george galloway is unavaiable to confirm allegations on mela corruptions
bricklane melan ews2006 | 14.05.2006 15:04 | analysis | indymedia | social struggles | london | world
BETHNAL GREEN AND BOW [LONDON, UK] MP GEORGE GALLOWAY was unavailable to answer questions that have arisen from his claims last week that there were crimes being committed over the mela taking place in the brick lane area today [sunday 14 may 2006].

The allegations are very serious especially as they concern the image of the whole bangladeshi community in the uk.

Galloway was party to a series of staytemnnts that alleegd that ove rthe mela, illegal immigrants were being smuggled into the uk and that there was a likelihood of serious violence engulfing the streets of the east end over the weekend when the mela takes place.

Allegations of illegal immigrant smuggling under covers of cultural events that are linked with communities that are descended from asian and other parts of the world are not new.

But such allegations whether based on actual evidence or not, cause people in society to feel apprehensive.especially at a time when both tony blair and the tories are embarked on a hysteric bid to undermine the uk's human rights legislation and curtail civil liberties by using alleged excessive behavior by alleged illegal immigrants and assorted classes of people who are implied to be non-europeans. They are assumed to be in the main asians and africans.. For that reason we wanted to ask george galloway the questions about any evidence. But he was not available.

It has been confirmed today [sunday 14 may 2006] that galloway was not even available on saturday [13 may 2006] to present the first of his two-day two-hour radio slot on talksport, a commercial radio station run from london

[more to follow here]
bricklane melan ews2006
e-mail:  bricklanemelanews@yahoo.co.uk

Several hundreds Metropolitan Police officers plus an unconfirmed number of supporting staff, were drafted in to the East End of London today to make sure that the Brick Lane 'Baishaki' Mela went smoothly.

Tower Hamlets Council in east London has plugged the Brick Lane Area as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Britain.

The hype nearly matched the reality today when the Brick Lane [Baishaki] Mela for 2006 opened.


There were no confirmed reports of any significant illegal activities at the time of writing this file at 1730 GMT except details of a protracted confrontation between Metropolitan Police officers and a widely known business in Brick Lane itself.

But it was marred by tensions and acrimony between the majority of brick lane business people and the organisers whom the business people accuse of having mismanaged the event.


they point to the owner of the Clifton restaurant -situated at the end of Osborne street and at the southernmost point of the street [brick lane] which

a Brick Lane businessman was 'arrested' in front of his own restaurant this morning as he tried to set up a stall to make it easy for Mela visitors to eat during the event.

according to another businessman, abdus Salique, who is opposed to the way the Mela has been organised, the proprietor of a brick lane restaurant was involved in a “series of illegal activities” that undermined the reputation of the Bangladeshi community.


The full exclusive AADHIKARonline reports on the BRICK LANE Mela viewable on this web site starting at 1800 GMT SUNDAY 14 MAY 2006


 http://uk.geocities.com/aadhikaronline/bricklanemela.html

Something odd was going on between George and the organisers as the official programme for the Mela had a message of support from Tony Blair and Ken Livingstone but no statement from Galloway. This is a bit odd given he is the MP. Was he invited to write a message of welcome or simply excluded because those who organise the Mela do not want Respect using it as a recruiting ground? Meanwhile when is the community around Brick Lane going to deal with the gang of thugs who have been responsible for spate of stabbings around the Lane in the last few months? Sticking knives in the back of completely innocent strangers does more to harm the reputation of the Bangladeshi community than any amount of political in-fighting.

I am concerned about the thugs behaviour. Let’s all unite to stop these thugs. I agree.

I do not agree that political infighting is what has been going on.

That phrase is itself prejudiced.

What we have seen in the area is that the local council has been encouraging intra community opportunism. So the council can keep the control over us.

Does respect oppose all that? If it does then let's hear from them what they have to say.