|
I
have affectionate and vivid memories of growing up under the care of my
paternal grandfather. As a young boy and then a teenager, I resented the
interruption of entertaining programmes to tune into television and radio
news broadcasts, and the constant political commentary supplied by my
grandfather. It was only in adulthood that I came to appreciate this
commonality of experiences among many Black activists. This informal
learning would prove instructive in later years.
By
the time the media covered the uprisings of the 1980s and the battles over
Kenneth Baker’s History National Curriculum, like some of my friends and
colleagues, I was actively involved in the struggles for racial equality
and justice. (It is also worth noting that almost every local
authority’s equal opportunities policy was written after the uprisings that shook thirty cities and towns across
Britain.) The Black perspectives appearing in the sociology literature
between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, were inspiring and often
ground-breaking.
Working
with Black teenagers/young adults today, and teaching at De Montfort
University I have noticed that the majority of young people have little
knowledge or understanding of battles fought, or difficulties endured to
reach where we are today as Black communities or as a multi-ethnic nation.
Teaching core modules of ‘anti-oppressive practice’ for the Masters or
BA in Youth & Community work is problematic. It assumes
schools/colleges have given students an understanding of slavery,
colonialism and the history of Black immigration to Britain. Not only do
significant numbers of students not posses such knowledge, but Black
student still complain about the racist attitudes of some of the White
students. The expertise and experience of Black lecturers is marginalised
and they frequently receive differential treatment compared to White
lecturers.
Many
young people and adults alike take for granted that they can purchase
chilies, coriander or sweet potato in local supermarkets. It is noticeable
that there are more Black people employed in a wider range of occupations.
However, in these amnesic times, when some people are trying to re-invent
the wheel, regards racial equality, we must not forget that racism is very
much alive and doing well in Britain. The beast of racism is not so much
facing extinction as evolving newer and often subtler guises but some of
its behaviour is readily recognisable.
Black
pupils appear to be disciplined by teachers more harshly than their white
counterparts for similar offences (Smithers 2001). Many of Britain's
schools are 'institutionally racist', according to Ofsted, which cited
evidence that Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Gypsy Traveller
children are failing to make adequate progress (Smithers & Carvel
1999). The report went on to say teachers were often guilty of promoting
racial stereotyping by using out-of-date teaching materials, such as old
geography textbooks with potentially offensive material. Mr. Gould,
Ofsted’s head of secondary education, insisted that the vast majority of
teachers in schools were not 'intentionally racist' but that there were
features and attitudes within some schools which put ethnic minority
pupils at a disadvantage. He cited evidence that some teachers had
generally lower expectations of such pupils than they did of their White
counterparts. (- Now where have we heard that before!) The report urged
schools and education authorities to counter racial harassment and
stereotyping. Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of the National
Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, (not surprisingly)
said the accusation of institutional racism was outrageous and foolish.
He, like Doug McAvoy claimed most teachers were not intentionally racist (Smithers
& Carvel 1999). Older readers might recognise these accusations and
the reactions to them as familiar. The only difference is that Ofsted
somewhat belatedly has given itself ‘antiracist’ credentials.
Britain's
African-Caribbean and Asian communities were being bypassed by the
Government's welfare to work programme, according to a new report by the
Social Exclusion Unit. The Social Exclusion Unit cited evidence showing
White applicants were three times more likely than Asians with equivalent
job applications to get job interviews (Wintour & Wazir 2000). Black
men are up to five times as likely to be unemployed as white men,
according to government figures which suggest that ethnic minorities face
widespread discrimination looking for jobs. Among women, the worst
affected are those of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, nearly five times
as likely as white women to be unemployed (Denny 2001). Furthermore, the
Metropolitan police’s stop and search behaviour is now hitting Asians in
a disproportionate manner (Hopkins 1999). Most students find work quickly
after leaving university regardless of where they study, but
African/African-Caribbean and Asian graduates still face discrimination
from employers, according to an official report (Woodward 2001). Chris
Myant, spokesman for the CRE, is reported as saying: "The
old argument that black and Asian people don't get jobs because they don't
have skills is masking a degree of discrimination in the area of skilled
work which is particularly pernicious."
The
experience of Black communities from the 1950s to the present is that they
have been expected to fit in. From the beginning, Black people have made
difficult personal sacrifices like removing turbans, wearing skirts, not
speaking in their mother tongue - to accommodate White people’s
prejudices. Despite these accommodations, discrimination in employment and
hostility on the streets has continued unabated. While recent years have
seen a re-assertion of ethnic identities among sections of the Black
community, asserting that identity in the workplace is still problematic.
It has been the experience of many Asian women that wearing saris or
shalwar kameez affects how many White people speak to them. Over the
years, Black workers have learned to keep a low profile and to draw the
minimum of attention to themselves. In their desire to fit in, some Black
people have anglicised their names, or more often than not, had their
names anglicised by White co-workers, who claim difficulty in pronouncing
‘foreign’ names. Names are intimately connected to one’s identity
and it is insensitive to attempt to change a person’s name when his/her
identity is constantly being marginalised or attacked in wider society.
This is not to deny the fact that some Black people have attempted to deny
their ethnic identity in order to fit in. Hacker confirms the experience
of Black workers when he says:
It
is not easy buckling down to a job when you have to expend so much of your
energy contriving a ‘white’ personality – or at least the appearance
of one – so as to put your white workmates at ease. Nor is it easy to
establish one’s authority, since simply having a black face raises
doubts in many white minds. (Hacker 1995)
Workers
who assert their Black identity, rebuff challenges to their personal
dignity or those who step outside the compliant role expected of them by
White people, face marginalisation and sometimes hostility and possible
disciplinary action. When managers wish to criticise a Black worker whose
quality and quantity of work is beyond reproach, they resort to the very
subjective and often suspect approach of criticising the style or tone of the
person. This criticism is particularly meted out to those who question or
challenge the organisation’s procedures or practices. It is the
experience of Black workers that managers use this criticism to deny
promotion, harass, intimidate and sometimes discipline Black workers.
(Women experience similar attitudes.) When Black workers can no longer
tolerate the pressure this causes, they resign or are coerced
into resigning from their posts.
There
is the need for an accessible history of Black struggles in Britain during
the last fifty years. It is important and instructive for students to
learn how Britain as a nation came to be where it is today. This recent
history is even more important in the light of the compulsory teaching of
citizenship. Citizenship implies all individuals having equal rights and
equal treatment. Critics like me, see the current approach to teaching
about citizenship and civic responsibilities as a form of social control,
emphasising responsibilities more than rights.
There
is, then always a politics of
official knowledge, a politics that embodies conflict over what some
regard as simply neutral descriptions of the world and what others regard
as elite conceptions that empower some groups while disempowering others
(Apple 1996: 23). (original emphasis)
It
is hoped that the timelines provided in this article (- one generic and
one more personalised), in the hands of concerned and effective teachers,
will go some way toward filling the gap in knowledge. Through
consideration of these timelines, Black and White students will learn the
difficult road that has been travelled and young people will gain a better
understanding of the arduous journey ahead if we are to reach our goal of
a racially justice society.
|
Year
|
Indian Presence In Britain
|
|
1688
|
The
London Gazette advertised a reward of a guinea for the return of a
13 year old Indian runaway belonging to Lady Bromfield.
|
|
1710
|
An
advert for the sale of an Indian salve appeared in the Tatler.
Some
Indian servants were bought and sold as slaves.
|
|
1737
|
An
advert appeared searching for a ‘East India Tawney Black’.
|
|
1743
|
An
advert searching for a ‘Run-away Bengal Boy’ appeared.
|
|
1775
|
An
advert appeared, offering an Indian slave girl as a maid to
accompany any lady going to the East Indies.
|
|
1776
|
An
Indian from Bengal advertised for employment as a footman. Adverts
by and for Indian servants became increasingly common.
|
|
1777
|
Monshee
Mahomet Saeed from Bengal, a teacher of Persian and Arabic
advertised for pupils.
|
|
1780s
|
Increasing
number of Lascars employed by British registered ships. They
were
frequently mistreated and as a consequence they deserted despite
the
difficulties of living in the alien environment of the UK.
|
|
1782
|
Complaints
to the East India Company about the mistreatment and
abandonment
of Lascars in UK and Europe.
|
|
1784
|
Two
Indian boys and four Indian maids returned to UK with Warren
Hastings, the former Governor General of the East India Company.
It
was common for British people working in India to return to England
with their Indian servants. Indian women, employed as ayahs, looked
after the children of British people going to or returning from
India.
|
|
1790
|
An
Indian conjurer was working at Bartholomew Fair.
|
|
1797
|
The
increasing problem of homeless and destitute Lascars in UK began
receiving
a great deal of publicity.
|
|
1801
|
Sake
Deen Mahomed set up as ‘shampooing surgeon’ in Brighton. King
George IV honoured him with the appointment of ‘Shampooing Surgeon
to His Majesty George IV’.
|
|
1830
|
Abdool
Rheman employed by the Nepalese ambassador for some years. He
finally set up business, keeping two lodging houses for Lascars.
|
|
1830-33
|
Raja
Rammohan Roy, political activist, poet, philosopher, reformer and
journalist,
was the first Brahman to visit London.
|
|
1833
|
Sake
Deen Mahomed’s book on his treatments had its 3rd
edition.
|
|
1839
|
British
Indian Society formed for bettering the condition of Indians in the
subcontinent.
|
|
1841
|
Jhulee
Khan earned his living playing the fiddle, hornpipes and singing
English songs.
|
|
1842
|
James
Abdoolah, from Bombay, worked as a servant to a major of the Bombay
Artillery.
|
|
1842
|
Dwarkanath
Tagore (- grandfather of the great Bengali poet R. Tagore-)
visited
UK and agitated on behalf of India.
|
|
1843
|
Ameen
Adeen, from Bombay, worked for a while at Harley House, London, as
part of the retinue of the Queen of Oudh.
|
|
1847
|
A.M.
Bose studied mathematics at Cambridge University and became the
first
Indian to gain a first class in the mathematics tripos.
|
|
1850s
|
Syed
Abdoolah, Professor of Hindustani at University College London. He
was
also involved in the welfare of the Indian community.
Indians
engaged in various forms of street trading and some begging. There
were also street musicians and street herbalists like Dr. Bonkanki.
|
|
1854
|
Maharaja
Duleep Singh, son of the founder of the Sikh kingdom, came to
UK
as fifteen a year old. He lived on an allowance provided by the East
India
Company who had taken control of the Punjab.
The
destruction of the Sikh Kingdom by the British led to the emigration
of
Sikhs
from the Punjab over the coming years – some would eventually
find
their way to the UK or Canada.
|
|
1855
|
Dadabhai
Naoroji first came to UK as a partner in the Indian Cama &
Company which set up in London with a branch in Liverpool.
He
set up the London Zoroastrian Association.
|
|
1855
|
Sir
Ratan Tata, who lived in Twickenham established Tata and Company
in
Manchester and London. (Tata would eventually become one of the
leading
companies in India.)
|
|
1855
|
Francis
Kaudery, from Goa, worked in the Royal Sovereign in Shadwell, which
catered for Lascars.
|
|
1856-1857
|
Eight
Indian seamen died of cold and hunger in London. The coroner said
he
had held 40 such inquests in the past few years.
|
|
1861
|
The
Religious Society of Zoroastrians founded. They acquired a burial
ground at Woking.
|
|
1863
|
Maharaja
Duleep Singh bought Elveden hall, on the border of Norfolk and
Suffolk.
He and his wife became socialites and entertained the great and
the
good of England.
|
|
1860s
|
Ganendra
Mohan Tagore, Professor of Hindu Law and Bengali language
taught
at University College London.
|
|
1864
|
W.
Chandra Bonnerjee was elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical
Society.
In1902 he settled permanently in UK.
|
|
1865
|
London
Indian Society set up to promote Indian interests.
|
|
1867
|
Roshan
Khan, long time resident of Edinburgh sold savoury pies near Castle
Hill.
Khuda
Baksh in Cannongate, earned his living from basket making.
|
|
1867
|
Joseph
Slater met four Indians in Edinburgh, eighteen in Liverpool,
fourteen in Manchester, three in Bristol and two in Cardiff. In
Birmingham he met lodging house keepers catering for Asians.
|
|
1868
|
Surendranath
Banerjea came to UK to sit the Indian Civil Service exams
and
returned to UK in 1874.
|
|
1868
|
Nawab
Nazim of Bengal lived at Pymmes House, Edmonton, London.
|
|
1869-73
|
Lal
Mohan Ghosh, qualified as a barrister and visited UK again 1879-80
and
1883 to agitate for reforms in India. He was elected president of
Congress
in 1903.
|
|
1872
|
Frederick
Akbar Mahomed, M.B., FRCP, a grandson of Sake Deen
Mahomed,
qualified as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In
1877
he was elected as Medical Registrar at Guy’s Hospital. In 1880 he
was
elected Fellow of Royal College of Physicians.
|
|
1870s
|
Shapurji
Edalji, converted to Christianity and became vicar of Great
Wyrley
in Staffordshire.
|
|
1880s
|
Aziz
Ahmad lived in Hillhead district of Glasgow. He lectured on Islam
and
related
topics.
|
|
1886
|
Five
Punjabis arrived with a performing bear. After a few months they
returned to India because they could not make a living in UK.
|
|
1887
|
Mohammed
Bux and Adbdul Karim worked at Balmoral as servants to
Queen
Victoria. Abdul Karim, known as ‘munshi’ taught the Queen
Hindustani
as well as the religions and customs of India.
|
|
1889
|
The
first mosque in Britain opened in Woking, London.
|
|
1889
|
Cornelia
Sorabji was the first ever woman law student at a British
university,
namely, Oxford.
|
|
1891
|
Dr.
Pran Gotla worked as a physician in London. He was an influential of
Parsi
community in London in 1920s and 1930s.
|
|
1890s
|
Ali
Buksh and his younger brother worked as oculist in Swansea.
|
|
1892
|
Dadabhai
Naoroji elected as Independent Liberal MP for Finsbury Central
(London).
He was the first Black member of Parliament.
|
|
1895
|
M.M.
Bhownaggree elected as Tory MP for Bethnal Green (London).
|
|
1896
|
R.C.
Dutt, lecturer in Indian history at London University. He wrote
books on economics, economic history, ancient Indian civilisation as
well historical and other novels.
|
|
1900
|
Dr.
K.M. Pardhy in 1904, became House Surgeon at Royal Cornwall
Infirmary
in Truro. In 1910 he was elected as Fellow of the Royal College
of
Surgeons. He played hockey for Cornwall, and cricket and tennis for
other
English clubs. In1910 he won the gold medal for wrestling in
Midlands
championships.
|
|
1905
|
Shyamaji
Krishnavarma founded the Indian Sociologist monthly journal. He
launched the Indian Home Rule.
|
|
1906
|
Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar founded the Free India Society. He took over
the
management of India House after Krishnavarma left.
|
|
1909
|
Madan
Lal Dhingra, from Punjab shot Sir Wm. Curzon Wyllie dead. His
written note made it clear he had committed the act for ‘revenge
for the inhuman hangings and deportations of patriotic Indian
youths…As a Hindoo I felt that to wrong my country is an insult to
God.’
|
|
1918
|
Bal
Gangadhar Tilak came to UK, as a propagandist for the Indian cause.
|
|
1919
|
Satyendra
Prasanno was appointed to the House of Lords as Baron Sinha
of
Raipur. He piloted the 1919 Government of India Act through the
Lords.
He
was awarded the freedom of the city of London in 1919. In 1926 he
was
appointed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
|
|
1922
|
Shapurji
Saklatvala became the first Indian Labour MP in Battersea North.
|
|
1920s
|
During
the 1920s and 1930s, many Sikhs from Punjab arrived in the UK.
Many
took up door-to-door selling of hosiery, knitwear and woollens. They
were
a familiar site in the Midlands, Glasgow, Peterborough and London.
|
|
1938
|
The
first Indian Workers’ Association was set up in Coventry. The IWAs
set
up around Britain were to flourish again in the 1950s as more
Indians
arrived
in the UK.
|
|
1938-39
|
Chuni
Lal Katial, was elected the first Indian mayor, in Finsbury, London.
He was an alderman and councillor for Finsbury and was awarded the
freedom of Finsbury.
|
|
1940
|
Udham
Singh was hanged for executing Sir Michael O’Dwyer who had
presided
over the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar in 1919.
|
|
1943
|
Noor
Inayat Khan was infiltrated into occupied France as a spy. She was
captured by the Gestapo and executed. She was posthumously awarded
the George Cross and the Croix de Guerre for her bravery.
|
|
1949
|
Dr.
D.R. Prem was elected Labour councillor in Birmingham.
|
|
1955
|
The
first wave of migration to UK slowed due to a mild recession. Indian
and
Pakistani governments imposed emigration restrictions.
|
|
1960
|
Indian
government lifted its restrictions on emigration.
|
|
1961
|
Pakistani
Workers’ Association set up.
|
|
1962
|
Jagmohan
Joshi set up the umbrella organisation Co-ordinating Committee
Against Racial Discrimination (CCARD).
The
first important ‘immigrant’ strike occurred at Courtauld’s in
Preston. Something similar happened at Rockware Glass in Southall,
London. Woolf Rubber Company experienced something similar.
|
|
1965
|
First
of the Race Relations Acts passed, and was first used against
Michael X (a Black political activist) for incitement to racial
hatred.
|
|
1967
|
Asian
worker go on strike at Coneygre Foundry in Tipton and again the
following
year due to low pay and lack of promotion.
|
|
1968
|
The
Immigration Act passed specifically to keep out the large numbers of
British passport holding Asian refugees from East Africa. The UK
government attempted to persuade India to take these British
citizens. The UK government made no attempt to fight for
compensation for these British Asians.
|
|
1968
|
Paki-bashing
became commonplace. Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech
incited further hostility against Black people.
|
|
1969-70
|
A
number of Asians murdered by racists. The UK media generally ignores
these
murders.
|
|
1972
|
Asian
community leaders and organisations pre-occupied with the
resettlement of refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda. (In sharp contrast
to the post-war Polish resettlement plan, the UK government made no
concerted plans to resettle these refugees. Around this time,
Leicester took out newspaper advert in an attempt to disuade the
refugees from settling in the city.)
|
|
1972
|
Indian
workers go on strike at Mansfield Hosiery Mills in Loughborough for
higher wages and better promotion prospects.
|
|
1973
|
Asians
go on strike in Cash Lawn Mills, Mansfield and Malmic Lace in
Nottingham.
Strike
at Perivale Gutterman, yarn factory in Southall, and the management
tried to set Indians against Pakistanis.
|
|
1974
|
Strike
in Imperial Typewriters in Leicester.
|
|
1975
|
Grunwick
strike in London. This strike comprised mostly of women from East
Africa. It received much media coverage because of the implications
around picketing and the law but the ‘race’ and gender dimension
of the strike received little coverage.
|
|
1976
|
Gurdip
Singh Chaggar, an 18 year old was stabbed to death in Southall. The
Asian community organised and Asian youths became radicalised. In
due course, politicised Asian youths would be in the front-line,
defending their communities from racist attacks, because of lack of
action by the police.
The
Race Relations Act 1976 passed. Some of the weaknesses of the
previous act were corrected.
|
|
1979
|
National
Front marched through Southall protected by 2,756 police. Blair
Peach,
a White antiracist beaten to death. No one was charged with his
death.
|
|
1981
|
Uprisings
the media called riots, exploded all over the UK. Starting in
Brixton, they spread to Southall, Leicester, Birmingham etc. Black
youth complained of police harassment and high unemployment.
|
|
1985
|
Streets
across many cities again explode in rebellion.
|
|
1987
|
Keith
Vaz elected as MP in Leicester East.
|
|
1991
|
British
Crime Survey suggested 32,000 violent assaults and 26,000 acts of
violence were racially motivated.
|
|
1992
|
Eight
Asians murdered in separate racist killings.
|
|
1993
|
Fiaz
Mirza, Saied Ahmed and Ali Ibrahim were killed in separate racially
motivated acts.
Stephen
Lawrence was also murdered in the same year. (Stephen’s death was
to have far reaching consequences following the outcomes of the
Lawrence Inquiry in 1999. The inquiry led to an official recognition
of institutional racism and amendment of the Race Relations Act
1976.)
|
|
1995
|
Bradford
Asian youths riot, rebelling against policing. Issues of
unemployment
and lack of academic qualifications compound the issue.
|
The
timeline above deals with a more than 300 years of history, demonstrating
the long historical links between Indians and Britain. Under colonialism
there was more traffic between India and Britain. It is also worth drawing
attention to fact that during both World War 1 and World War 2, India
contributed significant numbers of soldiers to fight on behalf of Britain.
(It is reckoned that during WW2, some two million Indians fought for
Britain and significant numbers earned awards for bravery.) It is also
important to realise that during WW2 the diversion of food supplies from
India to feed British troops had repercussions for Indians who experienced
famine. (Not for the first time during colonial rule, famines were caused
by policies of the British.) The attitudes of the British public towards
the Indians (and other Black colonial subjects) in Britain changed
dramatically during the war periods, but the old hostilities returned when
the wars ended.
The
immigration of people from the Indian subcontinent in significant numbers
occurred from the late 1950s till about the mid-1970s. To assist a better
understanding of the impact of migration upon individuals and families,
set out below is a timeline for one of the early immigrants to Britain.
Atta Muhammed Ashrif was one of the band of early migrant workers to
arrive and work in the 1920s as door-to-door salesmen, selling hosiery,
knitwear and woollens. By examining and reflecting upon his life and that
of his family, one can gain insight into the difficulties faced. Early
migrants often felt entirely dislocated from everything that was familiar
– there were language barriers and hardships in maintaining family ties.
Many Black migrants (including African-Caribbeans) were young and single
and their fraternisation with indigenous women often caused friction and
resentment among White men. (The concept of miscegenation has a long
history and its legacy is still with us.) Difficulties in obtaining
culturally appropriate foodstuffs, meeting spiritual and religious needs,
finding employment and housing – all were hardships to be overcome. The
success story is that many of these hardships were overcome, but the
struggles continue.
|
Year
|
Timeline
for Atta Muhammed Ashrif
|
|
1903
|
Atta
Muhammed Ashrif born, January 2nd to a farmer in
Madarpura, Ludhiana, Punjab.
|
|
1922
|
A.M.
Ashrif marries Sarah.
|
|
1924
|
Eldest
son, Ibrahim born 17th August in Madarpura.
|
|
1926
|
A.M.
Ashrif makes his way from the Punjab to Calcutta to catch a ship to
Britain. Since he has insufficient money for the journey, he works
his passage on board a merchant ship. He jumps ship in Glasgow. He
survives by working as door to door salesman.
|
|
1927
|
A.M.
Ashrif arrives in Belfast.
|
|
1929
|
Second
son, Ismail born in India.
|
|
1930
|
A.M.
Ashrif arrives in London. He works as market trader.
|
|
1931
|
With
the help of Imdad Ali Qazi, A.M. Ashrif founds the Muslim
Association.
|
|
1930s
|
He
marries an English woman, Lily (Muslim name, Zainab) in a Muslim
ceremony.
|
|
1933
|
A.M.
Ashrif moves back to Glasgow with Zainab
|
|
1934
|
He
sets up Muslim Association in Glasgow.
Joins
the business set up by his cousin and friend. The business in Oxford
Street is called Sharif, Tanda & Ashrif.
|
|
1935
|
He
helps to set up the first Mosque in the Gorbals, (very near the site
of
the
modern Central Mosque in Glasgow.)
|
|
1937
|
Son,
Ibrahim comes to Glasgow to study at Allen Glen’s School.
Daughter,
Khurshid born in India.
Daughter,
Janet (by English wife, Zainab) is born.
|
|
1939
|
World
War 2 starts.
Son
Ibrahim returns to India after war breaks out.
|
|
1941
|
A.M.
Ashrif visits India, accompanied by his business partner, Tanda.
|
|
1942
|
A.M.
Ashrif divorces Zainab, who subsequently remarries.
|
|
1943
|
Eldest
son, Ibrahim marries Hashmat Bibi.
A.M.
Ashrif’s business partner Ghulam Mohammed Sharif dies.
|
|
1944
|
Eldest
son, Ibrahim begins studies at the Agricultural College in Lyallpur
(now called Faisalabad.)
|
|
1945
|
A.M.
Ashrif and Tanda return to Glasgow.
World
War 2 ends.
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1947
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Atta
Muhammed sets up a wholesale clothes business with Tanda,
known
as Tanda Ashrif & Co.
The
partition of India and Pakistan is presided over by the British
government.
The
Ashrif extended family leave ‘Indian’ Punjab to migrate to
‘Pakistani’ Punjab in the wake of violence and intimidation
against and between Muslims and Sikhs/Hindus. Ibrahim’s daughter (Surriya
Tasneem) of 6 months dies of smallpox in Faisalabad. The family
settles permanently in Pakistan.
Ibrahim
returns to agricultural college to complete his studies.
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1948
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Son
Ibrahim returns to Scotland to complete post graduate studies for
Ph.D. at Edinburgh University.
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1953-6
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Son
Ibrahim returns to Pakistan to work for the Pakistan government in
agriculture related jobs.
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1954
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A.M.
Ashrif accompanies his son, Ismail, daughter-in-law Amin, and
Ibrahim’s eldest son, Khalid to Glasgow.
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1956
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Ibrahim,
his wife and two youngest sons, Shahid and Zahid move to Glasgow.
Live as large extended family above the shop/warehouse in Nicholson
Street.
Slowly,
other migrants from Punjab (Muslims and Sikhs) begin to arrive in
Glasgow. A.M. Ashrif’s business supplies the growing number of
Punjabi door-to-door salesmen.
Early
migrants work as door to door salesmen, travelling to small Scottish
villages by bus. A.M. Ashrif’s own son, Ismail works as a
salesman.
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1957
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Unable
to secure a job, son Ibrahim moves to the Gambia as an agricultural
scientist. Leaves his wife and three sons with their grandfather.
A.M.
Ashrif’s wife Sarah and his daughter Khurshid join the family in
Glasgow. However Sarah returns to Pakistan after some 10 months
because she prefers the way of life in Pakistan.
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1963
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Son,
Ibrahim awarded MBE by Queen for scientific research in the Gambia.
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1960s
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Immigration
to Glasgow beginning to peak. Increasing numbers of immigrants
working on the buses and on the underground.
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1967-68
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Son
Ibrahim works for FAO (U.N.’s Food & Agricultural
Organisation), in South Korea.
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1968
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Son
Ibrahim returns to Glasgow to permanently join his family, from whom
he has been separated for 11 years.
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1969
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Ibrahim
invests his savings to set up a grocery business in Glasgow, so that
he can work near his family.
Ibrahim’s
son, Shahid starts studies at Glasgow University.
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1973
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Atta
Muhammed Ashrif retires from business.
His
grandson, Shahid graduates from Glasgow University with Honours.
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1975
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A.M.
Ashrif’s wife Sarah comes to live permanently in Glasgow. (In the
past she had visited her husband for short periods and returned to
Pakistan, and A.M. Ashrif had visited her in Pakistan.)
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1985
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Zahid
joins his father Ibrahim’s business, after working for the
National Saving Bank.
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1991
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A.M.Ashrif’s
wife Sarah dies in her sleep.
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1998
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Daughter
Janet (by Zainab) dies of cancer. Due to illness and infirmity, A.M.
Ashrif cannot attend the funeral. Ibrahim and Ismail attend their
half-sister’s funeral.
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1999
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Atta
Muhammed Ashrif dies in his sleep on 24th January.
He
is survived by two sons, a daughter and 11 grandchildren and several
great grandchildren
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