Virendra Sharma (Ealing Southall MP) critisizes Gurdwara's for giving langar to student immigrants!

"WTF?!"

That was my exact response when I heard about this.

Virendra Sharma, a man who as our MP should be espousing the characteristics of a community builder is in fact, doing the exact opposite.

Those of you local to the area will know about the plight of the young immigrant students from India that have arrived here expecting opportunity only to find that their journey has been ill timed at best. They have arrived in a country in the grips of recession and with a high anti-immigrant sentiment.

Now, if you're from one of the families that arrived here in the 60's, 70's, 80's you probably have a family member (or know somebody else who does) who came to this country under the same circumstances, plied their trade, worked hard and came good for the country. Everyone deserves a fair shot right? Or maybe I'm wrong - but that's just my view. If immigrants are willing to contribute, why shouldn't they come in. I am however against those who pose anti-social problems but that's another blog.

Anyway, regardless of what you think, I think most people would agree (or at least I hope they would) that once here, these immigrants should at least be given the right to food. Further still, that if an immigrant was to turn up at a holy Gurdwara and after observing the proper respect for it's sanctity (i.e. be sober, clean, remove shoes, cover hair, etc.), was to proceed to it's Langar ("free kitchen") hall, they should expect to receive the blessed food maid by the hands of their fellow brothers doing "seva" (unpaid work) with no questions asked.

WRONG!

Unfortunately, if you go by the name of Virendra Sharma and hold the acclaimed title of Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall, you would actually believe that not to be the case. Instead, you would think, that by giving these poor souls access to Langar, you are in fact, giving them "false hope" to a life here. So what's the alternative? I suppose it would be just to let them starve in the streets. This is so the news of immigrants dying on the streets of Southall from being under-nourished would send a clear message to those about to hide in suitcase bound for England back home to reconsider their journey.

What a nasty piece of work Mr Sharma has turned out to be. Bring on May 6th.

Link or die:



Kismat Radio - 1st April 2010 - Callers respond to Virendra Sharma's "false hope" comment - PART 1


Kismat Radio - 1st April 2010 - Callers respond to Virendra Sharma's "false hope" comment - PART 2