Shekhar Bhatia reveals the racism he endured while trying to make it on Fleet Street
LONDON: One of Britain's longest-serving national newspaper journalists has published a memoir revealing the joy and pain he has experienced in 47 years as a reporter, and the worst form of racism he suffered due to his British Asian heritage. .
Shekhar Bhatia, who was born in London and is of Asian descent, has revealed the racism he endured while trying to make it on Fleet Street. His parents moved to the UK from Pakistan before partition. He spoke to this correspondent at the national launch of his book 'Namaste, Geezer'. The event was attended by a large number of British Asians working for the mainstream.
In a newspaper, The London Night StandardHe was denied a desk and for five years had to work at a 'hot desk' and one of his editors used the cruel word 'wog' in his presence at a Christmas party while reading 'Jerusalem' from the Bible to remind colleagues of what Britain once was like.
Others in the daily mirror He called him a “monkey” and asked him who had cut down his tree, while another labeled him his “sepoy runner.”
But Bhatia's memoir does not reveal him as a victim, and the tome is rather a celebration of a life in journalism that took him to Pakistan five times with Princess Diana and to interview former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He said Geographic news: “My father was from Lahore, a city he loved and remembered fondly after partition. I also fell in love with Lahore. Although he was of Indian descent, the Pakistani people welcomed me and told me that he had returned home. In Britain, my father’s friends were mainly from Pakistan and India and they loved getting together, smoking a few cigarettes and reminiscing.”
Bhatia, who was named Journalist of the Year at Britain's Asian Media Awards in 2014, writes about his love for West Ham United and the racism he endured from skinheads who called him “Paki” and shouted at him that he should come back. to the place where it came from. .
“I was born in Kensington and grew up in London and I didn't know what they meant then!” she added.
In his career covering news and sports, he has reported on seven Olympic Games, seven World Cups, countless Wimbledon finals, as well as cricket and basketball in the United States.
While covering America for the dailymail.com Between 2015 and late 2017, he traveled to more than 40 states and lived in New York City.
Bhatia has helped produce documentaries for the bbc, Channel four and NBC He has participated in the making of several films about the murder of model Reeva Steenkamp by Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius and conducted the first full interview with his parents for NBC that was broadcast around the world.
He said: “I always consider myself the luckiest reporter in the world and have met some remarkable people, including Mr Nelson Mandela in South Africa, who gave me the most memorable days of my career. I will never forget the enigma of him and his warm handshake.”
Bhatia writes about his marriage to the best-known British Asian, Meera Syal, and has in the past avoided talking about his famous ex-wife in public. They have a daughter, Milli, who is a rising star as a theater director in the UK.
Bhat, in his book 'Namaste, Geezer' writes: “Meera is the most humble, creative and generous woman I have ever met. She is a fantastic role model for young artists and has had to work twice as hard to be able to play the roles that have made her a household name, as well as writing herself. I am proud of her wonderful work in theater and television for which she received a CBE. Barrie Keeffe, the late writer of the film “The Long Good Friday,” once said in a radio interview that Meera would become the first Asian lady of British theatre.
“That can't be too far away and I loved reading in The times that Queen Elizabeth II once described Kumara in issue 42 as her favorite TV show and even got to recite some of the one-liners from the grandmother character that Meera played and created.”
