Transcript

INTERVIEWER:

When did you come to Milton Keynes?

PUSHPA:

Milton Keynes, like in 1980, December. And originally from Kenya, Nairobi. Got married in October, 1970, October.

INTERVIEWER:

So, you came after getting married?

PUSHPA:

No, I came to England, and then got married.

INTERVIEWER:

Oh, I see. Coming to Milton Keynes in 1980, you know there have been a lot of changes, now it is almost over twenty years. So how did you find the place? Was it welcoming? How were the people?

PUSHPA:

I think we used to meet very few people. Actually, we used to call this town, a ghostly town. In the evenings we won't see anyone around. And there were very few Indian people, so we were very lonely. I didn't like this place for a long time. First, I broke my bones. And the second thing, it was hard to accept the new city. Because Milton Keynes is like another Bombay. I mean, Leicester is like another place in India. But Milton Keynes was very deserted. We had to go and buy Indian vegetarian food from Leicester or London. No Indian shops. And it was hard for us. You know, when we hear the news on wireless or television, then we would say, ‘why are we treated like this?’ Then, you know, young girls or boys would say, ‘why are you in England then, huh?’ And I said, ‘it's you people have brought us, because you ruled our country for 200 years and we are entitled to be in this country’.

INTERVIEWER:

Interviewer: All right.

PUSHPA:

Maybe we are not we are not very fond of this country because it's cold. The cold hits us the hardest. But we have all the right to be in this country, if we have British citizenship. So, they couldn't say much... one thing I noticed that many English people don't know their own history. They didn't know that the English, I mean the British were in India for so many years. They don't know.

INTERVIEWER:

So that that was in the 1980s. Now, how do you find the atmosphere now, in 2000?

PUSHPA:

Actually, my son has married a white girl. He was seeing this girl behind my back. So, when I said, ‘you have to get married, whoever...’ I didn't know there was a girl behind my back. So, I said, ‘it's high time we look for a girl, genuine girl, and you get married’. And I found one of his photos is the girl. And I showed him the photo. Is this the girl? He said, ‘yes’. I said, ‘bring the girl here, if I like her...’ He liked her alright, but ‘if I like her, you'll have the Indian wedding, I'll accept the girl is my daughter-in-law and she'll be one of the family members’. He brought the girl home and we talked, and I think the girl is alright. Then we ask her and her to bring her parents. The first thing the parents asked, 'I would not like my daughter to be converted'. I said ‘we Hindus don't convert anyone. Is the Christian people or Muslims who convert.’ I said openly. I said if she respects our religion, that's all right. If she doesn't, there is no force. And the girl has taken me, my family, very well. She is getting very fond of vegetarian food, and in fact, we are starting an 'Indian snacks-away' delivered to homes. Right. Well, she has the idea of delivering food stuff at people's homes. I have different idea, I said we should have a restaurant. They've said not yet. But she's very interested in Indian culture, Indian way of life. And luckily, we have compromised with each other that we will never hate me being Indian or her being English. And we are the happiest family.

INTERVIEWER:

You’re getting on…

PUSHPA:

We are getting on very well. Three times a week they come home and eat with me. You know what happened, my son, we had an extra house given on rent, because my son was alone, he didn't have a father, he didn't have a brother. I said ‘we need something, as an asset’. So, we had a house, it was on rent, and she had a big house. She was living in it. Now she says the boy should go to her house. I say ‘that's not Indian way of life’. ‘Either you come and live with me or you buy another house’. Because the house we had was a smaller one.