I CONGRATULATE Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for their vision in supporting the fourth Mela at Corporation Park. Along with my family, I attended the festival on both Saturday and Sunday and greatly enjoyed the celebration of Asian culture, meeting many Asian friends and colleagues.
However, it was with some disappointment that I note the absence of white faces among the mainly Asian crowd. This disappointment was due to the fact that such an event is obviously viewed within the town as an Asian festival and that many within the borough stayed away.
It was with some incredulity therefore that I read (LET, July 7) that organisers claimed 25 per cent of the 35,000 attending were from white families.
Admittedly, I did not attend for the entire festival, but I fail to see how 8,750 festival visitors of white UK heritage could be accounted for.
I urged the council to make a real commitment to ensure that next year's Mela is a success, truly shared by all, a real celebration of cultural diversity.
DAVID WHALLEY, Revidge, Blackburn
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