United Kingdom: Hindu, Sikh Groups Call Out "Asian" Label In Pakistani Grooming Gang Cases

Indian diaspora groups in the UK have raised strong concerns over the use of the term "Asian" to describe a historic child sexual abuse scandal linked to gangs of men of Pakistani origin.

This comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his track record, highlighting that during his tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013, he reopened similar cases and led the first prosecution of an "Asian grooming gang" in Rochdale.

Starmer's statement drew criticism from the Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO), highlighting their long-standing complaint about the vague terminology referencing the wider South Asian community.

"This use of the vague reference to 'Asian' grooming gangs is extremely disappointing from the Prime Minister," NSO said in a statement quoted by news agency PTI.

The NSO called for greater accuracy in reporting, noting that fear of discussing the ethnicity or religion of the perpetrators has worsened the situation for victims.

British Hindu organisations have also voiced apprehensions about political correctness within UK authorities, arguing that it undermines justice for the victims of these crimes.

Insight UK noted that authorities have preferred to use the term "Asian" to avoid being labelled racist or Islamophobic, and some have ignored the problem, hoping it would go away.

Meanwhile, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to include tougher measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, making it mandatory for organisations and institutions to report child sexual abuse.

Cooper referred to decade-old reports that revealed 1,400 children had endured sexual exploitation, rape, trafficking, abduction, physical abuse, and gun threats.

She noted that the reports identified a failure to confront Pakistani heritage gangs and a widespread perception that ethnic dimensions should be downplayed to avoid being seen as racist.

The matter resurfaced recently when Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticised the UK government’s response to the scandal on X, leading to a public spat with the Starmer administration.

The Opposition Conservatives have used the issue to attack the Labour government and Keir Starmer.

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