My first memory of India was when I was six years old. My parents had brought home a grainy copy of the epic film, Mother India. I didn't understand much, but my childhood memory of the images of women suffering for land and family, and of poverty, remained etched in my mind forever. The connection to homeland was intense. It was overlaid with a scratchy, heartrending soundtrack in a traditional, high-pitched voice, and the vivid sense that is embedded into the DNA of the children of India was a heritage of anguish.
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Read more:
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's HOME1947 reimagines partition
Painful memories of partition should spur on modern India
The story of Pakistan's improbable pursuit of nuclear weapons
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Members of my family are among those children of India who were once removed from there. My great grandparents had left British India and the famine in Gujarat at the turn of the 20th century. They travelled to British colonies in East Africa. Half a century later, the tectonic shifts of the British empire catapulted them to London at a time when their home country was about to gain independence.
I was born in London. But the experiences of partition nonetheless linger over me and millions of others living in Britain who share a subcontinental heritage. Every family, every story is different and heart-breaking. I rarely come across any winners.
This year is the 70th anniversary of the partition. At midnight of August 15, 1947, British rule formally came to an end, with India and Pakistan beginning their independent journeys. In the process, more than 10 million people were displaced and over a million people died in the violence that ensued after the partition. That was not the end. The parameters of partition precipitated a bloody war in 1971, as the province of East Bengal fought for independence and eventually became Bangladesh.
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More from the author:
There is no excuse for the global problem of unequal pay for equal work
I long for the August silly season, so I can rejuvenate myself
Women must stop being portrayed as damsels in distress on the big screen
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Seven decades on, the trauma of partition continues to affect the politics of the subcontinental diaspora in the United Kingdom.
The divide-and-rule policy of the British administration in India has left a lasting impact on individuals and is felt among Britain’s communities of subcontinental heritage. Despite our commonalities, we perceive ourselves to be – and are perceived as – different from each other, even though many – like me – may only have one connection to Mother India herself. The politics of partition came to define how we see ourselves in the UK and how we engage with each other.
When my ancestors left India for colonised East Africa, brown people were positioned above black people, but below the white British. Travelling again to the UK, they found themselves in a new class of people of colour. This time, they were united by the discrimination and racism facing them, but forcefully divided by faith and their newly-formed countries of origin.
British foreign policy towards the three nations is often a direct corollary to how those of subcontinental descent are engaged with in the UK. Former prime minister David Cameron, who reached out to India's premier, Narendra Modi, was feted by the British Hindu community. In stark contrast, Britain's diverse Muslim population is cast in a devilish and poor light and categorised as Pakistani and Bangladeshi. How and why these nations are framed is a matter of discussion.
The question is whether the British population of subcontinental origin will ever be entirely free to shape their own narrative.
This heightening perception of subcontinental-origin communities being backward immigrants is being reinforced by a resurgence in British nationalistic nostalgia. It stems from the idea that the empire was a benevolent and benign force of good in India. The British brought railways and the civil service and civilised the savages. All hail the empire.
British subcontinental communities continue to face this insulting attitude, as though they are still in need of being civilised and disciplined. There is a wilful lack of recognition that Britain developed and built its wealth at the expense of India and its other colonies.
It was the images of Mother India flickering on the screen that I saw when I was six that helped me understand that human beings can have a primordial connection to a land. Mother India still holds the connection to all her children wherever they are.
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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