Centuries of Arrivals – CEO’s blog
Do you know the names of the six wives of Henry the Eighth, and the fate of each of them, and the consequent religious split that led to the creation of the Church of England? Do your children? Chances are that with the changes in the National Curriculum if you have a child of school age they will have studied the Tudors, no matter what their family background or origins. But do you know any history of similar dynastic struggles in the Indian sub continent, and how they are likewise connected with arguments about religion and tolerance, and how they resonate with the issues to do with the partition of India and Pakistan. Possibly not – I didn’t.
This week I saw for the first time the play Dara, which dramatises the true story of Shah Jehan, the Mughal emperor famous for building the Taj Mahal, and the victory of his radical elder son Aurangzeb over his moderate and liberal younger brother, Dara Shikoh, to succeed him. The play based on the true story from history was originally developed by Pakistani theatre company Ajoka, and then brought to the UK for staging at the National Theatre, prompted by Anwar Akhtar, founder of the online platform Samosa. Comparisons have been made by some to Shakespeare’s history plays.
I certainly knew a lot more about Asian history after the play and it did make me think about whether a relentless focus on everyone having to learn about the kings and queens of England is really the right way to deal with “promoting British values” and tackling radicalisation.
London is a melting pot, something which everyone knows. Perhaps, based on recent discoveries about the origins of people who lived in Roman Britain, London has always been a melting pot, with the remains of people from China being found in Roman London sites. It’s certainly true that centuries of arrivals made this capital city, and to be comfortable living here, the vast majority of Londoners welcome and embrace the strength that our diversity gives us – economically, culturally, spiritually. But despite our acceptance and enjoyment of each others’ cultures, do we really know enough about our respective histories? Would a better appreciation of the respective paths our cultures have taken lead to greater understanding, and from there to greater mutual acceptance?
These are issues which organisations such as The Samosa and others are exploring, and in the light of criticism of the current Prevent programme and its relevance and effectiveness, particularly in schools, it seems a very relevant question to ask. There have been widespread calls for Prevent to change – from MPs, the Lords, various committees and the former independent reviewer of terrorism laws. The main criticism seems to be that it fails to engage the communities it is aimed at. Could creative activity in schools be a better way to make sure everyone is better informed – surely a necessary starting point; help start debate; and allow young people to explore these difficult issues in a thoughtful setting? Well Dara certainly got me thinking, and I hope it will get wider circulation in schools. It can only help.
