DO OTHERS SHARE SUNDIP'S VIEWS?

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Do others share Sundip's views?

I refer to the letter from Sundip Meghani ("Take a long, hard look in the mirror", Mailbox, November 28). He writes about "sensible" letters from people who "reflect the true face of Leicester people". Given the chance he would "try to give Clarissa Dickson Wright and all of her fans a much needed education".

Finally he suggested that, "the sooner we accept multi-culturalism and move on the better off we will be".

I would be interested to know how many more councillors share his views. I do not take kindly to being dictated to in this manner and suspect others agreeing with Clarissa Dickson Wright's views feel the same.

RJ Atkins, Leicester

TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Take your own advice

Sundip Meghani's letter ("Take a long, hard look in the mirror" Wednesday, November 28), in response to T Green's letter beggars belief.

I strongly suggest Mr Meghani takes his own advice.

What a load of old tosh and drivel, he clearly doses not know what he is talking about.

As for referring to the royal family as Germans, when exactly was the last time a British monarch was born outside the UK? Two hundred years at the very least. If it takes that long and still not deemed acceptable as British, what does that make Mr Meghani?

And clearly Mr Megahni does not consider himself jumping on the Clarissa Dickson Wright bandwagon. What a hypocrite!

S Newby, Wigston

FROM KAMPALA TO LEICESTER: CLOSING RECEPTION

Cllr Ted Cassidy and Suleman Nagdi, chatting inside the main display space of the exhibition

This evening I'm at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery for a reception to mark the successful conclusion of From Kampala to Leicester, the popular exhibition which tells the story of Leicester's Ugandan Asian community, 1972-2012.

From Kampala to Leicester (the exhibition itself and associated events) has run at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery (and a number of other venues around the city) from 14 July and was to conclude this Sunday, 30 September. Due to popular demand, it has been extended by one week.

There are a number of distinguished guests among the 60 or so attendees this evening, including Mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby; Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rory Palmer; Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Abdul Osman; Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Suleman Nagdi; two Assistant Mayors and half a dozen City Councillors. Director of Leicester City Council's Museums and Arts Service, Sarah Levitt, presides over the formal part of the reception. Sir Peter gives a speech, as does Cllr Sundip Meghani. Cllr Meghani is the son and grandson of refugees from Uganda who came to this country with little more than the clothes on their back. He now enjoys the distinction of being the youngest City Councillor currently serving in Leicester. He proposed a motion to the City Council on 13 September, recognising the contribution that Ugandan Asians have made to Leicester over the past 40 years. You can read all about this in more detail on Cllr Meghani's blog (including a video recording of his speech to Council). We also hear written testimonies of four people from diverse backgrounds, not natives of the city but who have come to call Leicester home (two of them having come here from Uganda in 1972).

There's even a period feel in the catering tonight. Among the delicacies on offer, we have that 70s classic, cheese and pineapple on a cocktail stick, but with an Asian twist: the cheese is paneer. That's so Leicester!

CITY TO THANK ITS UGANDAN ASIANS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City to thank its Ugandan Asians

Councillors are to publicly thank the Ugandan Asian community in Leicester for its contributions to the city's life over the past 40 years.

About 10,000 Asians took refuge in the city after dictator Idi Amin expelled them from the east African nation in 1972.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the expulsion, city councillors are to discuss a motion recognising the social economic and cultural benefits the refugees' arrival has had.

Councillor Sundip Meghani has proposed the motion. His father, Shantilal, and his family settled in Leicester after being expelled from Uganda with just £50 in their pockets. His mother, Nainaben, had come to the city before the expulsions.

Coun Meghani said: "It is a symbolic gesture on an issue that is of great importance to the whole city.

"More than 10,000 Ugandan Asians came here. Most were active, hard-working and entrepreneurial people.

"They helped the recovery of an economy that, in the early 1970s was struggling – particularly the hosiery industry.

"Today, they and their relatives play a major part in the city's business. It's in everything from restaurants to banking and the legal sector."

Coun Meghani is also urging his colleagues to condemn those who seek to discourage people fleeing persecution from coming to the city.

He said: "At the time of the expulsions there was a lot of rhetoric from anti-immigration groups and the National Front to try to stop Ugandan Asians coming here.

"The city council also foolishly took out adverts in papers telling them not to come here.

"Leicester reluctantly accepted the Ugandan Asians but now, after 40 years, the city is a much better place for their arrival.

"The city was a very different place back then and there was uncertainty and fear about immigration. Now we know what an important role those fleeing persecution have played."

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of Belgrave Business Association, was four years old when his family came to Leicester.

Dharmesh, who runs Bobby's restaurant, in Belgrave Road, said: "Ugandan Asians should also thank the people of Leicester for accepting them.

"I know there was a campaign to stop people coming here and there was a lot of ridiculous propaganda, but I never got the sense from most people that we were not welcome.

"Let's remember, people were uncertain about what to expect. They were not told most Ugandan Asians were successful, middle-class people.

"There are many Ugandan Asians like me who now consider themselves As British as anyone and they have worked hard to develop successful businesses to add to this city.''