In use and abuse of Bengali,a slice of South Asian politics in London

Among the points made in the council subsequently was this: councillors were speaking too much of languages other than English,and it needed to stop.

As non-Bengali speaking councillors watched bewildered,a furious Cllr Abdal Ullah demanded an apology after Cllr Ghulam Robbani called him a “shuor-er bachcha” — or son of a pig — and made an official complaint about the increasing use of Bengali in the council chamber.

In a letter to the council Standards Committee,Abdal Ullah said,“Whilst we may have our differences,councillors should afford one another courtesy in our exchanges rather than resorting to unnecessary and abusive insults.”

Council meetings should be conducted only in English,Abdal Ullah demanded.

“In my view,the use of Bengali or other languages — other than in translation during public questions or petitions and so on — disrupts the transparency and openness of meeting by preventing some present from understanding the exchanges taking place,” he said.

South Asian politics in London comes in a complete subcontinental package,including regional and linguistic bellicosity as well as bonhomie. The trend is especially strong in Tower Hamlets,Britain’s third most under-developed borough.

Office for National Statistics estimates for 2006 showed 56 per cent of the population of Tower Hamlets to be non-white. Thirty per cent residents were of Bangladeshi origin — adding up to two-fifths of London’s 170,000-strong Bangladeshi-origin population.

Of the 51 councillors,29 are of the Bangladeshi origin and one of Somali origin. The mayor,the council leader,and the entire governing cabinet in Tower Hamlets is now composed of people of Bangladeshi origin.

Cllr Peter Golds,leader of the opposition Conservative group,has described the situation within the chamber as “very bad and unpleasant”,and said the mayor does not intervene because he belongs to the same group.

“In fact,the mayor encourages this. They come in the chamber with a large number of their supporters and the situation becomes very unpleasant,” Golds said.

Local journalist Ted Jeory recently complained in his blog,“My job as a reporter is being hindered by the frequent use of Bengali in the council chamber. But when some councillors switch from English into a foreign language (usually to barrack each other),it’s not only rude to the viewing public and against all rules of government conduct,it also renders those parts of the proceedings secret and inaccessible to all but a few.”

But the problem is not restricted to either Tower Hamlets or Bengali. Last year in the borough of Hounslow,an Indian-origin councillor was temporarily removed from his position because he abused an officer in Punjabi during a council meeting.

South Asian participation in London’s local politics has grown substantially in recent years. Hounslow,Brent and Tower Hamlets — all major boroughs — have a large number of leaders of South Asian origin. The Association of Councillors of Indian Origin boasts over 150 members. Many,it seems,can’t resist introducing a degree of South Asian belligerence into restrained British politics.