Gurbux Singh: It's just not cricket!

(The CRE was set up in 1976 to challenge racism, eradicate racial discrimination and promote good race relations). Sadly, Singh's downfall and the deluge of negativity that followed showed more about disparity of policing between Black and white communities, and a not so hidden political agenda to close down the CRE, than it did about Singh's loutish behaviour. (Singh was forced to resign after pleading guilty to abusive and threatening behaviour to a police officer)

No one can defend the drunken behaviour of Mr Singh. It was not as though he was out with a few friends having a quiet beer. He was at a cricket match, being wined and dined by British Airways, an organisation that is under investigation by the CRE for discriminating against its Black staff. That said, the way the incident transpired must ring alarm bells for all Black people throughout the UK.

Consider this: This was a fifty-year-old man with his wife leaving a cricket match, he's had a few too many drinks, but in high spirits. Singh finds himself in a minor altercation with Police officer, and then, instead of being 'ticked off' (warned), he's wrestled to the floor and put in a neck hold.

His abusive and threatening behaviour afterwards did him no credit, nevertheless this hardly sounds like the sensible policing that is afforded other men in suits that regularly attend sporting events and often behave badly. Imagine also if this was not a fifty year old Asian with his wife but rather a Asian or Caribbean youth.

There are many Black youths that can testify to a minor altercation with the police that has turned into a gross situation of not only police brutality, but also the Black individual being charged with assault. The disparity between policing Black people and white doesn't stop there. Every week literally thousands of white youths are taking the class A drug ecstasy at nightclubs. The police and other agencies are well aware of it.

On the occasions when police have raided venues and caught individuals with the odd tablet they are usually 'ticked off' or officially cautioned. There are also numerous cases whereby city slickers have been caught in position with another class A drug, cocaine and they too are often cautioned rather than charged in an attempt, as the police often put it, 'not to ruin a promising career for such an indiscretion'.

This latitude is rarely afforded to Black people. With the exception of the recent and controversial police trails in Lambeth, Black youths have been readily criminalised for the possession of small amounts of the class C drug cannabis. One can only assume that police arresting and charging Black youths, either wilfully set out to ruin promising careers, or they never felt there was one to ruin in the first place.

The wretched media focus on Gurbux Singh, -one reporter made a big play on the fact that Singh was supporting the India Cricket team and not the English-belies a not so hidden agenda that seeks to either scrap or amalgamate the CRE it into a single Equality Commission.

The call for closure of any Government body dealing with race is fuelled by a Norman Tebbit (former Governtment Minister) mindset that believes racism in this country doesn't exist. Thankfully, although the 'Tebbit school of thought' is prevalent, it's not significant. More worrying however, is the mainstream New Labour thinking that seeks to merger the different Equality Commissions.

Throughout the last fifteen years local authority equality mergers have been a by-word for wholesale cuts and closures of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) departments, and NGO's. The 'equality is for everyone Black and White' mantra has usually meant: equality body =white boss +Black junior who is prepared to jump through bosses hoops to keep job.

To help move along the New Labour agenda the Government appointed the think tanks IPPR Sarah Spencer as a CRE Commissioner. Spencer and IPPR have been passionate advocates for the unified body. 'We welcome the suggestion of a new singles equalities watchdog…and (the idea) has been championed by us for many years', argues Spencer. They also argue for parity in equalities legislation.

At the moment there are six different laws relating to race, gender disability, age, religion and sexual orientation. Although one can easily support IPPR's call parity of legislation, with the history of equality mergers one has to question the motives for this headlong rush for a single body. The recent merger in Northern Ireland of the differing Commissions to one single Equality body has, some have argued, led to serious problems of faction fighting over scarce resources.

No one doubts that the CRE needs reforming. Although it has been successful particularly in regards to the Race relation Amendment Act, it has become a cumbersome body that has lost community confidence and credibility, it is also a soft target to attack all anti racists.

But as we clamour for reform, we must not 'throw the baby out with the bath water'. We must also be mindful of those agendas that sound logical, but will in effect undermine the 25 year plus race relations campaigning.

As the Conservative MP Peter Botttomley said on Newsnight whilst defending Gurbux Singh and the CRE, 'whilst the colour of ones skin still dictates whether or not you are afforded equality of opportunity we still have a long way to go'.