Kavita Puri hears stories from British South Asians about life in the early noughties. For almost a decade Kavita has been charting the social history of these communities in post-war Britain. Many of the pioneers arrived with as little as £3, due to strict currency controls.

The fifth series picks up where the last one ended: the aftermath of 9/11. The world was changing fast. The revolution in communication technology meant the Indian subcontinent felt closer than ever. The £3 generation and their descendants could now call family on the Indian subcontinent whenever they wanted - rather than just a few times a year. And 24-hour global TV news meant that events on the Indian subcontinent, like the Gujarat riots of 2002, could be beamed into living rooms in Britain.

However, the pull to Britain was getting deeper as the pioneer generation were entering retirement, and their children were having their own children. The British South Asian community, complex in its voices and experiences, was telling its own stories its own way, including the pioneering Silver Street, the first daily Asian soap opera. But violent clashes by a minority of protesters over the play Behzti, resulted in the cancellation of the run. It made national headlines and would become “the Sikhs' Rushdie moment,” raising difficult questions about Britain’s commitment to free speech and about offence to religious minorities.

Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Hugh Levinson

Historical consultants:
Dr Florian Stadtler, University of Bristol
Dr Edward Anderson, Northumbria University
Professor Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies Show less