The absence of critical historical knowledge leaves citizens vulnerable to misinformation and divisive leadership, as seen in the recent riots where migrants were unfairly blamed for economic and social issues, according to Manish Tiwari
After the far-right anti-immigration protests and riots in the UK, the Chairman of Here & Now 365 Ltd, Manish Tiwari, highlighted the British education system’s failure to teach a comprehensive history of the British Empire and Commonwealth as a contributing factor to societal unrest.
Tiwari emphasised that the absence of critical historical knowledge leaves citizens vulnerable to misinformation and divisive leadership, as seen in the recent riots where migrants were unfairly blamed for economic and social issues.
Tiwari called for a broader global perspective in the curriculum, particularly examining the colonial empires’ impacts. He linked this to the significance of the Independence Days of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—nations born from British India’s partition.
He also noted the enduring legacy of the Parsi community, who sought refuge in India centuries ago and have since enriched both India and the world, contributing significantly to business, innovation, and global development.
As the UK celebrates South Asian Heritage Month, alongside Indian and Pakistani Independence Days, and the Parsi New Year, Tiwari extended warm wishes to the Parsi community, underscoring their historic contributions as migrants who prospered and enriched their host countries.
He concluded by urging the media to play a crucial role in educating the public about the legacy of migration and the British Empire to foster social cohesion and prevent future unrest, noting that understanding history is key to preventing destructive behaviour and division in society.
The protests and riots occurred in the country from 30 July to 5 August. This followed a mass stabbing in Southport on 29 July in which three children were killed, with the riots involving racist attacks, arson and looting.
The riots were driven by underlying Islamophobic, racist, anti-immigrant sentiments, and were fuelled by misinformation on social media that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker, spread online by far-right groups; and were the worst in England since 2011, according to reports.