Unknown and Unseen The needs and issues of Kashmiris in Rochdale Professor Virinder S Kalra, University of Warwick (Principal Investigator) Dr Martin Hyde, Swansea University (Statistician) Mr Shams Rehman (Research Assistant) The2019 needs and issues of Kashmiris in Rochdale 1 CONTENTS Forewords ..........................................................................4 9. The socio-economic context in Rochdale .......... 23 Executive Summary ..........................................................6 Introduction ................................................................6 10. Kashmiris and Ethnic Monitoring ........................ 24 Key Findings ...............................................................6 10.1 Kashmiri category and Service Provision .....24 Rochdale Kashmiri Population .................................6 10.2 Language and service provision ...................25 Lack of Awareness .....................................................6 10.3. The Numbers: How Many Kashmiris Language Barriers .....................................................6 are there in Rochdale? .............................................26 Economic marginalisation ........................................7 Health Status ...............................................................7 11. Needs and Issues .................................................... 29 Educational Attainment ............................................7 11.1 Economic Conditions ......................................30 Crime, Discrimination and Safety ............................8 11.1.0. The changing nature of employment Religion ........................................................................8 amongst Kashmiris ..................................................31 Community Infrastructure ........................................8 11.1.1. Business ethos ..............................................32 Conclusion ..................................................................8 11.1.2. Gender and Economy .................................32 Recommendations .....................................................8 11.2. Social Issues .....................................................33 11.2.0.Health and Healthy Living ...........................33 1. Main Report: Introduction .....................................10 11.2.1. Lack of awareness about and access to services .................................................................35 2. Background of the research ..................................11 11.2.2. Healthy Living ..............................................36 11.3. Education .........................................................36 3. Aims of the research ...............................................12 12. Crime, Discrimination and Safety ........................ 38 4. Methodology ...........................................................13 12.1 Fear of crime .....................................................38 4.1 Methods ..............................................................13 12.2 Harassment and discrimination ....................38 4.1.0 Qualitative methods .......................................13 12.3. Drugs ................................................................39 4.1.1 Quantitative methods ....................................13 13. Religion .................................................................... 40 5. Formula to estimate the Kashmiri population ...14 13.1. Extremism ........................................................41 6. Kashmiris in Rochdale Survey (KiRS) ...................15 14. Cultural life ............................................................... 44 7. Key Findings .............................................................16 15. Community Infrastructure and Engagement 7.1 Existing sources of data on the Kashmiri Capacity ................................................................... 45 Community ...............................................................16 15.1 First generation ‘back home’ networks ........45 7.1.0. Self-Identification or Write In .......................16 15.2 Politics and welfare .........................................45 7.1.1. Extended categories ......................................16 15.3 Mosques ...........................................................46 7.1.2 Limitations of the existing data sources 15.4 Women’s participation in and extended categories. ......................................16 community networks ...............................................46 7.2. Awareness amongst council service providers about the Kashmiri Community ...........17 16. Conclusion .................................................................47 8. Who are Rochdale Kashmiris and How many? ..19 17. Recommendations .................................................. 48 8.1. Origins of Rochdale Kashmiris ........................19 8.2. Languages .........................................................20 8.3. Labour Migration: The Kashmiri Community in Rochdale .........................................20 8.4. Historical context of the marginalisation and invisibility of Kashmiris in Britain ...................21 2 Unknown and Unseen The needs and issues of Kashmiris in Rochdale 3 FOREWORDS As a Kashmiri who arrived in the UK in early 70’s, prominent right across the borough than ever before. growing up in Rochdale had its challenges. At home, I It is with great pleasure that I present to you this very ethnic monitoring systems which makes it difficult for was a Kashmiri, at school a Pakistani, and in my head, However, that is not enough. Clarity of categorisation important report on the needs and issues of Rochdale policy makers to include any specific needs and issues I was starting to feel British. Unknown and Unseen is a for local services is a minimal requirement and Kashmiris titled aptly ‘Unknown and Unseen’ as this of this particular minority community such as in health, ground-breaking study that finally sheds light on the essential for community cohesion. This data should is the first ever research report of its kind on a British communication, education and employment areas. plight of Rochdale’s Kashmiri community, including a be share with other authorities where large Kashmiri community whose existence can be traced back in lack of recognition locally and its subsequent impact communities live so that they too can learn from our 1830s and estimated reaching to a million mark soon I also hope that the formula developed for this on the community as a whole. experience. I am convinced that recognition leading but little is known about this group of British citizens research will be proved valuable for estimating to deeper understanding will improve local level among the policy makers. Kashmiris population in other towns and cities till the It would be tempting to classify this report as service delivery, therefore changes to national census community is included in the national census and overzealous identity politics, but that would be a big categorisation will have a national impact. Crucially, I hope all relevant officers, elected members and other systems of gathering statistics and monitoring mistake. By denying a community its heritage, you providers can start to design services that engage interested members of public will find this report community trends etc. deny its history and stifle its potential. If you do not rather than marginalise Kashmiris to build a stronger both informative and interesting and that it will give recognise differences, you cannot value strengths. If and more cohesive environment for all. you a greater understanding of the British Kashmiri you cannot differentiate language and culture, how community. can you communicate ideas and values? More importantly, I hope that you will gain an The Kashmir Youth Project’s (a community centre appreciation of the difficulties and challenges faced Tony Lloyd MP for Rochdale established in 1979) sole purpose is to help the by our community due to their exclusion from the Shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland Kashmiri community settle and engage with the wider society. As its CEO I know we have tackled many Zulf Ali of the issues raised in this report, and on our 40th Chief Executive Officer anniversary, the Kashmiri community is now more Kashmir Youth Project Rochdale’s Kashmiris community plays a vital role in and present. Reading it certainly gave me a greater supporting the borough and the local authority. From understanding of the challenges sections of the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS elected members to local business and community community, not least elderly women, face on a daily leaders, Kashmiris provide many citizens who work basis. hard for the good of Rochdale and its people. One of my deputy leaders, Cllr Daalat Ali, and the current But, crucially, Unknown and Unseen also offers Several people contributed and participated in this of this research was not possible without the hard mayor, Cllr Mohamed Zaman, are two such people. achievable recommendations designed to address research from inception to completion in different work done by the volunteers trained for this purpose. these challenges head on. Ways we can offer the capacities and wish to extend our thanks to all of them. Therefore, a big thank you to all of you who the Yet, as this report highlights, these remarkable Kashmir community the support they have shown the surveys. We also appreciate the time and information achievements are set against a backdrop of an borough over the years. First of all we