Good morning. What will Britain look like in the future is the subject of a report from the think-tank, the Policy Exchange, entitled A Portrait of Modern Britain. The projection is that by 2050, ethnic minority groups will increase from the current 5% to nearly a third of the British public.
For many, this is challenging as it prophesises change – not only from what we knew in the past; but from what we may have accepted as the present. The research indicates that although ethnic groups happily identify themselves as British, there may be an overall erosion of regional identity. My experience within the Hindu community who arrived from India and East Africa in the 70s is that they appreciate the accommodating values and spirit of Britishness, but may not yet feel assimilated into particular long-standing customs of what some people may regard as real “Englishness”.
I think this raises the questions: is it more important to identify oneself as part of a smaller & maybe specific community or as a member of a much broader society? Or, is it possible to be true to and do justice to both?
Over 1000 years ago, a group of Parsee refugees came to India seeking sanctuary. The King of Gujarat was sympathetic but explained: Our country is already so well established and over-populated, how will you fit in? The leader of the Parsees asked for a cup brimming with milk to be brought. Into that full cup, he gently stirred some sugar. “We will be just like this sugar,” he said, “bringing sweetness to your land.”
It may be said that, by dissolving in the milk, the individual sugar crystals have been lost. However, their sweet quality is more easily appreciated. Do we lose something of ourselves by assimilating into a bigger community? Or, is this the way by which we can express and contribute our gifts and talents to society?
Yesterday, I attended a traditional Hindu wedding of a young couple. Before allowing the groom to enter the wedding hall, the priest asked him to break a small clay pot with his foot. This, the groom was told, represents leaving aside his previous self-centered life and accepting that, from this moment on, he is part of a bigger picture.
It’s natural to enjoy the sense of belonging to a small or local or tight-knit community. But, all such groups must acknowledge the responsibilities of much wider relationships.
This report alerts us to the challenges of the future. As a society, it asks us to be as accommodating as the milk. And as part of a community group, we can allow the effect of our values, customs and interests to sweeten society without spilling or spoiling the milk.
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