REVIEW: ‘Our Work, Our Lives, Our Town: Burnley People, Pakistani Roots’

‘Our Work, Our Lives, Our Town: Burnley People, Pakistani Roots’ features the history of Pakistani Muslims from those who arrived here in the early sixties others who were born and grew up in the town.

The book itself aims to look at how generations have changed and how a community adapted to the situation around them.

It features insights into people who are well known to the town and some who are in many respects unsung heroes. The book’s editor is Education Consultant, Sobia Malik spent two years compiling the oral history of people in the town.

The result is a fascinating insight into how a community has evolved from one which was working in menial jobs to more influential roles.

Up until now the history of Burnley’s Asians has not been documented but the book explores in detail the experiences of those first generation immigrants who came to Lancashire in the sixties.

Mohammed Raqfique Malik was the first Pakistani heritage councillor to be elected in Burnley.

“Mr Malik tells of one his first jobs. He had been a head teacher of a school back in Pakistan but in England he admits he found things a little more testing.

Whilst working at Mullards factory the foreman asked him to clean the floor.

“It was a sudden change in my status perhaps from head teacher of a high school to being asked to sweep the floor. Previously, I have had two or three people who worked for me. A silly thing to be upset about but I found it difficult.”

Years later he tells of his feeling of being elected mayor of the town.

“My mind flashed back; a boy in a small village; a far off village in Pakistan, coming here to work and then being elected mayor of the town.

“Quite a journey from my recollection of swimming in the river in the village – a complete change and completely humbling. But my belief is that if you work hard enough god rewards you.”

One of the most alluring qualities of the book is how it documents the basic feelings of helplessness and hope for those first generation Asians.

Ghulam Nabi Chowdhary came to England in 1961. He writes about how many things we take for granted were for him and his family a major challenge.

“As we couldn’t eat meat unless it was halal, every Saturday we were going out to the countryside to buy chicken; slaughter it there, clean it, put it in a bag and bring it home. That’s the luxury – we had a good meal at the weekend.”

“When I was looking for job I didn’t know any place in Burnley, I didn’t know the buses timetable either, I just looked for the chimney of the nearest factory; walked there, asked for a job and obviously they would say, sorry.”

“The first time I applied for income support was after my retirement.”

Mr Chowdrhary applied for a job at the bus station as a conductor and was unsuccessful. He was went to the Citizens Advice Bureau and met volunteer Dr Hajela, who rang the bus department on his behalf to ask why he had been unsuccessful and was told that Asian people would not be able to do the job.

“Dr Hajela said to him that he himself was Asian and a doctor and conductors job was not complicated as a doctors.”

He later found out that it was a union ban and the Unions had decided not employ any ‘coloured’ people.

Later after media exposure the unions rescinded and decided to allow 6% of non-whites apply.

Some of the most informative chapters include testimony by Father James Petty and Iris Verity. They speak about some people’s feelings about seeing the first set of immigrants in the town.

Father Petty tells of an incident where a mob of people had turned up outside a house because the new owner was ‘Persian’. But soon enough when they got to know him no –one in the neighbourhood would anyone have a bad word said against him or his family.

“In those it was ignorance. They’d never met an Asian or a black person, but on the whole they were very tolerant and kind people but they had this fear.”

Iris Verity, helped set-up the Asian Institute of Learning in 1963. She also tells of her time working with the Pakistani Welfare Association, “Of course in the beginning it was very difficult for me. I mean my parents didn’t agree, my parents were quite against it. As I got better known it became respectable towards the end.

“The English people were suspicious of me and the Pakistanis were suspicious of me too!”

There is also a number of photographs of some of the first Asians to ever set foot in the North West of England.

Shahzad Ahmed Qadri talks about his life has been in many ways influenced by his father Mohammed Ramzan and grandfather Haji Ali Ahmed. Both have passed away.

“A great memory I have is when my father got invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party and I travelled with my father, my mother and my sister Sadia.

“It was the proudest day in my father’s life because at that point he said, so many people have done so much hard work, more than I have, but they never got invited to the garden party and I have.

“I can remember the smile on his face.” Burnley has had its fair share of successful businessmen Riaz Ahmed is owner of Sweet Dreams. He is featured in the book alongside his sons Majid and footballer Adnan.

“I think anybody’s strength is their character. If you are straight and honest I think you are alright because you’ve got 90% of strength before you start.

“I think in business we are proud, really of what we achieved. It’s not the business growth – we’re not the biggest and we’ll never be, I don’t want 20 factories, because I like to do what I can handle and do it well.

“I think, basically, my advice to anybody is to always keep things simple, do what you like. Do it with honesty and there is no limit to what you can achieve.”

Fara Sharif was born in Pakistan and came to the UK in 1971. She writes, “I think wherever you grow up, that is home. Even when you’re travelling within Britain, you come to the sign that says Burnley and you think, oh yes, I’m home. So it’s that connection, that feeling that you have with Burnley and it holds so many memories as well.

“I’ve got a quite a wide variety of friends from different cultures. Burnley is what binds us together and that’s why it’s home.”

Sobia Malik says the book has helped to highlight many of the achievements of the British Pakistani community in the town and helped to share experiences that may have been lost, “The project is a vehicle to bring the community together, to create local pride, enhance civic virtue and actively preserve a community in partnership.

“Those of us who have benefitted from the challenges these pioneers undertook owe them a debt of gratitude and of humble remembrance.”