ST GEORGE’S DAY – England’s national day on Wednesday (23) – raises the question of whether we could celebrate England more.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer will mark the occasion with a reception in Downing Street. He told his candidates not to “flinch” from flying the St George’s flag last year, though Labour tends to place more emphasis on the Union Jack in England.
The Labour leader is sometimes criticised for being too performative in his efforts at a progressive patriotism, but he knows no politician has ever successfully governed a major democracy without engaging with its national symbols.
The question is less whether leaders and institutions should engage with national symbols of pride and patriotism, but how they can do so authentically in a changing society.
England is an unusual country. There are places – the fields near Battle outside Hastings, the Cathedral in Winchester and the Abbey in Westminster, or the oldest buildings in Oxford – where the country’s thousand years of history are visible, creating a palpable sense of timelessness. Yet, the history of England is also a history of significant change in what it has meant to be English – from Henry VIII’s break with Rome and the establishment of an English Church to the last three centuries in which England has been a nation without a state, because it has been part of a multinational United Kingdom, and the broadening out of who feels English over the last half century too.
That history makes England, like the other British nations, a country where most people hold more than one national identity and national flag. For a long time, it was overlooked that the English majority – rather than just those from minority backgrounds – hold multiple and overlapping identities too.
It was a setback for efforts at inclusion that former home secretary Suella Braverman posited that it probably takes five or six generations to become English. Her motive may have been partly a personal feud with former prime minister Rishi Sunak – but her logic was to deny that just about anybody black, Asian or Jewish could yet qualify as English. Research persistently finds that this case for racial exclusion makes no sense at all to the vast majority of people in England. Black footballers wearing the Three Lions of the England team have been a familiar sight for decades now.
The rise of English identity among British Asians born in England has been quieter and less culturally prominent – but identifying with belonging to England, and calling yourself English has become a norm for Asians born in this country too.
Braverman had no sensible rationale as to why neither I nor my children could, in her view, be English in our lifetime, yet this might somehow materialise for their hypothetical great-grandchildren after four more generations.
Who will speak for England today? England has relatively few institutions. British institutions – such as the BBC – think about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but rarely about an English national dimension. What to do about England has been a largely unanswered question in the pattern of political devolution too, with limited political or public salience either of campaigns for an English parliament, or more technical efforts to organise votes and scrutiny at Westminster over ‘English votes for English laws’.
So an inclusive Englishness has primarily been pursued in sport, especially football. When England played Scotland at Euro ’96, the flags flying around Wembley stadium shifted decisively to the Cross of St George, when Union Jacks had been prominent when England had won football’s World Cup in 1966. Gareth Southgate’s voice was valued in his championing of an inclusive English pride and patriotism. ‘I have never thought we should just stick to football’, he wrote in his Dear England letter.
Now the FA has chosen Thomas Tuchel from Germany as the coach to try to end what will have doubled to ‘sixty years of hurt’ by the 2026 World Cup next summer. Tuchel can carry the footballing hopes of the nation, but he will not seek to emulate Southgate’s role as the voice of a modern England. But an inclusive England should never be the work of sport alone.
One simple starting point would be more cultural recognition of England outside of the sporting stadium too.
St George’s Day is an obvious place to start. Where I live in Dartford, the annual St George’s Day parade, organised by Gurvinder Sandher and Cohesion Plus, has for a decade offered a model of what a confident and inclusive St George’s Day can look like. Our patron saint and his foe the Dragon, flanked by stilt-walkers and Asian dhol drummers, lead a procession of 700 local schoolchildren. The multi-ethnic crowds lining the streets show how this can be a day that extends the idea of a pride in an England that is inclusive – and where everybody feels invited to the party.
Sunder Katwala is the director of thinktank British Future and the author of the book How to Be a Patriot: The must-read book on British national identity and immigration.
PRESIDENT Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday, a rare meeting that appeared to deepen disagreement with India over Trump’s recent remarks about mediating the India-Pakistan conflict.
This was the first time a US president hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House without senior Pakistani civilian officials. Munir is widely regarded as the most influential figure in Pakistan.
Trump said he was honoured to meet Munir and that they discussed Iran, noting that Pakistan had deep knowledge of the country. He also said he had thanked Munir for helping stop the recent conflict with India. Trump said he had praised prime minister Narendra Modi, with whom he had spoken the night before.
“Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war,” Trump told reporters.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s military, the two discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency. They also exchanged views on the situation between Israel and Iran.
“President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests,” the army said.
Pakistani officials and analysts had expected Munir to urge Trump not to engage in Israel’s war with Iran and to seek a ceasefire. A section of Pakistan’s embassy in Washington represents Iran’s interests, as Iran and the US do not have diplomatic ties.
Pakistan has criticised Israeli airstrikes against Iran, calling them a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.
The meeting marked a significant development in US-Pakistan ties, which had seen limited engagement during the administrations of Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden, as both focused on strengthening relations with India.
When asked earlier what he hoped to achieve by meeting Munir, Trump said: “Well, I stopped a war... I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India.
“But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side, Modi from the India side and others,” Trump added. “They were going at it – and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump hosted Munir after the army chief called for Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in preventing a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan.
Disagreement over mediation
Trump had said last month that India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following US-led talks, claiming the US urged both sides to focus on trade rather than conflict.
However, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said prime minister Modi told Trump during their recent call that the ceasefire was the result of direct talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries, not US mediation.
Pakistan has thanked the US for a mediating role, while India has repeatedly rejected any third-party involvement. The call between Modi and Trump on Tuesday was their first since the 7–10 May conflict.
“PM Modi told president Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Misri said.
“Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. prime minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do.”
Misri added that Modi and Trump had planned to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, but Trump left early due to developments in the Middle East.
Trump had asked Modi to visit the US on his return from Canada, Misri said, but the Indian leader declined due to a prior schedule.
Tensions over Kashmir
The conflict was triggered by a 22 April attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people. India blamed terrorists backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies.
Pakistan has said the ceasefire followed a call initiated by the Indian military, which its army returned.
On 7 May, Indian jets targeted what New Delhi described as terrorist infrastructure across the border. This led to four days of strikes involving jets, drones, artillery, and missiles on both sides.
Michael Kugelman of the Asia Pacific Foundation said Trump’s remarks about US involvement in the ceasefire and possible mediation in Kashmir could affect India-US ties.
“For Delhi, it all boils down to an age-old question: How much can it tolerate US-Pakistan cooperation without having it spoil US-India relations — a partnership that’s thrived in recent years despite continued US-Pakistan links,” he said.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Piyush Goyal (C) and Jonathan Reynolds discuss the UK-India FTA and the bilateral investment treaty in London. (Photo: X/ @INSIGHTUK2)
THE India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) brings "stability and predictability" for businesses in both countries, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday (18).
During a session at the India Global Forum (IGF) UK-India Week titled 'Agreement to Action in the UK-India FTA', the minister shared his optimism around the "good marriage" agreed between both countries, which will lead to doubling bilateral trade in five years.
"A free trade agreement brings stability and predictability to the relationship between two countries," said Goyal.
"That gives confidence to business to start investing in each other's economy and I think this will also pave the way for greater investments in the two economies, add to our trade in goods and services... India and UK can partner in innovation to work together to bring more resilient supply chains, working with each other, complementing each other and adding value and profits to both countries."
Earlier in the day, the minister arrived in London on a two-day visit to discuss with his UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds the next steps towards implementation of the FTA, and explore ways to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
In their first joint public interaction since the FTA negotiations concluded last month, Reynolds said he was "genuinely excited" about the prospects opened up with the FTA.
Reynolds had told the House of Commons last week that the trade deal is estimated to increase bilateral trade in the long run by £20 billion ($25.5bn) every year – from the current annual estimate of £32.3bn ($41bn) – as tariffs are slashed across key sectors on both sides.
"This trade agreement is a huge economic win for the UK — the biggest trade deal since Brexit and the best deal that India has ever offered," Reynolds told Parliament.
On the Indian side, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry highlighted significant positive gains for employment in the country, offering a substantial improvement in competitiveness of Indian goods in the UK vis-à-vis other countries as well as easing mobility for professionals.
The FTA, announced on May 6 with a target to double trade between the two economies to £94.5bn ($120bn) by 2030, is now undergoing a process of legal text formalisation before it can come into force.
"Both leaders will review the progress made in the ongoing FTA negotiations and chart out a clear, time-bound roadmap for its finalisation and implementation," the commerce ministry said in a statement.
During his two-day UK visit, Goyal is also set to hold talks with chancellor Rachel Reeves to discuss macroeconomic priorities, financial cooperation, and investment facilitation between the two countries.
Besides, the minister is scheduled to meet secretary of state for culture, media and sport Lisa Nandy to explore avenues of collaboration in creative industries and innovation-driven sectors.
"These engagements will bring together global business leaders, investors, and policy experts to deliberate on the strategic contours of the India-UK economic corridor and the transformative impact of the proposed FTA," the statement said.
Also, Goyal is expected to interact with leading CEOs and industry stakeholders from key sectors, including shipping, fintech, logistics, and advanced manufacturing, with a view to deepening commercial linkages and promoting cross-border investments.
He is also set to address a session on 'UK-India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration' at IGF London on Thursday (19).
The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to £16.8bn in 2023-24 from £16.1bn in 2022-23.
(PTI)
Keep ReadingShow less
Mourners at the funeral of BJP leader Vijay Rupani, who was among the victims of the Air India crash, in Ahmedabad
AROUND 200 passengers on the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick have been identified, authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat said, as grieving families held the last rites of their loved ones following the crash last Thursday (12).
Hundreds of lives were changed in an instant when the London-bound plane slammed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and at least 38 on the ground.
There was one survivor – British national Viswashkumar Ramesh, from Leicester – and he walked out of the aircraft as it burst into flames.
Community members pay their respects outside the home of the sole survivor of the crash
Medical officials at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said they were working round the clock to identify victims through DNA testing. Rajnish Patel, a doctor at the hospital, said: “This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only.”
Dr Rakesh Joshi, the hospital’s medical superintendent, said 163 DNA samples had been matched so far, with 124 bodies handed over to family members from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and Diu.
Air India’s Catherine West with Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami at India House
One victim’s relative, who did not want to be identified, said they had been instructed not to open the coffin when they receive it.
Authorities ordered inspections of Air India’s entire Dreamliner fleet, while investigators recovered both black boxes from the wreckage – the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said decoding these devices would provide “indepth insight” into what caused the tragedy.
Family members pray beside the bodies of Dilip Patel and his wife Meena Patel, who died in the crash
His comments came as India’s aviation watchdog launched a comprehensive investigation into the crash; the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked Air India to provide training records for the pilots and the flight dispatcher.
The regulator has also asked flying schools nationwide to conduct strict compliance checks on training procedures, maintenance protocols and pilot licensing requirements.
A separate memo instructed governmentmanaged airports to carry out full-scale emergency training exercises on June 30.
On Monday (16), an Air India Dreamliner returned to Hong Kong airport “shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue” and underwent safety checks.
In Ahmedabad, families continued their anguished wait for news of their loved ones. The passenger manifest showed 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members aboard the illfated flight.
Rinal Christian, whose elder brother was aboard the aircraft, expressed frustration at the delays. “They said it would take 48 hours. But it’s been four days, and we haven’t received any response,” the 23-year-old said. “My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. So, what happens next?”
Among those identified was Vijay Rupani, a senior member of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former chief minister of Gujarat. His flag-draped coffin was carried by soldiers in Ahmedabad, accompanied by a portrait draped in flower garlands.
Another victim, 24-year-old Kinal Mistry, had postponed her original flight. Crowds gathered for her funeral procession in Anand district, two hours from Ahmedabad. Dozens of workers in yellow hard hats sifted through the wreckage and as debris clearance continued at the scorched crash site, families demanded explanations. Imtiyaz Ali, still awaiting DNA confirmation of his brother’s identity, voiced the feelings of many relatives: “Next step is to find out the reason for this accident. We need to know.”
Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran told staff on Monday (16) the incident should serve as “a catalyst to build a safer airline.” During a staff meeting, Chandrasekaran, 62, said, “I’ve seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one.
A police officer stands before the wreckage of the Air India aircraft
“We need to use this incident as an act of force to build a safer airline.
“We need to wait for the investigation. It’s a complex machine, so a lot of redundancies, checks and balances, certifications, which have been perfected over years and years. Yet this happens, so we will figure out why it happens after the investigation.” India’s prime minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as “heartbreaking beyond words”, while UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer called the scenes from the crash “devastating”.
King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad.”
Both Air India and Boeing face fresh challenges following the crash. The Tata Group, which purchased the airline in 2022, has been working to overhaul its operations and safety standards.
Boeing faces renewed scrutiny following a series of safety and production crises. Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, visited Air India’s headquarters near New Delhi to discuss the incident with airline officials.
Across Britain, local communities came together in mourning as vigils and prayers were held in places of worship and town halls. At a Hindu temple in Harrow last Saturday (14), dozens of community members gathered for prayers, with leaders from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, Zoroastrian and other faiths offering tributes.
Many attendees had personal connections to victims aboard the Londonbound flight. The head of the Siddhashram Hindu temple, Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who is from Gujarat, likened families’ grief to “waiting and waiting” for loved ones who “are not going to come back again.”
“Some of the members... I have spoken to them, and they don’t have the words,” Guruji said. “They are in shock.”
Among those mourning was Jyotsna Shukla, 66, whose son’s childhood friend died alongside his wife and three children. “I feel very bad because he was so young,” she said before breaking into tears.
Harrow mayor Anjana Patel, who lost a family member in the disaster, reflected on the tragedy’s impact.
“We believe that everyone who is born has to go one day. But I hope nobody goes the way these passengers, as well as the medical students, have gone,” she said, announcing grief counselling services for affected families.
On Monday evening, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner joined a multifaith memorial service at the High Commission of India in central London, stressing the bonds between Britain and India during times of crisis.
“What struck me over the last few days is that the UK and India may be two countries separated by a vast distance, but in the ways that really count we are so very, very close,” Rayner told the gathering. “We mark our bond today in a simple and profound way. We grieve together.” India’s High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, expressed gratitude for British support during this period of “profound grief and abiding shock.”
He noted how the tragedy demonstrated “the suddenness with which life could be extinguished,” affecting not just the 271 victims, but also families and friends.
Monday’s commemorative event coincided with a House of Commons debate on the crash, where foreign office minister Hamish Falconer updated Parliament on assistance efforts for affected British nationals. “With an Indian diaspora about two million strong here in Britain, and with a particularly prominent Gujarati community, we feel the pain of this tragedy together,” Falconer said, acknowledging the “pain and frustration” of families unable to lay loved ones to rest due to ongoing identification processes.
Conservative MP and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel called it “a dark, sad and traumatic day for India, the UK and all those affected.” British investigators have joined the accident investigation team in India, with Falconer confirming that UK consular staff and family liaison officers are supporting British nationals through the traumatic identification process in Gujarat hospitals.
Keep ReadingShow less
Relatives carry the coffin of a victim, who was killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash, during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad on June 15, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
AT LEAST 190 victims of last week's Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have been identified through DNA tests, and 159 bodies, including 32 foreign nationals, have been handed over to their families, officials said on Wednesday.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board died, along with nearly 29 people on the ground, when the aircraft struck a medical complex.
Authorities are using DNA tests to identify the victims, as many bodies were charred or damaged.
“Till Wednesday morning, 190 DNA samples have been matched, and 159 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. The process of matching (DNA samples of) other bodies is still on,” said Ahmedabad Civil Hospital's medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi.
Victims include foreign nationals
Of the 159 victims whose bodies were returned to their families, 127 were Indians, four Portuguese, 27 British and one Canadian, Joshi said.
Among the 127 Indian victims, four were killed on the ground and 123 were on board the flight, he added.
Following the crash, 71 injured people were admitted to various hospitals. “Of them, only seven are currently undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, while 12 other patients are admitted to private hospitals in Ahmedabad and Dahod. Three patients lost their lives during treatment here (civil hospital),” Joshi said.
The state government had earlier said DNA samples from 250 victims — including those on board and those on the ground — were collected for identification.
No major safety issues found in Boeing 787 fleet, says DGCA
India’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday that surveillance of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet had not revealed any major safety concerns.
“The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed to London with 242 people on board when it crashed seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad, hitting nearby buildings. All but one person on the flight died, along with about 30 people on the ground.
The DGCA said 24 of Air India’s 33 Boeing 787 aircraft had undergone an “enhanced safety inspection” ordered by the regulator.
In a meeting with senior officials from Air India, the DGCA raised concerns over recent maintenance-related issues. It advised the airline to “strictly adhere to regulations”, improve coordination across its operations, and ensure the availability of spare parts to reduce passenger delays.
The regulator had also met senior officials from Air India and Air India Express to review operations amid growing flight volumes.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
US president Donald Trump and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi told US president Donald Trump late on Tuesday (17) that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation, India's senior-most diplomat said.
Trump had said last month that the south Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US, and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war.
India has previously denied any third-party mediation and Tuesday's phone call between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which Modi attended as a guest, is their first direct exchange since the May 7-10 conflict.
"PM Modi told president Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan," Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement.
"Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. Prime minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do," he said.
Misri said the two leaders were due to meet on the sidelines of G7 summit but Trump left a day early due to the situation in the Middle East.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Modi-Trump call.
The heaviest fighting in decades between India and Pakistan was sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad.
On May 7, Indian jets bombed what New Delhi called "terrorist infrastructure" sites across the border, triggering tit-for-tat strikes spread over four days in which both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery.
Misri said that Trump expressed his support for India's fight against terrorism and that Modi told him India's Operation Sindoor under which it launched the cross border strikes was still on.
Trump also asked Modi if he could stop by the US on his return from Canada, Misri said, but the Indian leader expressed his inability to do so due to a pre-decided schedule. He invited Trump to visit India later this year for the summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping, which Trump accepted, Misri said.