Toronto is Canada’s least-liked city, survey says

 

We Canadians seem to be a parochial bunch. We don't have much regard for things outside our little regional worlds.
But there's something we all seem to agree on: We don't like Toronto.
That perception is bolstered by a new survey conducted by Leger Marketing for the National Capital Commission and the Association of Canadian Studies.
The National Post reports Canada's biggest city is also the most disliked. It had the highest rate of "very negative" responses in the survey.
"Many Canadians have a hate-on for Toronto," Myer Siemiatycki, a Ryerson University politics professor, told the Post. "Toronto is regarded as totally self-indulgent, so there's a sort of 'Who do they think they are believing they're the centre of the country and the universe?' "
The perception seems to have little to do with any actual experience with the city or loyalty to people's home towns.
"It's not necessarily that people like their city more than Toronto," said Jim Milway, executive director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management. "It's that people just don't like Toronto, period."
The poor opinion is greatest in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, places Siemiatycki says have the most pride in their own cities. Thirty per cent of Albertans are poorly disposed to Toronto, with a Canadian average of 19 per cent.
"The places with the strongest sense of their own vitality and robustness are the ones who are the most put off by Toronto,". Siemiatycki says. "It's no coincidence that it's the three other largest provinces, with Canada's other most dynamic cities — Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary — that look askance and say, 'We're the hotspot, dynamic urban place.' "
The survey also suggests Quebecers are the most insular Canadians, posting the highest percentage of "don't know" responses to questions on how they perceived cities outside their province. They were least familiar with Victoria and Halifax.
"It seems to me that they're not in a position to make an evaluation because they haven't been there," Jack Jedwab, executive director at the Association for Canadian Studies, told the Post. "They seem to be the least well-traveled."
Speaking of Victoria, it got the most love, with 39 per cent of respondents saying they had a very positive perception of the B.C. capital.

Michaelle Jean's prestigious new job

Michaelle Jean named as the University of Ottawa’s new chancellor

The former governor general will take on another important post in the nation's capital.

Michaelle Jean will assume yet another prestigious post in our nation's capital, as the former governor general has been named the University of Ottawa's new chancellor. 'I'm very excited about this' She says.

A chancellor, appointed by the board of governors and approved by the senate, serves as the titular head of the university. The post lasts four years, but is eligible for re-election.
Jean, who is also a UNESCO special envoy for Haiti, will replace outgoing chancellor Huguette Labelle.
"I'm very excited about this appointment… for the trust they have placed in me," said Jean, referring to the board and senate. As the Ottawa Citizen reports, she also reached out to university staff and faculty, saying she was "thrilled to be to reflect their goals and achievements."
Robert Giroux, president of the board of governors, said the 54-year-old's progressive values were a good fit for the university's forward-thinking direction.
"The unifying values championed by Ms. Jean fully match our university's desire for a healthy academic environment, open to the world and looking towards the future," he said.
The position marks another notable achievement in the former journalist's life.
Born in Haiti, Jean's family fled to Canada as political refugees from President Francois Duvalier's violent regime.
Her family settled in Quebec, where the young Jean excelled as a student. She studied comparative literature at the Universite de Montreal, eventually teaching in the school's department of modern languages and literature.
In addition to her academic work, Jean helped establish a network of shelters across Canada for female victims of domestic violence.
As a journalist, Jean reported and produced for Radio-Canada before joining CBC Newsworld as host of The Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts. She made several films with husband, Jean-Daniel Lafonde, including the award-winning Haiti dans tous nos reves (Haiti in all our dreams).
Jean became the 27^th Governor General of Canada in 2005 when she was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation then-Prime Minister Paul Martin. She held the position until 2010 and was succeeded by David Johnston.
She replaces Huguette Labelle, who held the position for 17 years, and oversaw the university's growth from 18,000 students in 1994 to more than 40,000 enrolled today.
Jean will begin her post on February 1, 2012.

UK Immigration arrests Garry Sandhu

Award winning, Bhangra singer, Garry Sandhu was taken into custody on 27th October 2011 by the UK Border Agency for not fulfilling his right to stay in the UK. Implying that the singer was here on an illegal basis.

"if someone says are you a freshie, I say yes I'm freshie, so what?"

Garry Sandhu, the Brit-Asia award winning singer has been arrested by the UK Border Agency for violating UK immigrations laws. It is revealed that he has not honoured his status to leave the country on a voluntary basis after not having the right to stay in the UK.

Gurmukh Singh Sandhu (Garry Sandhu), the winner of the Best Newcomer and Best Male Act at the recent Brit Asia Awards 2011, was arrested and taken into custody on 27th October 2011.

Ironically, his latest song and video called ‘Fresh’ was based on being a ‘Freshie’ and ‘foji’ which relates to a person who is ‘fresh of the boat’ from India, Punjab. The news of him being an illegal immigrant indicates how close he to the subject matter of the song.

This news will be a shock to the Asian music industry and his fans who saw Garry Sandhu as a new rising star on the scene.

DESIblitz.com can fully confirm the arrest after receiving an email statement from the UK Border Agency. Toby Allanson from the UK Border Agency in the statement said:

“We can confirm an Indian national was detained yesterday in the West Midlands area. When someone is found not to have a right to remain in the UK, we expect them to leave voluntarily. If they fail to do so, we will seek to enforce their removal.”

The singer recently performed live at the Brit Asia Awards 2011 at Hammersmith Apollo and at many melas in the UK, including the London Mela. His songs like ‘Sahan To Pyariya’ and ‘Tohar’ recieved a tremendous response. In a recent interview, he said he worked as a brick layer and builder, and decided to pursue a singing career because of the response of his fans and huge ethnic media support such as from Raaj FM, BBC Asian Network and Brit Asia.

It’s evident from the arrest that Garry was not here in the UK on legitimate terms and if proven, the chances are he will be deported back to India. Gary was living and working in Handsworth, a very ethnically rich area of Birmingham.

Garry started his music career in the UK after he was given support by Jas Sandhu who gave him work in catering initially and and then subsequently, became his manager. Garry was introduced to Pamma Sohal by Jas who helped him record and release his first song and music video with music producer Kam Frantic, called ‘Main Ni Peenda’ which brought him attention as a Punjabi singer.

Prior to ‘Main Ni Peenda’ he did attempt a track with music producer Jeeti which was a version of ‘Dil De Deh’ which was not released but was subsequently, re-produced in collaboration with Roachkilla. DJH produced ‘Sahan To Pyariya’ which was a huge hit for Sandhu.

Garry an avid user of Facebook with over 14,000 fans of his page, appeared on many television shows, on numerous interviews and features on a dedicated YouTube channel. Therefore, he was very much in the public eye and performed at many events and functions up and down the country.

Garry openly proud of being a ‘freshie’ himself said:”Proud to be freshie. Okay I’m a freshie but if some one says it behind my back then it hurts me, if someone says are you a freshie, I say yes I’m freshie, so what?”

Therefore, many people will wonder how can an artist like this present himself openly in the manner but also be an illegal immigrant at the same time? This is a question amongst many others that will need answers from Garry, especially for fans of his music who have given him trust, love and support for him as a person and a singer.

Soaring rate of British Asian Divorce

Divorce was once taboo in British Asian communities. Today, it is one of the most highly growing social problems affecting these communities and seems to be taking place very early in Brit-Asian marriages, completely changing the landscape of Brit-Asian life compared to older generations.
By Priya Chandra

marriages today, are more the unity of the couple rather than the families

On a Sunday afternoon, a British Asian man waits in a car and you see two young children in the back seats. A few moments later a British Asian woman walks up and stands a distance away from the car. It completely appears that the woman has nothing to do with the people in the car and that she is waiting for someone. Both adults look in their late 20s or early 30s.

Sometime later, one child, a boy, comes out of the car and runs up to the woman. She greets the child hugging and kissing him. Then, the man gets out and releases the second child, a girl, out of its child-seat. He passes her belongings to her. The little girl hugs the man tightly and then walks up to the woman. The man gets back into his car and drives off. There is coldness, bitterness and absolutely no communication between the adults.

This scene is from Birmingham city centre in the UK with real people. This scene is the visualisation of a divorced British Asian couple with young children. This scene is a reflection of British Asian parenting and society today.

Divorce amongst British Asian couples is soaring. And there does not seem to be a fix to the problem in sight.

Has it become too easy for British Asian couples to divorce? Have British Asians in particular given up on making relationships work? Has tolerance in couples and expectations overridden cultural values and impact on future generations? What is the real cause of British Asian divorce? These are questions being asked of today’s British Asian society.

Divorce in South Asian society was once a very taboo subject and very seldom heard of, even in the UK. Older Asian generations that migrated to the UK, got married at a young age, usually in the form of arranged marriages and had children very soon after. The nucleus of the home was the family and subsequently, the extended family. Mothers usually stayed at home looking after and bringing up children and the father was seen as the head of the household and usually the income provider. A framework that defined roles, responsibilities and the foundation to the relationship of a migrant couple.

As generations developed and got educated, British Asian society began to take advantage of what British life, work and leisure had to offer. In the early 1970′s to 80′s more first generation Brit-Asian men went to University and Polytechnics compared to women. Young women were still seen as home-makers, and education was not an option for many due to family suppression. However, in the 1980′s to 90′s this began to change, more young Brit-Asian women attended higher education and pursued professional careers like the men.

Some cultures within ethnic communities were still not happy about women getting educated. So, you saw more Indian students than Pakistani students for example. However, this shift in education also introduced more freedom and liberalisation in the next generations of British Asians.

No longer were many Brit-Asian men and women thinking in the same way as their grandparents or parents. They felt part of mainstream British society much more comfortably than previous generations. This led to marriage not becoming the priority in their lives because careers, business and status took centre stage. The era of professional Brit-Asians was upon us.

The trend in arranged marriages declined and the concept of meeting your own partners began to grow. Bringing us to the point where British Asian marriages are a mix of love, arranged and even speed dating encounters. Brit-Asian women have evolved to being financially and professionally secure, whilst British Asian men have thrived in all kinds of business and professional life, no longer stereo-typed as corner-shop owners.

Young Brit-Asian married couples are more commonly living independently from family. The notion of the extended family is eroding. Educated daughter-in-laws find it difficult to adapt to the traditional demands by in-laws and in return in-laws find it hard to understand new ways and accept change causing conflict and differences in opinion.

These changes have impacted family life, breaking the nucleus that was once prominent in Asian households. Brit-Asian marriages were primarily seen as the uniting of families rather than just two people and were strongly held together through guidance and support from families. However, marriages today, are more the unity of the couple rather than the families.

Marriage is always seen as a key milestone in Brit-Asian life. A UK National Statistics report says the highest proportions of married couples under pension age, with or without children, are were in Asian households. Over half of Bangladeshi (54%), Indian (53%) and Pakistani (51%) households contained a married couple, compared with 37% of those headed by a White British person. Demonstrating the importance of marriage for the Brit-Asian communities.

Lifestyle choices of British Asians have led to marriages happening later in life. Implying that you are more prepared for marriage when you feel you are ready compared to when your parents and family think you are ready. Giving more time and choice towards finding the ‘right’ person. Hence, the popularity of dating is now more common in British Asians compared to the past.

This shift in the British Asian marital process has definitely provided more choice and less pressure for many but at the same time it has led to divorce happening more frequently too. Elder generations say it is due to the dating and more choice, that young British Asian couples find it harder to stay together, because some may compare partners to previous relationships, other have high expectations of their partners, many are too selfish in the relationship and lots are not prepared to work at the marriage because they know they can divorce easily.

British Asian marriages are collapsing at an alarming rate. Many within the first year of marriage and often include couples that have dated for a long period prior to marriage too.

Reasons for marriage break-up include boredom, lack of interest in a partner, in-law pressures, limited time for each other, imbalance in giving and taking, intolerance of each other, money and work pressures, arranged marriages and extra-marital affairs.

Affairs and adultery incidents have risen dramatically amongst British Asians which include not only high rates in men but women too.

Many blame the advent of mobile phone culture, social networking, Internet dating and chat, making it very easy to meet new people. For many exposure to members of the opposite sex using these methods introduces thrill, excitement and attention missing in their marriages. Also, giving them secrecy and anonymity as required.

Brit-Asian divorces are generally breaking families into an ethnic society of single parent mothers and isolated fathers. Children are growing up with disjointed parenting and atmospheres of bitterness and hatred amongst their parents. Which raises the question of the emotional stability and respect within future relationships of the children too.

Family divorce lawyer, Irpreet Khoil reveals that changes in parental attitudes towards divorce are also changing, and that parents are more prepared to accept their successful son or daughter wishing to divorce, who otherwise would’ve been told to stay in the marriage for the sake of ‘izzat’ (family honour).

Baldish Khatkar, another lawyer with Brit-Asian divorce expertise, says that it’s not only younger couples that are divorcing. She comes across some older couples who have been married 20 or 30 years who no longer want to continue with their relationships.

Many would therefore argue that much has been lost and very little has been gained by the new British Asian culture. And question, whether divorce is the ideal solution for Brit-Asian couples who after dating, courting and living together still cannot achieve harmony in a marriage compared to older generations who kept it together through tougher times and getting married in some cases after only meeting once.

And yes, its not only happening here in the UK. In India divorce is rising significantly amongst the urban middle class in city areas. Dr Geetanjali Sharma, a marriage counsellor from Delhi told the BBC: “There’s been a 100% increase in divorce rates in the past five years alone.”

What would you say are the reasons for Brit-Asians divorcing? Do you agree it is too easy to divorce nowadays? Is divorce the best answer to a marriage that may need more time?

Courtesy: Desi Blitz

Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line stone laid

Dehradun, November 9

The much-awaited foundation stone of the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line was laid by Union Minister of Defence AK Antony and Union Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi in the absence of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at Gauchar, Chamoli district, today. Union Minister of State for Railways H. Muniyappa and Bharat Solani were also present on the occasion.

More than 15,000 persons who gathered at Gauchar to watch the historic occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the railway line from the foothills of Rishikesh to the lofty Himalayan mountains in Garhwal Himalayas were disappointed as Sonia Gandhi could not make to the function due to indisposition.

It was Union Defence Minister AK Antony who along with Union Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi laid the foundation stone of the railway line that will bring socio-economic development to the backward region besides giving a tremendous boost to the tourism.

Addressing a rally organised by the state Congress, Antony said the railway line would be strategically important and extended till Badrinath near the China border.

Trivedi also announced the survey work of the railway line beyond Karanprayag up to Chamoli. He said work on the Tanakpur-Bageshwar railway line would also be taken up soon.

Earlier, talking about the criticism of Chief Minister BC Khanduri for not being invited to the function, Trivedi said there was no question of any controversy as he had personally invited Khanduri and talked to him twice yesterday.

The function had become a bone of contention between the ruling BJP and the Congress in the state. With the Assembly elections nearing, both political parties did not want to miss any opportunity to take credit of any such development.

Congress leaders wanted to use the stone-laying functio to launch their election campaign in the backyard of the Chief Minister who belong to Garhwal. Senior state Congress leaders, party president Yashpal Arya, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat, all party MPs from the state, Vijay Bahuguna, Satpal Maharaj, Padeep Tamta and KC Singh Baba and party general secretary Birender Singh were also present.

Vijay Bahuguna, MP from Tehri Garhwal, read out the speech of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

It’s a dream come true

Dehradun, November 9

With the laying of the foundation stone of the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line at Gauchar in Chamoli district today, dream of Darban Singh Negi, the first Victoria Cross winner from Garhwal became a reality. He won the award for bravery in France during the First World War.

Getting his Victoria Cross from King George IV in 1923, Negi, who had to walk miles to reach his village, Kafartir, in Kaddakot Patti in Chamoli district, requested the King for a railway link up to Chamoli. The then British government had agreed to his request and ordered the then United Province Government to allocate funds for the project.

The first survey of the Rishikesh-Chamoli railway link was done in 1927. Earlier, train had reached Dehradun, the foothills of Garhwal in 1901. However, the train could not reach the hill station of Mussoorie and Chamoli even after several efforts.

In early 1900s, the four main shrines of Uttarakhand - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, collectively known as the Char Dhams of the Garhwal Himalayas, could be reached only by foot.

Motorable roads came into existence in the first half of the 20th century. The credit goes to the British. The roads were opened for pilgrims in 1934, making Rishikesh the gateway to the lofty mountains of the Garhwal Himalayas.

The proposed Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail line will traverse through the districts of Dehradun (Rishikesh), Tehri, Rudraprayag and Chamoli.

It was only in 1996 that Satpal Maharaj, then Union Minister of State for Railways, who was a Lok Sabha member from Pauri Garhwal, that again a survey was done on the railway line. However, it was only after 15 years that the foundation stone of the railway link was laid today.

The Railway Ministry has allocated Rs 40 crore in the year 2010-11 out of the estimated project cost of Rs 4,295.30 crore for the new rail line connecting Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas to Karanprayag in Chamoli district of the state. The proposed railway line will run parallel to the flow of Ganga. In the second phase, the proposed line will extend up to Mana (height 3,150 metres approx), beyond Badrinath near the China border.

The rail route will run along the Rishikesh-Karanparyag National Highway (NH-58), running parallel to the Ganga river. Thereafter, it crosses over to the south bank of the Ganga in order to connect Srinagar and other important towns of the Garhwal region.

The 125-km long rail line will have 12 stations, 81 tunnels, longest being 4.46 km. There will be more than 100 bridges on the Ganga, the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanada rivers. The highest bridge will be 65-metre high.

The rail starting from Rishikesh, 372 metres above the sea level, will reach Karanprayag, 1451 meters above the sea level. The train will take four hours to cover the distance of 125 km that normally takes seven to eight hours on road.

The project is likely to reach its completion by 2019.

Khanduri not invited to function 

The BJP yesterday criticised the Congress leadership for failing to extend invitation to Chief Minister BC Khanduri for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line tomorrow so as to take entire credit for the project.

“It seems the Congress is eager to take sole credit for the project and has even left out the Chief Minister from the function which will be attended by the Congress chief, Sonia Gandhi,” said Deepti Rawat, BJP spokesperson, at a press conference here.

She said Khanduri, during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had even raised the issue with him demanding that the Central Government bore the entire expenditure incurred on the construction of the railway track. He had also asked for the construction of all-weather roads and airstrips in view of the geographical nature of the state,” said Rawat.

Rawat said for the past 60 years the Congress Government had failed to pass any railway project for Uttarakhand. “People of the region have been raising the demand for the Rishikesh-Karanprayag-Chamoli and Tanakpur-Bageshwar-Jauljibi railway lines for several decades but none of these projects were passed. The then Minister of State for Railway Satpal Maharaj had even laid the foundation stone of some of the projects but these failed to take off,” said Rawat.

She also condemned Union Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Harish Rawat for terming the 2010 Maha Kumbh mela as a government show, even when it was attended by a large number of people.

Now, ex-MP claims credit for railway project 
Mussoorie, November 8

Former Member of Parliament from Garhwal Jagannath Sharma, clearing the air amid claims and counter claims over the issue Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line project, said the demand for the project was put forth way back on March 28, 1979, in Parliament during a debate that was conducted on rail planning.

Showing a book containing the minutes of the discussion in Parliament, he said during the debate he had highlighted the need for such a railway line as it was necessary for a holistic development of the hilly region.

According to Sharma, he was the one who had suggested that a railway line connecting Rishikesh, Karanprayag, Ranikhet and Ramnagar should be built as it would go a long way in promoting tourism and catering to a wide section of the people residing in the far-flung regions of Garhwal and Kumaon.

He had also highlighted the importance of the proposed railway line in the hilly region of the state considering its closeness to China border, as it would speed up the movement of the defense forces in case of an emergency. Sharma said he was also the one who had advocated a separate policy and a special package for the hills of Garhwal in 1979.

Sharma, saddened by the politics going on over the issue of taking credit for the railway line project, said such vindictive politics was not at all good for the state and the politicians instead of calling names should devote their time on constructive activities.

Gayatri family celebrations conclude

Haridwar, November 9

The Gayatri family celebrations marking the 100th birth anniversary of Shantikunj founder Pt Shri Ram Sharma Acharya concluded on a silent note amid yajna rituals for the peace to the souls of the victims of yesterday’s stampede today. The venue was shifted to Gyan Manch at Rodibelwala.

Around 50,000 devotees participated in the yajna rituals that saw lighting of ‘diyas’. Shantikunj head Pranav Pandya announced the end of the four-day celebrations, a day before their scheduled culmination.

Seemed dejected, Dr Pandya termed the incident as unfortunate and prayed for the peace to the departed souls as well as timely recovery of the injured.

Meanwhile, the entire temporary infrastructure set up for the celebrations at the Kumbh mela venue was dismantled. The whole mela area, which had been filled with lakhs of people for the past two days, bore a deserted look today.

Thousands still arrived here for the celebrations today too, but were told by the Shantikunj organisers to return immediately. Many of them took the ashes from “yajnashala” and holy Ganga water along with them.

Additional trains and buses were plied to cope the massive rush of devotees. 

Shantikunj head blamed

Haridwar, November 9
The Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP ) has blamed the Shantikunj head, Dr Pranav Pandya, for yesterday’s stampede at Hardiwar in which 16 persons were killed. It has also sought explanation from the district administration.

The national chief of the ABAP, Shri Mahant Gyandas, flayed the Shantikunj head for his “overconfidence” to prove himself above other saints.

Demanding immediate arrest of Dr Pranav Pandya and core members of his team, Shri Mahant Gyandas said: “It has become a publicity trend to use the term Maha Kumbh during any large-scale event, which is not appropriate.”

“The original Maha Kumbh is unique and being organised for centuries. One should not try to match any such festive with the Maha Kumbh,”said he said.

He also took great exception to Pandya’s statement about miscalculation in judging the exact number of devotees.

“He (Pandya) also misguided the district administration on the exact number of people expected to participate in the festive,” he added.

Demanding a probe into the alleged collection of funds in the name of this festive, the ABAP head accused the Haridwar administration of leaving the responsibility of the management of the festival on Shantikunj alone.
Yajnashala organisers booked

Haridwar, November 9
The police today registered a case against the organisers of yajnashala in the stampede incident in the Laljiwala-Kumbh area here yesterday. They had been looking after the yajnashala proceedings that were being organised as part of the 100th birth anniversary celebrations of Shantikunj founder Pt Shri Ram Sharma Acharya.

If found guilty, they can be sentenced to a two-year imprisonment. The police can even arrest the organisers without any warrant.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the tragedy has reached 20. The deceased have been identified as Yashoda Devi, Munni Devi, Jaya Ben and Ambrika Devi. 

Are Freshies a problem for the UK?

'Freshies' is the term given to individuals coming to the UK from the Subcontinent usually on a specific stay status. Most of the men live and earn money to support families back home and have very little cultural or language knowledge about the UK. The fact that many here come with good intentions, there are others that stay here illegally and learn the survival game. We debate the view on these people who are labelled 'freshies' and are they a problem to the UK?

"I feel for these people but unfortunately it is illegal"

With the recent news regarding Garry Sandhu, the Bhangra singer being arrested for out-staying his legal right to remain in the UK, the whole issue of ‘freshies’ has landed in the limelight.

The term ‘freshy’ ‘freshie’ or ‘freshies’ has made its way into British Asian language with reference to individuals coming to the United Kingdom ‘fresh of the boat’ from countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, either legally or in many cases, illegally due to them not having legal documents or overstaying their visas. The term applies both to men and women but is commonly applied to the men.

Majority of them are men with very limited English language skills but with a strong determination to work hard whichever way they can to keep themselves afloat in the UK. However, this work ethic is not recognised as one which endorses their stay in the UK beyond their original stay status, which in turn makes them illegal immigrants. The rules are very clear from the UK Border Agency on this issue and many try to flout these rules.

Most of these men end up working in restaurants, garment factories, the building trade and any other area which needs manual labour workers. They tend to work in ‘back street’ environments where they are hiding their identities or keeping out of the public eye, especially, if they are here illegally.

Usually, their employers are of the same or similar nationality and there are stories of many ‘freshies’ being treated badly and paid very little by such employers. Primarily, because it is ‘cheap labour’ and the employers know that these guys need work to survive.

It is common for so called ‘freshies’ to live closely or in the same houses on rent. A typical dwelling will be supporting up to 8-10 men, if not more, who work in varied kinds of employment. Most of them learn to survive very quickly. Learning to cook, wash clothes, iron and become domesticated to help themselves. Usually, it is a matter of teamwork within such households. They are also known to move addresses frequently, especially, if they are staying here illegally.

Many of these men end up being indebted to relatives and friends who have given them support during very difficult times, and even agree to arranged marriages just to stay in the country.

However, more and more of these marriages are breaking down due to British born Asian girls not having much in common with many of these men who still have very backward ‘Indian’ mentalities or the men end-up becoming the sub-ordinate in the relationship and are literally forced to provide income and support the woman in every which way she wants without having much say in the relationship, especially, if the man has legality issues from the past.

Many question the reason for them coming to the UK, if they are going to suffer such hardship? Well, in poor areas of India, where going to another country like the UK is a golden dream, these men will go through anything to make their journey.

In India, especially the Punjab, there is a common practice of consulting ‘agents’ who organise their trips to the UK by taking large sums of money from them in return. Often, producing travel and stay documents, including fraudulent passports as part of their service.

One of the common reasons for ‘freshies’ coming to the UK is to earn money and send back to their families in South Asia, who are usually from a very poor background.

Naturally, doing this legally is of no consequence but those doing it illegally do tend to think they will not be caught.

Many older generations of South Asians living in the UK would say that this is nothing new and a lot of them came into the country by the ‘black’ (terms used to enter the country illegally) way and have worked hard to settle here without relying on the Government. However, this does not stack up when it comes to the law many would argue, especially related to today’s ‘freshies’ and working hard does not give them a right to stay illegally.

Reaction to the Garry Sandhu arrest definitely fired up the debate amongst British Asians. Especially, because he recorded as song called ‘Fresh’ which is about a ‘freshie’ leaving his wife and kids stranded and the fact that he is a proud of being a ‘freshie’ himself. Here are some of the comments DESIblitz.com recieved from readers of our coverage of the Garry Sandhu story.

Miss Kaur said: “There’s a hell of a lot of freshies in this country, thing is a lot of them work really hard and are only trying to better their family lives. I feel for these people but unfortunately it is illegal. It’s just a shame that there’s so many useless people born in this country that just sponge off the government with their council houses n jobseekers. These poor freshies go through hell, live in appalling conditions just to try and give their family a better life in India.”

Jas wrote: “no we dont worry that freshies will come here and take over our country as it will never happen, our government hates them and doesnt even give freshies visa’s to come here so them taking over our country is highly unlikely! Freshies love UK they just cant stay away, even come here illegally when they arent wanted here. ALL freshies should be sent back to whatever pind they come from, we dont want them here. DEPORT ALL THE FRESHIES.”

Veer Singh said: “I understand Gary broke the law, and justice should always be served in spite of how sad it is.. that’s what keeps the country going. However, no reason to hate on freshies, or people here illegally.. all this hatred for what or for who? People trying to make a pound or two for their poor family back home? Shame on you.”

B Kaur commented: “He is a good singer and i agree,the law is the law however i HATE UK immigration agency as i have an offy and am born n bred in the Uk but immigration came to my business thinking i was employing illegal immigrants. My husband is from india but is now a british citizen but UK border were so harsh the way they initially spoke to me. It was obvious how they felt about non white ppl.”

Baljit Sodhi wrote: “The law is the law and is there for all to abide. Yes he’s a good singer, yes he’s talented, yes it’s a shame.. But those 3 facts if you like to call them do not make you above the law. It was going to happen sooner or later, guess it’s his own fault he flouted the law, just because he’s a singer doesn’t make him any better than the illegal Pakistani/Bengali/chinese working in restaurants all hours under the sun and in hiding from the public eye all to send a few bucks home.”

The comments show that there is quite a divide amongst opinions and feeling about ‘freshies’ and their status in the UK. Clearly, some feel they are a problem to the UK and should not be here and deported, whilst others are in support of the despite their illegal status – something which makes them above the law?

There are no specific statistics on how many ‘freshies’ are here in the country and for that matter how many are illegal. But it’s becoming more evident that the law is getting tougher on them and with immigration being a major subject for the British Government, more tougher penalties and rules are bound to follow, including for employers of illegal immigrants. The UK Border Agency are clear on this and say: “It is the legal responsibility of all businesses to check their employees have the right to work in the UK.”

So, should ‘freshies’ be allowed to be part of the British Asian society without any prejudice or are they a problem for the UK?

Source: NRI Blitz