Oh yes I am an immigrant ! Am I ?

Back to the old drawing board !

Another season of party conferences is coming to an end ! Oh this is autumn is it not ? the green leaves of the trees are also nearing their seasonal end.

I  cannot believe how quick five years has flown past by. Yes ! another General Election is looming in front of our eyes.

Quiet a lot of times I ask myself as a first generation immigrant what are my expectations from these elections. Then the million dollar question follows am I fully engaging myself with this election ? Or is it a simple case of it does not matter who wins as long as I am alright ?

Well if this question need to be answered properly we need to have genuine deep cleansing of our thoughts.

Whether I like it or not the fact is General Election and the results do matter to me .

Why?

because this is my country the place I am living and the surrounding are my lively hood and everything that affects the stability and the security does matter to me.

The needs of me has changed over the years. The political views and leanings that I had when I first arrived here has changed over the years .

Why you may ask ?

When I first arrived in this country I was a young 18 year old student now I am a 58 year old father with a married son.

There is a vast difference of my needs then and now naturally I have grown in my opinion towards the life over the years. Hence my political views have changed as well.

Then a Labour party supporter but now ? I am not sure.

I may even sound a bit hypocrite saying that at times I see even UKIP reflects some of my views now.

I see some may mutter that people like me have a special name "Bounty" brown outside and white inside. Well I am sorry to disappoint you guys .

I am not at all that way. I am proud to call myself British

why ?

this country is the country which gave great opportunities to me that did not depend upon my race or culture. Treated me equally and encouraged me to lift myself.

It is my duty to integrate myself in the political process as a true citizen.

What troubles me is the party that I supported then does not allow me to support them now .

Why ? a big question may arise.

With lot of aspiration and lot of hard work  I have elevated myself and pushed myself into the Middle class band but why I feel that the party I supported then is looking at me and saying Hey you are better than most so we have to tax you more , we have to put you in the same bracket of someone who has inherited wealth ?

While lot of people who were in the same situation as me did not worry about tomorrow did not worry about a rainy day.

we as a family did go without lot of comforts and sacrificed a lot so that we do not depend on the state when we are old.

But  now we are classified as someone who have and expected to carry the burden of have nots at the same level as someone who has been rich for generations.

Please do not jump into conclusions that I am against government looking after the people who genuinely need help and understand that I need to contribute fairly towards that.

But what is the word again " fairly "

Well it is strange ! but voting in this general election will be a long thinking process for me .

Oh yes I am an immigrant ! Am I ?

Sakthi Sakthithasan