An interesting phenomenon about us British Mirpuris is our keen interest in politics. Not just the important issues, such as the Iraq war or Indo-Pak relations, but the nitty gritty of Mirpuri politics. The political parties in Mirpur are mirrored here. There is a People’s Party and a Muslim Conference. Both are organised nationally, regionally and in cities and towns. There are people associated with them with high flying titles: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Publicity Officer etc. Even the internal party disputes and loyalties, the Blairites and Brownites of Mirpuri politics, are reflected here.
Politicians from Mirpur are regular visitors to the UK. They are invited as guest speakers to “conferences” and are feted at private parties. There are also a range of newspapers catering for the interest in Mirpuri politics. The Daily Jang, the quality Urdu daily, is dismissed as too Pakistan-centric. It would be interesting to know what impact the recent upsurge in the number of locally published newspapers catering for Mirpuris have had on the circulation figures of the Jang.
I think this interest in the detail of Mirpuri politics is misguided. It prevents us from actively participating in British society. It is also divisive. What we need is a common, united front on issues that directly affect us. If we really care about Mirpur, we can only represent its interests if we are united, not by emulating the murky world of party politics.
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