the UK to work in cities like Dubai because of work pressures, according to a group for overseas medics. The United Arab Emirates, Australia and Canada are the three most popular countries for south Asians who worked for…
Thirty Thing To Look Forward To This Year FROM MOVIES AND MUSIC TO STARS, A FIRST-LOOK GUIDE TO 2018 IT IS only the beginning of the year, but there are already plenty of things to looking forward to in 2018. There will be everything from highprofile films and concerts to…
By Asjad Nazir EVER since news broke of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal, I have been repeatedly asked if the same has happened in the Indian film industry, which produces far more films than Hollywood. The simple answer is that it’s worse in India and those who have abused…
A TOP banker, a blind judge and the first responders at the scene of the London and Manchester terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire are among winners of this year’s GG2 Leadership Awards in London today (26). Baroness Shriti Vadera, the chair of Santander Bank, won the top honour…
The India Club in London, a hub for Indian nationalists in the UK during the independence movement in the 1930s and 40s, is fighting for its survival after plans emerged for the building to be demolished internally. The Club has its roots in the India League, which campaigned for Indian…
BAPS spiritual leader His Holiness Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj and former US president Barack Obama discussed the contribution by the Indian diaspora and how they can be more involved in public life during a recent meeting in Washington DC. Paying tribute to BAPS temples, the former US president noted that…
by Dr Raj Persuad Consultant Psychiatrist Twelve-year-old Rahul being crowned “Child Genius 2017” in the controversial Channel 4 TV series reinforces the stereotype that south Asian kids are academically much more competitive. More geeky or nerdy is another way the world sees them. This racial and cultural pigeonhole also includes the…
Twelve-year-old Rahul being crowned “Child Genius 2017” in the controversial Channel 4 TV series reinforces the stereotype that south Asian kids are academically much more competitive. More geeky or nerdy is another way the world sees them. This racial and cultural pigeon-hole also includes the prejudice that south Asian parents…
By Reena Kumar A NEW pilot scheme in Luton is hoping to encourage more south Asians to enter into careers in midwifery and nursing. Dr Nasreen Ali, senior research fellow at the Institute for Health Research, at the University of Bedfordshire, told Eastern Eye that perceptions and knowledge of the…
PR Sreejesh says his dual role as India hockey captain and goalkeeper is to allow his team mates the freedom to express themselves in Rio, but knows he must keep them focused on the medal hunt in the “magic world” of the Olympics. The 30-year-old was second choice at London…
Teenage fighter Harleen Kaur is fast becoming a strong symbol of girl power. The award-winning 17-year-old has trained in martial arts for nearly 10 years, and enjoyed both national and international tournament success. The high-kicking girl, who was born in Leeds and grew up in Bradford, is also a 2nd…
ONE of Britain’s most popular flour brands has been given the stamp of approval by one of the country’s most prominent heart charities. Heart UK, a charity dedicated to supporting families concerned about rising cholesterol levels, endorsed Elephant Atta’s Chakki Gold brand after praising its whole wheat, finely-milled atta. The…
White Britons must play a role in creating a more cohesive society, community leaders have said in response to a hard-hitting government report about immigration which focused on south Asians in the UK. Some ethnic groups were “worryingly” segregated and government failure to tackle social and economic isolation, particularly among…
These are some of the key points in Dame Louise Casey’s report about immigration in Britain, which focused on south Asians in the UK: * People of Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnicity tend to live in more residentially segregated communities than other ethnic minority groups. South Asian communities (people of Pakistani,…
A new campaign fronted by Emmerdale actor Bhasker Patel hopes to raise awareness among south Asians of the common signs of stroke. Stroke is the fourth largest cause of death in the UK and south Asians are at a higher risk of having a stroke than their white counterparts due…
A new campaign fronted by Emmerdale actor Bhasker Patel hopes to raise awareness among south Asians of the common signs of stroke. Stroke is the fourth largest cause of death in the UK and south Asians are at a higher risk of having a stroke than their white counterparts due…