“The policy discriminates. It is anti-Indian. It’s different from the policy that we have on China and other countries,” says Mr. Virendra Sharma, Labour Member of Parliament from Ealing and Southall in an interview with Cine Ink’s Pervaiz Alam.
Expressing his outrage at the decision to exclude India from the list, Mr. Sharma said “Let the Indian students have practical knowledge skills through work experience in this country for 2 years. I have asked for the same in the British parliament. The number of students coming to Britain to study should not be linked to the immigration number game. The new Home Secretary Sajid Javed accepts this argument that students should not be part of the number game on immigration. ”
The Home Office recently announced a relaxation of the Tier 4 visa category for overseas students from around 25 countries. The changes make it easier for international students to study in the UK and will come into effect from July 6. On a list already covering countries like the US and Canada, several new countries were added including Serbia, China and Bahrain, however India was not included.
Labour MP has been leading a campaign to seek apology from the British government for its role during the 1919 Jallianwala Massacre.
“I want the British Prime Minister to stand up in the chamber of the British Parliament and apologise for the Jallianwala Massacre. I would also like the historic incidents, involving British Raj for their part in immoral and inhumane wrong-doings such as Jallianwala and Bengal famine, to be brought to the knowledge of British population. Students should be taught about our history,” said Mr Virendra Sharma, Labour Member of Parliament from Ealing and Southall in an interview with Cine Ink’s Pervaiz Alam.
“When the history of British Raj is taught to British students, they should know that Britain acted wrongly at that time and the Prime Minister of the country had apologised for its role,” Mr Sharma added.
Virendra Sharma reminded that British PM David Cameron had visited the Jallianwala site where hundreds of people at a public meeting were shot dead by British troops in 1919.
Mr. Cameron had described the massacre as “a deeply shameful event in British history”.
Writing in the memorial book of condolence, he had added: “We must never forget what happened here.”
Mr. Sharma says once he had asked David Cameron “Why don’t you say the same thing in the chamber of the parliament.”
The interview with Labour MP Virendra Sharma was recorded at the Parliament Terrace in London on 12 June 2018.
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