People's Democracy

      IWA Conference In Southhall

THE people of Indian origin living in Britain hailed the victory of the Left and democratic forces and the defeat of the communal forces in the recent elections to the lower house of the Indian parliament. They also reiterated their own commitment to build a broad secular, democratic and progressive Indian Workers’ Association in Britain (IWA-GB)

On July 4, 77 delegates, observers and guests, representatives of the Indian workers’ in Britain, assembled together at Southhall for the National Conference of IWA(GB). Delegates came from England and Scotland.

The conference began with Gurbux Sidhu welcoming the delegates followed by homage to martyrs and tributes to the recently departed comrades of the Indian Workers Association in Britain.

The national organising committee, in a very constructive and transparent manner, reported the achievements and areas for improvement. The delegates on their part unanimously agreed to strengthen the organisational structures and broaden the IWA’s base.

The conference resolved that IWA (GB) while maintaining solidarity actions and campaigns will focus on local and national issues affecting all people of Indian origin. It will increase its work with the trade unions and the Left and democratic forces in Britain. IWA will highlight the issue of fiancées and wives brought to Britain and then abandoned and made victims of domestic violence. The IWA will seek at least the minimum protection for these young women – the right for indefinite leave to remain in UK.

On the social and cultural fronts the organisation will step up the campaign to make elaborate and expensive weddings, dowry and receptions, which consigns people to a lifetime of debt and misery socially unacceptable.

Work among youth, women and the interests of disabled and old people will be made part of the main programme. IWA will demand an amnesty from the British government for all those migrants living outside the law as on May 1, 2004. 

CPI(M) general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who has been associated with the Indian workers in Britain for a long time and was the chief guest at the conference, was accorded a warm welcome. Surjeet in his intervention praised the work of the organisation and the cadre that has stood the test of time, during the break up of the Soviet Union and the unprecedented onslaught on progressive and socialist ideals, especially in the west. He explained in detail the international and national situation in India.

Later in the evening addressing a public meeting at the same venue, Surjeet said that all three aims of the election strategy of the CPI(M) – defeating the communal forces; increasing the strength of the CPI(M) and the Left and installing a secular government at the centre have been realised. Now that the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) has been agreed to, the need of the hour will be to ensure the full spirited implementation of the CMP.

The public meeting was also addressed by Andrew Murray, convener of the Stop the War Coalition. He acknowledged the work and active participation of the IWA (GB) in all mass activities to bring an end to the war in Iraq and support for a peaceful and sustainable solution for Palestine.

The contributions by other invited guests on issues ranging from solidarity with Cuba and an end to the economic blockade, illegal occupation of Iraq and the need to build working class movement in Britain were all greeted with thunderous applause.

Avtar Sadiq thanked the local organising committee and reflected on the glorious historic struggles by Indian workers in Southall.

The evening concluded with a memorable skit with scenes illustrating what had transpired on the eve of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom.

At the end of the conference the following office bearers were elected:

Dyal Bagri                           President           

Avtar Sadiq                         Vice President

Makhan Sandhu                Vice President

Harsev Bains                      General Secretary

Manjit Singh                       Asst. General Secretary

Sarwan Singh                        Finance Secretary

Parmjit Basi                         Cultural/Youth Secretary

Joginder Kaur                     Womens’ secretary

The newly elected central executive committee has pledged to build upon the work of the conference and further strengthen the bond of friendship and international working class solidarity.

(INN)