Open Letter to Political Leaders, Influencers, the Upper Echelons of Society — and the Proletariat of Modern Nations - Subject: Protecting the Civil Society We Have Built — an urgent, logical and emotional request

Subject: Protecting the Civil Society We Have Built — [ an urgent, logical and emotional request].

Esteemed Colleagues and Fellow Citizens,

We live in a time when our societies — particularly in Europe — have come a very long way. Many of us remember earlier times when public life was harsher, more exclusive, more rigid. Today, thanks to the combined efforts of reformers, policymakers, civil-society activists, and ordinary citizens, we enjoy a comparatively civil and fair society — one that, in many places, welcomes and supports people from all over the world, extending the same rights, and sometimes even greater protections, than those enjoyed by old school citizens.

That openness — that ability to treat “the stranger” with dignity — is evidence of humanity at its best, even of a God-fearing compassion that sustains our collective moral fabric.

It is precisely because we hold these values dear that we must ask ourselves: what feeds our society must be protected, and what threatens it must be faced — boldly, clearly, unflinchingly.

What I experience regularly today — and what I believe is worthy of urgent public and political attention — is a troubling resurgence of attitudes rooted in caste, tribal notions, medieval traditions, religious prejudice, and colour-based hierarchies. 

These are alien to the spirit of modern Western societies, yet they are quietly creeping into workplaces, public services, and institutions. The speed at which these behaviours are spreading is deeply alarming.

My concern does not only come from personal grievance or a singular experience alone (though I have had experiences I would gladly present to competent authorities). 

My concern is from the awareness that we have but one continent — Europe — for which we all share responsibility. If the foundations of fairness, equality, and human dignity on this continent are corroded, then we must ask: where do we turn? 

What alternative remains if the society we have built together is undermined?

We have fought hard — since the 1980s and long before — for equal rights at work, for employment free from tribalism or caste bias, for opportunities that are colour-fair and merit-based. Yet today we see signals that these hard-won advances are under threat.

For instance:

• In public-service employment — particularly health, social care, and government sectors — the foundational principle that all nationalities and backgrounds should have an equal chance of employment is being weakened.

• I recently came across a healthcare situation in which treatment appeared neglected, seemingly for financial or organisational reasons, within a service catering to many different nationalities. The staffing composition was concerning: in one locality, nearly the entire workforce (98%) belonged to a single national group, despite serving a diverse population in Europe 21st Century ??? .

• I cannot help but suspect — and believe it deserves formal investigation — that access to treatment or the quality of service may, in some instances, depend on a patient’s name, caste, colour, or perceived background rather than medical need or professional standard.

Such concerns are not imagined. 

In the United Kingdom, Tirkey v Chandhok established that caste-based discrimination can fall under “ethnic or national origin” within the Equality Act 2010 — in that case, a claimant from a lower caste was treated as one expected to be servile rather than as an employee.

Similarly, in Begraj & Begraj v Heer Manak, a couple alleged wrongful dismissal linked to disapproval of a mixed-caste marriage — a case that highlighted how such hierarchies persist even within modern employment structures.

What actions, then, are our governments, institutions, and civil-society organisations taking to ensure that the West remains free of the medieval practices of caste, tribal hiring habits, opaque preferential recruitment, and discrimination disguised as “community cohesion”? 

What safeguards ensure equal employment opportunity across all nationalities, ethnicities, and names — especially in sectors associated with public service and healthcare? How actively are racist and caste-biased employment practices being discouraged, monitored, or sanctioned?

Because if we fail to face these questions now, we risk losing what we have so painstakingly gained — fairness in work, dignity in public life, and equality in our shared civic space. When that happens, all of us — not just one group — are diminished.

So I call on you — political leaders, cultural influencers, executives, unions, and citizens alike — to notice this trend, to discourage it wherever it appears, and to reduce its reach before it takes deeper root.

We have indeed come a long way, and we should be proud of our progress. But progress is not irreversible — unless we guard it.