I came to Britain from India, fulfilled a dream, and I say this: we’re a great country, but a work in progress

‘When defenders of the empire talk of the past being nuanced, they cherrypick the parts that show Britain in the best light.’ An English grandee of the East India Company riding in an Indian procession, 1825-1830. Photograph: Print Collector/Getty Images

I thought I knew Britain in 1969, when I came to this country from India to study at Loughborough University. But I quickly realised that was not the case. For me, the last half-century has been a long process of learning. At times this was very painful. Once, I even feared for my life at the hands of football racists. I have also seen the UK reinvent itself as a much more caring, welcoming place. However, we still have some way to go to become a truly diverse society.

My initial surprise was to discover that, on their little island, the British did not live as they had done in India during the Raj. Not only were bathrooms not en suite, but many homes even had outside loos. The dinner jacket that had been specially tailored for me before I left Mumbai proved redundant, as I found the British no longer dressed for dinner. The only people I saw wearing dinner jackets were waiters in Indian restaurants.