Vaz hails no NRI kids arrested for UK riots

LONDON: Several Indian-origin people were among those attacked during the riots in London and elsewhere, but it is a matter of satisfaction for the community that so far none of the over 1,000 rioters arrested is of Asian origin.
Among those hit hard are jewellers and shopkeepers with origins in Gujarat and Sri Lanka, while the three youngsters deliberately mowed down by a speeding car in Birmingham on Wednesday morning were of Pakistan origin.
However, almost all of those arrested and currently being fast-tracked through magistrate courts in London and elsewhere are youngsters belonging to the Afro-Caribbean and white communities.
Labour MP Keith Vaz told PTI today, "I was very interested to note that during my visits to Tottenham, Birmingham and Leicester there were no allegations made that young people of Asian origin were involved in these disorders though of course some of the perpetrators had hoods and masks and could not be identified".
He added,"Strong parental guidance has always been a critical factor in keeping young people out of trouble."
The family has come under strain among the Asian community in Britain in recent years, but the focus on education and hard work is still considered relatively stronger in this community.
According to Prime Minister David Cameron, Britain has around 100,000 "deeply broken and troubled" families, and promised action to "strengthen families".
In one case, a magistrate expressed surprise that the parents of a 14-year-old arrested were too busy to come to the court to deal with their child's misdeeds during the mayhem.
Admitting this was a major problem, Cameron told the House of Commons last week, "I have said before that there is a major problem in our society with children growing up not knowing the difference between right and wrong".
He added, "This is not about poverty, it's about culture. A culture that glorifies violence, shows disrespect to authority, and says everything about rights but nothing about responsibilities".
In too many cases, he said, the parents of these children, "if they are still around" - did not care where their children are or who they are with, let alone what they were doing.
"The potential consequences of neglect and immorality on this scale have been clear for too long, without enough action being taken. We need more discipline in our schools.
We need action to deal with the most disruptive families", Cameron stressed.