Conversing Over the Gap: An Meeting Between Opposing Perspectives

Introducing the Individuals

One Diner: Peter, 34, London

Occupation Ex- government employee, now a student focusing on public health

Political history Voted the Green Party last time (also a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist rather than nationalist”

Amuse bouche A sketch of a tea cup he created as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery

Second Participant: Akshat, 43, Harrow

Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry

Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for five years, and supported the Conservative Party. Identifies as “slightly moderate right”

Interesting fact He self-learned to understand the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”

For starters

The first participant Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, South Korea, the US. The issues Peter and I discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve across the world. I anticipated someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.

The second participant We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I believe Akshat was. Would he criticize me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for the capital.

The big beef

Akshat I look at migration like adding salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the dish tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.

Peter He used an analogy about seasoning. It would be odd to exist if the government was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.

Akshat There are, unfortunately, people escaping oppression, but many people coming to the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can weigh on the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you should only go if you can take care of your own needs and your relatives.

The second participant We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and are employed and then following a half-decade you get indefinite leave to remain. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, visa fees are really high, there is an healthcare levy, access to benefits is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And concerning the new policies, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I believe we must maintain a certain level of humanity.

Sharing plate

The first participant Peter questions unregulated markets. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation helps communities and ought to be promoted.

The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that some parts of the community – politics, the media – benefit from stoking division. We discovered common ground in fundamentals and values.

For afters

The first participant Peter believes that since the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it should pay compensation to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge history with contemporary ethics; times are different, current society had no control of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.

The second participant In the past, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the role that colonialism played in it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve looking at past errors and our current responsibilities.

Takeaways

Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate his worries. I talk to people every day with opinions are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that everyone can strive for the betterment of the community.

Peter We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I did not convince him of any point, but we both enjoyed dinner, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with others in the coming times.