The British Indian census should take place every two to three years. (Representative)
London:
The Indian League, a UK-based diaspora group dating back to 1916, on Thursday announced the launch of a first-ever British Indian census to collect data on the original British population of 1.5 million. Indian.
The census will be conducted online in collaboration with the University of Oxford and will culminate in a report on British Indians later this year, reflecting the true makeup of the British Indian diaspora and their concerns in 2020.
“The British Indian community has changed a lot over the years and this survey will provide our community with much needed data that will help us understand the main issues and most importantly how best to solve them,” said CB Patel, a senior media outlet. personality and president of the Indian League.
“The Indian League has worked for decades to defend the Indians of the UK,” he said.
The survey, available online on the Indian League website, aims to explore the diverse heritage, identity, beliefs and behavior of the UK-based Indian community, while identifying key issues which preoccupy British Indians.
The Indian League said existing data on the British Indian community, such as that collected by the British government and academics, has been limited by relatively small sample sizes.
Therefore, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the new census intends to fill a gap by speaking directly to Indians in Great Britain to accurately illustrate their lives and thoughts on the issues of the day.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, and in some cases exacerbated, existing health and social inequalities in the UK for some BAME communities (black, Asian and ethnic minority), including the British Indian community.
“This research can help us understand the diversity within our community, as a way to develop policies and enrich the lives of British Indians,” said Baroness Sandip Verma, peer of the House of Lords and councilor of the Indian League.
The British Indian Census is expected to take place every two to three years to take the pulse of what the community thinks, with responses to the first census due to be ready to be collated in August.
Dr Nikita Ved, research-supporting member of the University of Oxford, said: “We look forward to partnering with the Indian League for this important work. Due to the relatively small size of the British Indian community, which is 2.5%. of the UK population, official studies admit that they are unable to generate accurate estimates from data sets disaggregated by ethnicity.
“Nuanced data on the unique ethnicity of British Indians is needed to capture their experiences, needs and attitudes.”
The purpose of the census is to collect reliable data on the identity and heritage of British Indians; work, practices and behavior; their contribution to British society; and the problems they need to be solved through societal and / or legislative changes.
The Indian League, which was an active body during the Indian independence movement in the 1930s and 1940s, has been re-established once again as a platform for critical reflection on India and British Indians.
He said his aim was to highlight the views of people of Indian descent in the UK and lead contemporary Indian affairs narratives through audience engagement.
