THEY CREMATED HIM on Saturday. The body of 18-yearold Gurdip Chaggar, stabbed to death by racists, was followed by thousands of mourners through Southall. To the end the Asian community's reformist leaders refused to back the militant youth - denying them the right to carry his coffin.
But things are changing. The 6,000 strong demonstration on the following day, 4 July, heard a unanimous call from these self same leaders for black self-defence. They have changed their tune. The impatience of the youth with the community leaders' line of reliance on the police, courts and Labour Government has threatened their positions.
The Labour Government will not act to halt the racist tide. Callaghan Southall Youth Movement militants headed funeral procession has been accused of being a racist by a former ministerial colleague. He has not even bothered to deny the charge. Michael Foot and Tony Benn will not speak out against the racists. The Labour Party National Executive Committee has put a block on participation by the Labour Party in counter demonstrations to the National Front.
To make quite clear the contempt in which he holds black MOVEMENT ments.
Photo: JOHN STURROCK (Report) Chaggar's mother with her son's body before the funeral people, Callaghan treated the delegation from the Asian Action Committee who visited him with childlike patronisations such as Do you know that you are now sitting in the very chair which Mr Healey sits in?' and other white sahib-type sentiBut the cloddish racialism of the Labour leadership is not the most serious aspect of their actions.
Accomodating completely to the demands of Enoch Powell and the Tories, they plan to reintroduce emergency measures including a register of all immigrant depend. ents, to step up the hunt in the fence. black communities for illegal immigrants, and further constrict the possibility of black people entering this country through the passing of the Nationality Bill.
All this is combined with massive increases in the tuition fees of overseas students and the choking off of further overseas students intake. The effect of these laws going through Parliament will further encourage the racists and fascists.
The Deptford council by-election saw the fascists poll more votes than the Labour candidate. The philistine Labour leaders will see in this a sign to introduce further measures to restrict immigration - not change their disastrous social and economic policies.
Their actions, like those of the Fleet Street gutter press are giving the racists and fascists a field day. They refuse to take the only princip led stand that will halt the racist surge - labour movement support for black self-defence as the first and necessary step to workers deThe building of anti-racist committees must go alongside mass mobilisations to deny the freedom of of the streets and platforms to racists and fascists. The witch hunt of the Labour Government against immigrants must be opposed, as part of the campaign to repeal all immigration laws.
This is the basis for the only black-white unity that really counts Fighting unity.
Red Weekly 8 July 1976
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INSIDE: * The roots of racism p. 2 * Stalinism in crisis pp. 6-7 * Portugal Forum pp. 8-9 'hoto: JOHN STURROCK (Report