The unending divorce drama

Sonoo Singh 

Adull grey London day, damp enough to seep through your bones. As Londoners, we are pretty intimate with such days. Cold and grey dampeners are a common occurrence. It was one such day (March 28, 2000) when I first set foot in London as a young bride. Those were different times. Nineteen years later, I found myself on a panel with business leaders talking about Brexit and the idea of democracy. And exploring the notion of vibrant, diverse communities that do not fit in the narrow confines of sovereignty.

As a young immigrant, apart from the dismal weather or the fact that everyone insisted on wearing black or grey as if commanded by the Queen herself to contain themselves within the confines of the covers of the cloud, the one thing that really bothered me was the silence. I remember playing the radio all night, so that I could fall asleep. Or trying hard to find a train carriage where people were talking. Or turning up the volume of news channels because everything was so very polite. And then there was the politics. How uneventful! There were no films shown on TV during the election, while waiting for results. No big scandals (well nothing compared to the ones I was used to, in India). It was all just so functional and boring. 

How naive was I!

Since then the drama of Brexit has not just changed the politics but also fundamentally the fabric of our society, I long for a world that was filled with silence. Also, as a mother to a 12-year-old, who is always asking questions that try to make sense of our troubling world, I have been trying to crack open my own notions of democracy. And working in the creative industries, as I do, has afforded me the luxury to ask some tough questions and believe that as humans we will always resist the attempts to crush our spirits. 

Challenging my own notions of what real democracy means — I have allowed myself to aspire. For me. And it has helped empower me to shape my own hopes and desires. And, I can do this on my own. Often silently. 

But it is when democracy is at stake, we are forced to be loud, march together as a populace and fight for all our perceived injustices. I should know that. I've been on enough marches in India, and learnt enough slogans that will last me a lifetime — always fighting against a state of impending doom. 

That is exactly what Brexit has done —it has created a sense of doom. One advertising industry leader — Chris Hirst, the global CEO for Havas Creative Network, said (he was on my panel that I referred to earlier): “There is a sense of deep pity from the world outside,” when they look at United Kingdom. It is a phrase that has stuck with me. 

At the time of writing, here is an update of what has happened. Political stalemate continues unabated. The EU granted the UK a delay to the March 29 Brexit date. However, earlier this week, the MPs rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May's every single type of Brexit deal. Votes on eight alternative Brexit options were held on March 27, but all were rejected. In a last-ditch attempt to get the deal approved by MPs, the PM has offered to step down. A general election will take place soon then. On March 28, the day of intended Brexit, there has been yet another defeat of the Withdrawal Agreement. 

Meanwhile, the divisions in the country continue to grow. Time perhaps to pause and change the narrative and see the world we live in, and not just the country (that I’m currently living in), even through the lens of an immigrant.