THE national conference of the Indian Workers’ Association (Great Britain), one of the oldest NRI organisations, took place in Derby on September 11. Delegates from across the UK assembled to discuss and deliberate upon the report presented by Joginder Kaur on behalf of the Central Executive Committee of IWA (GB). The conference was organised in a hall dedicated to all the founders of the Association. Derby is home to the former national president of IWA (GB), late Prem Singh Perdesi, and the incumbent national general secretary Joginder Kaur Bains.

The report presented in the conference highlighted key achievements of IWA and identified the ongoing and future tasks. From the successful withdrawal of visa bonds, exposure of divisive racial profiling in the London mayoral election and easing of restrictions imposed on non-EU nurses with arbitrary levels of IELTS scores to the scandalous treatment of students accused of deception and fraud for English testing when extending their visa. The latter is now under the scrutiny of the Home Affairs Committee. The government has appealed against the recent Upper Tribunal ruling on TOEIC effected students. This travesty of justice has affected over 48,000 non-EU students, mainly from the Indian sub-continent. The IWA is supporting the campaign for justice for the students. House of Commons Lobby, facilitated by Virendra Sharma, MP for Southall Ealing, will take place on October 18.

The IWA awaits the decision on the popular campaign against the unethical, discriminatory immigration legislation of minimum income threshold. This has been set at around fifty per cent higher than the national minimum wage for sponsoring a spouse from outside the EU. The images from mass demonstrations against war, austerity, communalism and TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) illustrated the dynamic character of the IWA as an organisation responsive to the concrete realities of the Indian working people in Britain.

The conference endorsed the call for lifting the ban on the Leslee Udwin directed documentary film India’s Daughter by the Indian government.  The IWA will step up its campaign on gender equality and for rights of women -- from the right to be born to an equal right to inheritance. The association will draft proposals to increase its interaction with the youth, listening and responding to their specific needs. The ongoing work with students and the cultural activities have provided encouragement to the breakthrough in the generation barrier. The IWA is supporting the initiatives by existing broad-based cultural organisations, like the Progressive Writers Association, Chethna and Progressive Malayali Society in the battle of ideas. This is in direct response to the murder, intimidation and silencing of rational academics and intellectuals opposed to the obscurantist Hindutva agenda.   

The delegates expressed their anger and disbelief that after almost 70 years of Independence, citizens of India, particularly from the minority communities, still have to provide evidence of patriotic allegiance. The IWA took serious note of the increase in the attacks against the Dalit community with daily reports of murder and rape. These regular incidents have desensitised the people to this barbaric behaviour by self-appointed custodians for cow protection. The IWA reaffirms its solidarity with the Dalit community and the militant youth struggling against oppression and social injustice in India and in the UK.

In reviewing the outcome of the European Referendum, the conference decided to ensure that the verdict by the people should be respected. An alternative proposal for the future direction for Britain outside the EU should be projected by the Left and progressive forces. The IWA as one of the oldest migrant organisations in Britain expressed its solidarity with the Polish Community and other BME communities subjected to vile racist propaganda and physical attacks. The conference concluded by electing a new Central Executive Committee. It reaffirmed its faith in the leadership by re-electing Dyal Bagri as National President and Joginder Kaur as National General Secretary.  The conference also passed two resolutions on the Kashmir situation and in solidarity with the Polish Community in UK.

On Kashmir

The national conference of the Indian Workers’ Association (GB) extends its fraternal solidarity to the people of Kashmir. We call for an immediate end to the firing of pellet guns by the Army aimed at Indian citizens democratically protesting against the government’s policies. Over 80 people, mostly youths, have been killed, over 400 blinded and 1,200 plus seriously injured. The Government of India must take immediate action to end the state repression and the use of pellet guns. Only then conditions can be created for a political dialogue. The government must restore confidence among the youth of Kashmir by implementing the steps suggested by the all-party parliamentary group and work towards a lasting political solution.

The government and its institutions should not treat Indian citizens as aliens to their own country. After nearly seventy years of Independence with 3^rd/4^th generation of Indians born to a free India, if there is still a need to demonstrate patriotism and allegiance, then we have surely failed as a nation. No amount of sloganeering or national jingoism is going to fix the problem. India today requires the political will for understanding, genuine empathy, rational thought and a desire for change for the greater good for the Republic of India.

In Solidarity with the Polish Community in UK

The national conference of the Indian Workers’ Association (GB) extends its militant solidarity with Polish migrants in the UK.  The people originating from Poland have come under increasing attacks from right wing groups. Following the EU referendum, racist graffiti have been painted outside a Polish Community Centre in London and cards with ‘No More Polish Vermin’ posted through targeted letter boxes.

Young children have been subjected to racial abuse. According to reports from the Cambridge News, a number of cards saying “Leave the EU/No more Polish Vermin” written in both English and Polish were found outside St Peter’s school in Huntingdon by teaching assistants and students, including an 11-year-old Polish child, who reported they made him feel “really sad”. Other reported incidents include Polish women told to get packing and leave. A Polish worker at an airport quizzed why he was still working here. Children at schools told they should no longer be here.

Similar to the Indian Diaspora in the UK, a significant section of the Polish community is third and fourth generation of British-born Poles living and working in the UK. The IWA (GB) condemns this vile racist language and the awful hate motivated attacks on the Polish and BME communities. We call upon the government and the Home office to take the strongest possible action against the perpetrators of racial attacks and to desist from using inflammatory language.(