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(Asian Unit producers: Yosuf Aziz, Waseem Mahmood, Krishan Gould and Bish Mehay. Seated is Ashok Rampal, the executive producer.)
“It is with great sadness that I learn of the passing of my old colleague, Bish Mehay. I shared an office with him for six years and learnt so much from him. It is a sobering thought that of the original producers of the BBC Asian Programmes Unit in this picture, only I remain. It is a shame that the pioneering work that these men did for Asian broadcasting in UK in the 70’s and 80’s has been largely overlooked and lost in the annals of history. The contribution of Ashok Rampal, Krishen Gould, Yosuf Aziz and Bish Mehay has to be recognised and acknowledged. The programmes we made Asian Magazine on BBC1, Gharbar on BBC 2 and Make Yourself at Home on Radio 4 were a staple part of life for the majority of Asians at that time. It is these men who laid the foundations and opened the doors for all of us in the media today.”
Waseem Mahmood