Croydon’s Tamil community, many of whom had their businesses along London Road devastated by the 8/8 riots, are claiming that the borough’s fact-finding panel is not independent and has failed to gather their views.
“Croydon Council put together a panel that they call ‘independent’,” said Dr Kannappar Jeyanthan, the chairman of the Croydon Tamil Business Forum.
“We feel that the panel is neither independent nor indeed representative of the businesses so adversely impacted. Tamil and other minority community businesses were hit severely in the London Road riots but no one has thought to include any trader on the body looking at where things went wrong.
“Instead, we have a judge with close relations with Conservative politicians through the Whitgift Foundation, an evangelical Christian with close working ties with the Croydon Conservative Party, a Conservative party councillor who probably has never visited Broad Green, a lady who used to work for the council and a labour Councillor who represents a part of Croydon which was not affected by the riots.
“We as a business body wonder just how independent such a body can be with its close connections with the council and the Conservative party and wonder why traders with direct experience of the troubles are excluded from representation in favour of Whitgift Foundation and Conservative party links. The Foundation is, after all, also involved in material loss from the riots and is no less conflicted than Croydon’s ethnic minority business people.”
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