Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

South Asians face 'casual racism', black communities endure worse: Monty Panesar

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 eradicate racial profiling of black people.


"If someone is driving a fancy car here with tinted windows and he happens to black, he is six times more likely to be stopped by the police than others," Panesar, who took 167 wickets in 50 Tests, told PTI on Tuesday (14).

"So, the fear of the cops is in the everyday life of the black community here.

"That is what my black friends tell me. They go to a supermarket store, the general mindset is that he could be here for shoplifting. If I keep something in my pocket, there won't be added attention but they go through constant tension of being 'caught' even though they have not done anything."

Like many in the cricketing community, the 38-year-old said he was moved by Michael Holding's stirring speech against racism on day one of the first Test at Southampton, adding that the West Indies legend "hit the nail on the head".

"There should be a five-year plan for accelerated change," said Panesar, whose parents migrated to England from India in the 1970s.

"If no changes are made after giving speeches, then there is no point. The speech that Michael Holding gave, I have not seen anyone else delivering a message so powerfully like he did."

In his speech, Holding had said: "Education is important unless we want to continue living the life that we are living and want to continue having demonstrations every now and again and a few people saying a few things.

"When I say education, I mean going back in history. What people need to understand is that thing stems from a long time ago, hundreds of years ago.

"The dehumanisation of the black race is where it started.

"People will tell you 'that's a long time ago, get over it'.

"No, you don't get over things like that and society has not gotten over something like that.

"How do you get rid of that in society? By educating both sides -- black and white."

Panesar stressed that there was an urgent need to provide better education to more members of the black community, and promote them "to have the white collar jobs like others".

"The south Asian community also faces casual racism but nothing like what the black community faces on a daily basis," he added.

"Subconsciously we are so prejudiced against the black community that we don't realise it, we don't accept it. We need to get it out of our system."

He also highlighted that the Sikh community had been doing social work for decades, "spreading the message of love, and that people have appreciated and they love us back".

Panesar, who played for England from 2006 to 2013, said he was never racially discriminated during his time with the national team.

"I did not face it to be honest," he said, quipping that he was more worried about doing his "job properly so that that I don't get an earful from the captain".

"If you are in a team, naturally you would have more things in common with the members of your community," the spinner said. "But you must make the effort of mingling with all your teammates. It is very important in a team environment."

More For You

Rockstar Boots GTA Player Mid-Stream After Jailbroken PS5 Leak

The footage of the removal quickly circulated on social media

iStock

Rockstar kicks GTA Online player mid-stream for leaking new DLC via jailbroken PS5

Rockstar Games has taken swift action against a GTA Online player who streamed unreleased content from the upcoming Money Fronts update using a jailbroken PlayStation 5. The player was removed from an online session in real-time by a Rockstar administrator, reinforcing the studio’s zero-tolerance stance on leaks and unauthorised access.

Player ejected during livestream

During the livestream, the user was showcasing content from the Money Fronts downloadable content (DLC), which is officially due for release on 17 June 2025. Midway through the broadcast, the stream was interrupted with an on-screen message that read:

Keep ReadingShow less
Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley appears without dialogue in Brad Pitt’s F1 after major cuts to her role

Getty Images

Simone Ashley cut from Brad Pitt’s 'F1' as director confirms her storyline was removed

Simone Ashley, best known for her breakout role in Bridgerton, won’t have the screen time fans expected in Brad Pitt’s upcoming Formula 1 film F1. Despite being part of the film’s promotional buzz and having filmed scenes alongside the main cast, Ashley’s role was trimmed down to a blink-and-miss appearance with no dialogue.

Director Joseph Kosinski confirmed the change, stating that the edit came down to tough decisions made during the final cut. Speaking in an interview, he said, “Every movie has more content than it can use. We had to drop two or three storylines for pacing. Unfortunately, Simone’s was one of them.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India CEO

Social media users quickly pointed out that large portions of the statement

Reuters

Air India CEO’s crash statement draws plagiarism claims over striking similarity to US airline speech

Air India has come under fresh scrutiny following the deadly crash of Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, which claimed more than 270 lives. This time, controversy surrounds the airline’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, who is facing allegations of plagiarism over the phrasing used in his speech following the tragedy.

Speech similarity sparks online backlash

Two days after the crash, Air India released a video of Wilson expressing condolences and detailing the airline’s response. However, social media users quickly pointed out that large portions of the statement closely resembled remarks made by American Airlines CEO Robert Isom after a separate fatal mid-air incident in the US earlier this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash

Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025.

Getty Images

Leicester to observe silence for Air India crash victims during Rathayatra festival

A MINUTE of silence will be observed in Leicester on Sunday, June 22, to remember those who died in the recent Air India crash. The silence will take place during the inauguration of the annual Rathayatra festival of chariots in the city centre.

Organisers from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness confirmed the silence will be held at 11.20am, followed by traditional Hindu performances from Gujarat at Gallowtree Gate, outside Sports Direct.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa prepares to take over Wembley Stadium with back-to-back shows this weekend

Getty Images

Dua Lipa to headline Wembley Stadium for the first time with Radical Optimism tour

Dua Lipa is heading home. For the first time in her career, the chart-topping pop star will headline Wembley Stadium in London this weekend, and fans are buzzing with anticipation. The two-night stop is part of her Radical Optimism world tour, which kicked off in Asia and will continue through the end of 2025. Here’s everything you need to know before heading to one of the capital’s biggest gigs this summer.

When, where, and what to expect from Dua’s Radical Optimism shows

Keep ReadingShow less