A Journo's Diary

Southall came into existence in as early as 19th century when in 1801, only 697 people lived and worked on the local farms in this area. It was later in the 1790s that the Grand Junction Canal was built and it linked London to the Midlands via Bull’s Bridge, Southall, one branch going to the Thames and one to Paddington. Later in 1838, Western Railway Company opened a railway line from London onwards that included a halt at Southall in 1839.

Today, Southall is a bustling neighbourhood with a multi-faceted culture. Today when the train stops at station, one can see Southall written in both English as well as Punjabi. This shows the niche that the community has created for itself.

As part of the Alchemy festival at the Southbank Centre, an exhibition has been set up to explore the story of Southall. The exhibition starts from the early days of settlement in Southall in 1801 to the very present times which consist of the entire hustle bustle that takes place everyday. The Southall exhibition was quite an interesting one to see since we tend to take the place for granted and epitomize it with our food and shopping tastes. But little did I know that there is so much more than that.

Even though it remains that Southall is known in the recent times as “Little India”, it is not just the Indian population that resides there. As much as I learnt at the exhibition, Southall has been a home for many from India, Pakistan, Ugandan Asians, and West Indians since the 1950’s and more recently for the Sikhs from Afghanistan and Somalians. These settlements have shaped the way Southall is today for us.

The exhibition also shed light on issues of gender and race quoting examples of the racist murder of teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar in 1976 followed by the killing of teacher, Blair Peach in the Southall uprising in the 1979. These incidents spurred the community to act in defence to let others know that this community is not weak at any cost. Another group that has received wide recognition has been the Southall Black Sisters group that has been established to defend the human rights of Asian and African women who are victims of Domestic Violence.

A very interesting area that the exhibition brought out was the importance of Punjabi music in the community and how well the music grew from simple folklore to bhangra which is extremely famous in the UK now. The exhibition also explored the two sides of Southall – Old and New. As for the Old Southall, that is seen b man as “downmarket” there aren’t many posh shops or shops with décor. There is a clear difference in terms of economic positions. The new Southall is extremely vibrant, active with a sense of style and décor. I would say this difference can be seen everywhere, it not the difference of economic positions but of different generations and thus both sides of Southall are equally precious.

It is true that Southall is referred to as “Little India” but this so-called Little India has a British colour to it. Assimilated with the British culture, Southall offers a variety for all. There is probably the only pub in Southall where you can buy a pint of beer in Indian Rupees. That brings out the uniqueness of the Southall culture.

However in the past, there have been certain concerns over many homeless people who sleep either on the streets of Southall or are given shelter in the Gurudwaras. The exhibition failed to put any light on this issue. As reports suggest, there are man non profits that are helping these people with woollen wear and food from time to time. It would have been good to see this aspect of the community as well.

All in all, it was an interesting exhibition that informed me as an individual about the history of Southall. Till now, Southall was about food and Indian groceries, but now there is much more to it. It is home to so many people who are not just Indians but from other parts of the world. And this co-existence of so many nationalities together definitely makes the community very multi-faceted and unique.

Last weekend I made a special visit into the hustling bustling streets of Southall, London’s mini India. It’s absolutely amazing how just a simple craving for paani puri can make you travel miles. But the moment you hold the plate in your hand with eyes fixated on each paani puri as it makes your way to the plate, you feel the bliss. Ahh, even the thought is simply amazing. Imagine how interesting my entire day at Southall turned out to be.

This was my third visit to Southall but the place looked as new and as fresh as ever. The time you step out of the station, you see a Gurudwara right in front of you. It makes you believe that you are in your own land, or maybe somewhere close by. As you keep walking small little things catch your attention. The atmosphere not only looks familiar but makes you feel at home instantly. One can easily spot the colourful drapes displayed in the shops apart from the accessories and jazzy sandals displayed almost in every nook and corner.

For me, Southall is all about food. Maybe because that is what I miss the most about India in UK or maybe because I still prefer to go back home in case I want to buy saris. But when we talk of food, Southall tops the list among other areas in London where Indian community is settled. I have had amazing Gujarati food in Wembley and delicious dosas in East Ham. But the variety that I see in Southall seems to be missing in all these places. Not only can you spot street food like paani puri, bhel puri, samosas, jalebis but also kebab houses and yummy South Indian food. You just need to know what you want to eat and it probably would be there. Add to this the bhangra music in the air, and the hustle and bustle of a vibrant local economy, all of which makes a visit to Southall unforgettable.

The high point of my trip to Southall was when I spot a small little stall right outside one of the biggest super markets there. The stall called as “Jagu’s Pani Puri and Bhel Puri” reminded me of the many stalls that we see in Delhi and Mumbai. Decorated in the very same fashion but just a bit modern with its accessories and the seller speaking in fluent English, Jagu’s stall seemed to attract many customers throughout the day. I also went inside one of the oldest Kebab houses in Southall. Known as “Kebabish,” the kebab house served different items of chicken and lamb along with sweet lassi. One step into Kebabish made you feel like going back into time. I remembered my visit to one of Delhi’s oldest Kebab corners called Karims that is located behind the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. The owner of the restaurant had put on play some of the classic old songs of Indian cinema. And for me that was one of the biggest reasons to sit there and have a glass of sweet lassi.

The other very interesting thing about Southall was the supermarket. As I stepped inside a particular supermarket called “Gulab” which to me seemed like one of the largest supermarkets, I got last at the first instance. I then decided to spend some time in just going through the kind of good that are displayed on the shelves. From jiggery to soan papdi, from different kinds of Poppadam to different kinds of pickle, it seemed like everything I have ever learnt throughout my childhood was present there. You could even get cold drinks like Limca, Fanta and Thumbs up. And in case you were not happy with the washing powder in UK, you can go and pick up your favourite 555 soap bar.

It is amazing how the present day globalised world has made it so easy for us to be connected with any part of the world in just any way we want to. There is definitely a good side to it. It keeps us so close to our homeland. Apart from increasing the export figures of India, it also brings India closer to the diasporic community living here for many years. But I also tend to look at the negative side of things sometimes. If everything is brought here so close to us then what would be the charm to go back to your own land?
Well I am sure that is a very heavy debate in itself. But for now and for all future good times, Southall will remain as one of my own favourite places to visit everytime I feel the craving to dig paani puris and some other terrific Indian food. It is absolutely commendable how much of an effort each and every businessman in Southall makes in order to bring our country closer to us. It’s totally worth each of those efforts. Hats off to them!!