APPENDIX 6
Memorandum submitted by Raman Kapur, Director,
Threshold
I am one of the first generation Indian community
born in Northern Ireland; my father was one of the first settlers
in the early 1950's.
A documentary, made with the BBC, called "A
Passage from India" (based on a book written by my brother
called the "Irish Raj") went out locally 18 months ago
describing the positive story of the Indian population in Northern
Ireland.
I'm the first ethnic minority Clinical Psychologist
and the first Director/CEO of a public sector organisation in
Northern Ireland (Threshold, a mental health charity).
My experiences are from someone "born and
bred" here, who lived in England for eight years, returning
in 1990.
1. REASONS FOR
REPORTED INCREASE
IN HATE
CRIMES
— Important to clarify objectivity
and accuracy of statistics eg what constitutes a race hate event?
— Maybe racist hate crimes were already
at this level during the troubles and simply were not reported.
— Racist crimes have to be seen within
the context of positive reports of ethnic minority life in Northern
Ireland.
2. EFFECTIVENESS
OF MEASURES
TO TACKLE
PREJUDICE
— Reacting to inaccurate statistics
may create a victims culture.
— Working class prejudice (hatred more
visible and easier to tackle) what about middle class/professional
racism which is harder to detect and correct eg ethnic minority
medical and other professionals suffer "hidden" discrimination
because people worry the "darkies are taking over".
— Response of agencies has tended to
be more "PR" than substance eg key agencies could proactively
go out to schools and/or organisations and provide support for
ethnic minorities to feel confident about playing a fuller part
in society.
3. EFFECTIVENESS
OF EXISTING
LAW
— While legal protection is important
it doesn't provide all the answers.
— Ethnic minorities, as the Indian
community have done, have got to take responsibility to engage
with the locals.
— We are in danger of creating a victim
culture with the race issue; an "inside out" approach
to racism, as exemplified through the positive experiences of
the Indian community is about going out and integrating/de-mystifying
our culture with the locals.
Overall, I feel there is a real danger of middle-class
anti-racism protests being used to cover the silent racism that
I have certainly experienced. The Indian community way has been
to avoid victimhood and try and create a pluralist society.
31 March 2004
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