The Hindu Business Line : The lure of London

NO ONE is fooled by the Mee Mumbaikar which, in effect, asks the dyed-in-the-wool Bombayites to stem the influx into their city. Contrast this with the growing trend in mega cities such as London, New York or Toronto, which are all set to contest for the cosmopolitism crown. Among them, truly, London is the most diverse city and it seems whether the great experiment of multi-culturalism through the coffee-coloured parade will triumph or fail depends how London fares in the future.

According to the last census, in 2001, 30 per cent of London residents are born outside England without taking into account the city's second- and third-generation immigrants, many of whom have inherited the traditions of their parents and grandparents. Even as the population grew throughout the last decade, the number of white population actually fell.

Altogether, more than 300 languages are spoken by the people of London, and the city has at least 50 non-indigenous communities with populations of 10,000 or more. Virtually every race, nation, culture and religion in the world can claim at least a handful of Londoners. More important, to the gastronomic delight of undiscriminating Londoners there are restaurants to suit the tastes of 70 different countries.

London's cosmopolitism, as a subset of immigration calculus, worries politicians with the elections due in less than a hundred days. However, much they may try to buck the trend, Londoner may not be able to forego the pleasures of the palate which have been enriched in the last few decades beyond his wildest dreams by cuisines from all over the world.

The ersatz exoticism of a chicken tikka masala is now unmistakably English. All this despite the common observation that the Londoners are remarkable for their lack of warmth. But, perhaps, in a different way London's appeal lies in this unique trait. It is the benefit of being left alone, which becomes apparent even to newcomers quickly... "When you are on the underground, people don't talk," "They don't even make eye contact." "Like the English say, `Mind your own business'." Additionally, its attraction is its work culture. A place of business with the `fewest' holidays and the longest working hours.

The picture that emerges of London is of a broadly tolerant one, but toleration may not be the right word. Indifference might be better. No one stares at a man with a turban or toga, or a woman in a salwar suit or with bindi on the forehead, is not because that the average Londoner is more tolerant of other cultures but because he does not care. For sure, indifference is better than hostility. Unlike people who go to America wanting to be Americans, people come to London to be themselves. Their children and grand-children can become English if they want. London is unique as it does not seek to erase the attachment of a person to the country of his birth.

The city underscores the universality of the maxim that Afghans, Afro-Caribbeans, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Vietnamese, Somalis, Congolese, Koreans, Portuguese, Nigerians, Turks and Poles are really just the same as everybody else — they work hard, love their kids and move to the suburbs when they can afford it.

R. Sundaram

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