Monday, August 8 2005 17:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Britain plans to rename its ethnic minorities as Indian-British or British-Asian rather than just 'Muslim' or 'Asian' to highlight their roots in the country, a move flayed by critics as a step backward that will create "racial ghettoes."

In order to strengthen and highlight their British roots, minorities could be described as "for example, Indian-British, Asian-British rather than simply as Asian," said Hazel Blears, the Home Office Minister.

The proposal by Blear, who heads a new Government commission on how better to integrate minorities, indicates the Government is taking seriously the claims that some second-generation Asians are finding it difficult to identify with either Britain or the country of their roots.

"I am going to talk to people and find out, how does that feel?" said the Minister. "It is about your identity, and I think it's really important."

"If you want a society that is really welded together, there are certain things that unite us because we are British," she said.

The proposals will be put to Muslim leaders in the next few weeks. But politicians and Muslim leaders dismissed the proposal last night as a step backwards, Times said.

Ghayasuddin Siddique, head of the Muslim Parliament, warned that identifying people by their ethnic background would create "racial ghettoes."

"Nobody cares for labels. We have to create a stake-holding society and an inclusive society. Unless you feel you have a stake in the society, you will never be proud of it," he said.