People's Democracy

UNITED KINGDOM

Extremists Attack IWA Meeting, Police Complacent

ON August 19, 2012, the Indian Workers’ Association Great Britain (IWA-GB) made an appeal to all the secular and democratic organisations, religious institutions, political parties and individuals in the United Kingdom and abroad to unite and unequivocally condemn the actions of extremist Khalistani elements that are once again rearing their ugly heads in Europe and North America.

On the night of Saturday, August 18, when the IWA-GB organised an event at the Ramgharia Community Centre in Coventry to celebrate the Independence Day of India, the celebration was attacked by masked thugs who wanted to prevent the celebrations.

Further, these thugs also complained that they had a difference of opinion with the committee constituted for running the said community centre and allowing bookings for social events where alcohol and meat could be served. These self-appointed but unrepresentative guardians of probity, some 50 plus in number, then pulled down the banner of the IWA and physically manhandled ten or so of the organisers, including three women and three senior citizens present on the occasion. Those manhandled by the goons also included elected municipal representatives from both the Labour and Conservative parties.

The attack continued unabated for nearly two hours. The role of the police was similar to the apathy shown during the disturbances in London last year. The three officers who eventually arrived almost an hour later, simply stood in the doorway while the masked thugs continued to provoke, intimidate, bully and manhandle the people who had legitimately gathered inside. The inability of the UK police to act, even with subsequent reinforcement, is puzzling and questionable. The fact that the organisers of a peaceful celebration were forced to vacate the premises and abandon the event while masked thugs were protected and allowed to occupy the centre-stage is surely, the IWAQ-GB said, unjust and could not be acceptable in any civil society.

When the hundreds of people, who would have otherwise attended the celebration, were denied entry to the venue, gathered outside, they expressed their outrage at this unprovoked attack. In a direct response to the ongoing provocative action for incitement by the extremist Khalistani thugs, to which the police remained oblivious, pro-Indian slogans and against separatism were raised by the patriotic members of the IWA. The police reacted by protecting the thugs while removing the organisers and participants of the celebration from the area.

Even when the few remaining members of the IWA were forced to move across the road from the venue, the police again reacted in an odd manner and forced the organisers, including councillors, former lord mayor of Coventry and the councillor chair of Police Committee, to leave the area so that the masked thugs could vacate the venue and go home.

The IWA-GB has categorically said that this unprovoked attack to prevent a peaceful celebration by patriotic Indian workers and their families was disturbing and reprehensible. It was the highest insult to the memories of all the martyrs of India’s freedom struggle, the centenary celebrations of the Ghadar Party, the martyrs like Kartar Singh Sarbha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Udham Singh, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the thousands of unnamed freedom fighters and the millions who lost their lives from India and Pakistan during the partition of 1947. According to the IWA-GB, this denial of an Independence Day celebration was a denial of freedom of speech by terrorists --- in a city which otherwise has a proud record of fight against fascism and which indeed is birth place of the IWA.

The IWA has informed that the gathering for the celebration was to hear a message from the president of India, conveyed through the consulate general of India in the United Kingdom, and to listen in person to Professor Jagmohan Singh, a prominent writer and direct descendant of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. The guests were also to assess the achievements and shortcomings of the 65 years of India’s Independence. They would also have celebrated Coventry’s marvellous contribution to the Olympics and the historic role of Lady Godiva. But this meant nothing to these extremists.

The association said communities across Britain needed to become aware and unite to oppose this menace of anti-social elements that would otherwise do untold damage to the credibility, integrity and reputation of hard working and law abiding Indian citizens living in Britain. It said it would continue to work together with people from all across the political spectrum to put a stop to this anarchy and fascist behaviour.

The IWA (GB) has been a community based representative body of Indian workers in Britain since 1938. It has been proud of its association with India and its people as well as the Indian workers living in Britain. It has been campaigning for racial and social equality and against all forms of discrimination while championing the rights of the working people in the UK.

The IWA statement was issued by Harsev Bains, Dyal Bagri, Avtar Jouhl, Balwant Herian, Ram Lakha, Raj Malhotra, Shira Johal and other representatives of the Indian community.