‘Ayah’ refers to South Asian women and ‘Amah’ to South East Asian women who served the British in Asia and other colonies as children’s nannies, nursemaids and ladies’ maids. For the last few years Hackney Museum has been researching the stories of ayahs in Britain and in east London in particular. These pioneering women were […]
I am a dedicated psychotherapist who has carved a path of compassion and understanding in a field where my community’s representation has historically been limited. Growing up in a South Asian community where discussing feelings was often overlooked, I understand firsthand the challenges of seeking emotional support in such an environment. This personal experience fuels […]
Research studies have validated that trauma experienced by our Ancestors can live on in our DNA thanks to epigenetic inheritance. Read my account of carrying intergenerational trauma from the partition of India and Pakistan here.
15th August 1947 It was a momentous day for India when the British rule ended in India. It would have been a very joyous occasion had not it been tainted by the partition of India. On this day India was divided into two halves – Hindustan and Pakistan. There was a mass exodus of people […]
This year’s theme for South Asian Heritage Month (18 July to 17 August), is ‘stories to tell’. My story is a reminder that more than 100 million people in the world are displaced. With lack of access to basic amenities and healthcare, their memories may be similar to mine as a young boy – filled with conflict and war.
Artists impression of Scotland’s First BIA Memorial Did you know that ‘The British Indian Army (BIA)’ played an instrumental role to protect Britain and contributed more than 4 million personnel and many other resources during both World War 1 & 2? The BIA was made up of personnel mainly from modern day countries such as […]
My dad was just a teenager when he arrived in Bradford in the 1970s. With the support of extended family he found work, learnt the language, and a few years later returned to Pakistan to marry my mum. I was born in the 80s, the second girl in a house of five children. We found […]
Did you know that during WW2, nearly 2.5 million personnel from the British Indian Army were deployed to help protect Britain at its time of need? A special Muslim contingent called ‘Force K6’ was a Mule Transport Corps a part of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC) from the British Indian Army (BIA). […]
Mahomed Gama (1895 – 1965). He was born in old Mirpur, in the erstwhile princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. He served in the Mercantile Marine with the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. He served on the SS Medina, which transported King George V for his Dehli Durbar Coronation to India. Mahomed Gama, had […]
My name is Shaz Khan (Shahzadgai Khan). My story is very simple but my parents’ is not. I stumbled across an article that I wrote when I was 17 years old for my English A-level coursework. It was all about “Being an Asian in Modern British Society”, which is where the inspiration for this podcast […]
The first of the Trust’s projects is the South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), which first took place in 2020 and runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year.
SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
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