'South Asian programmes helped us settle into our new lives'

Image source, Anil Kumar Bharath / Nirmala Rani Image caption, Nirmala, pictured in the late 1970s and now, remembers one of the first TV shows for South Asians for sparking hours of conversation with her family By Anil Kumar Bharath Yorkshire Published 4 minutes ago For the first generation of South Asian migrants to the UK, dedicated radio and television broadcasts by the BBC were a lifeline. As well as lighter content such as music, the early output included practical advice to help new arrivals settle into their lives in areas such as West Yorkshire, where many South Asian families were attracted by jobs in the textile industry. Sixty years on, three generations have shared their memories of South Asian programming and spoken about how it shaped them. Image source, Krishna Devi / BBC Image caption, Look, Listen and Speak was a landmark English language television course produced by the BBC in the late 1960s. It was primarily designed to help South Asian immigrants learn basic English, adapt to British culture, and integrate into life in the UK When Nirmala Rani arrived in the Leeds suburb of Hyde Park in 1979, life felt quiet and unfamiliar. She was a Punjabi speaker from India and knew few people in England. Aged 17, Nirmala had come to Leeds to join her husband, whose family had already settled there. Like many South Asian families then, she followed relatives who had moved first to build a new life. "When a letter came from home, we'd read it 10 times." With no telephone and no relatives nearby, each letter was a lifeline. She was adjusting to a new country, new culture, and a loneliness that came from being far from the sounds and language she understood. The BBC had already begun making programmes for South Asian audiences. One of the first, 'Apna Hi Ghar Samajhiye' (Make Yourself at Home), offered language lessons, music and advice. Image caption, Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle appearing on an early BBC programme for South Asian viewers By the late 1960s, a magazine programme for South Asian viewers, 'Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan', had become a weekend fixture. "We'd wait the whole week to hear one Hindi song," Nirmala says. "Music was food for our souls." Sunday mornings became something to look forward to. Families gathered around the television with homemade food. "We'd make chole puri or aloo tikki. It felt nice, everybody sat enjoying together. "It got rid of the loneliness." Image source, Amrik Chand / Anil Kumar Bharath Image caption, Krishna, pictured in the early 1970s and today, recalls how early BBC programmes helped her settle into Britain at a time when language barriers made everyday life challenging Those same programmes meant just as much to Krishna Devi, who arrived in 1967 and lived in Harehills, another inner-city neighbourhood in Leeds. Krishna was also just 17 when she came from India, joining her husband and his family. "It wasn't easy," Krishna says. "We didn't understand English and they didn't understan