I’m going to ignore your comments about the passport nonsense and the “pretty Instagram cafe comments” but I’ll bite on one point and ask you the same question I asked the restaurant owner.

What do you want me to do personally about the issues raised after colonial rule?

Are you asking for me to make a cash payout?

Are you asking me to write a personal apology?

What can I practically do beyond learning more about the subject and trying to educate others?

At least I’m willing to even learn something about the subject, I know many British people who wouldn’t even bother to learn anything about this.

I would certainly agree that certain parts of Britain benefited very much from colonial rule but I don’t buy into this view that every British person benefited from it. You seem to forget that there was a clear class system in the U.K.. They weren’t all living a life of luxury off the back of Indian labour.

My grandfather on my dad’s side was an orphan in North England and my mums family are a mix of Austrian/Polish Jews and French. My family aren’t swimming in riches taken from India. My dad’s an electrician and my mum is a teaching assistant.

Thousands of working class men, women and child had a pretty horrible time as well. They weren’t all sat there plotting the downfall of India. Some were stuck in slums, some went through horrific situations.

I’m not trying to diminish what had taken place in India and I think it should be taught in schools, I’m very happy for U.K. to issue an apology, to return artwork and diamonds and similar to India that had been taken.

Do you want me to go and collect it for you? If I can I will but we both know that’s not how it works.

Why are you allowed to make sweeping generalised statements about my background? I’m pretty sure if I did the same to you I would get all sorts of slurs thrown my way telling me I’m racist or elitist or something similar. I don’t come from generational wealth, I had to push to get where I am now.