SAHM2024: Dr. Zain Sadiq’s Journey of Identity & Diversity
Dr. Zain Sadiq, a Consultant Psychiatrist, reflects on his upbringing in a diverse Southern Indian community and the challenges he faced as nationalism grew, which shaped his commitment to embracing identity and diversity.
I grew up in a well-respected, liberal Muslim family in Southern India. My grandparents chose not to leave India for Pakistan during the partition in 1947, as for them India was their homeland, and this remains the case to this day.
The community I grew up in was a melting pot of cultures, religions, and languages, where every festival was jointly celebrated and differences were respected and valued.
Sadly, this did not last as my homeland became less tolerant of minorities and more nationalistic. I remember being excluded by my classmates during a televised cricket match between India and Pakistan, simply because I was Muslim and therefore they assumed I would be supporting Pakistan. Supported by my parents and a few of my teachers, I was encouraged to have brave conversations with my friends, taking an educational and non-confrontational approach, to modify their beliefs, which were largely based on ignorance, fear, and false assumptions.
These experiences shaped me to be the person I am today. I learned to be true to myself, to stand up for my beliefs, and to be proud of my background, my culture, and my heritage.
I also learned that to truly enjoy life, one needs to embrace all that life offers, appreciating and respecting each other's differences and learning from other cultures along the way.
As a father, I strive hard to ensure that my children feel the same and are proud of the colour of their skin and their dual British-Indian culture and heritage.
Working for a progressive and diverse organi s ation such as South London and Maudsley NHS FT makes me very proud. I know that healthcare and other inequalities exist, but I also sense a great deal of energy and desire for us to stamp these out.
