Documents and letters to the Indian Workers Association concerning the fight against...

This file contains a variety of correspondence; press statements; printed articles; publications; flyers; and press cuttings relating to immigration legislation; cases of racial discrimination and racist attacks on black and Asian people in Britain; and the rise of extreme right wing and fascist groups in Britain during the 1960s and 1970s, in a climate where mainstream political parties were formulating policies aimed at controlling immigration.
Letters are arranged in chronological order, with undated correspondence placed at the end of the sequence.

/1 letter from Town Clerk, County Borough of Smethwick, to Avtar Jouhl, making arrangements for receiving a deputation from residents of Vicarage Road in Smethwick, 6 November 1962
/2 printed copy of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962
/3 letter from the Home Office to Jagmohan Joshi acknowledging a request to receive a deputation from the Indian Workers Association, 25 February 1965
/4-/7 correspondence between Jagmohan Joshi and the Mayor of Smethwick, and the Chief Superintendent of Warwickshire Constabulary concerning a racist attack in Leamington Spa in which a fiery cross was nailed to the door of an Indian house, June 1965
/8 statement issued by the West Indian Standing Conference, the Indian Workers Association, Pakistani Workers Association, Co-ordinating Committee Against Racial Discrimination, and the Pakistani Welfare Association stating the reasons for the refusal of these organisations to participate in the formation of the Birmingham Advisory Council for Commonwealth Immigrants. This statement is undated, but is likely to have been issued around 1965
/9 letter from J. E. Crawford, Secretary of the Standing Conference of West Indian Organisations to Jagmohan Joshi discussing arrangements for his visit to Birmingham to discuss a planned lobby [of parliament] and to meet the leaders of 'West Indian', Indian and Pakistani movements to discuss ways of working together, 15 November 1965
/10 election flyer for the Conservative party candidate for Birmingham Perry Barr in the 1966 General Election, W. R. Davies. The flyer emphasises Davies' support for restricted immigration and the re-introduction of capital punishment
/11 copy letter, presumably from Jagmohan Joshi, objecting to remarks made by a member of an unidentified sports club about the participation of immigrants in the field of sports, 18 June 1966
/12-/24 correspondence concerning the arrangement of a meeting between members of the Indian Workers Association and David Ennals, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State at the Home Office, to discuss race relations and issues of racial discrimination faced by Asian migrants in Britain, April-September 1967
/25 file copy of an incomplete typescript notice issued by the 'New Britain Association for the Preservation of Britain' to the electors of Warley on the need to limit immigration, and referring to apparent attempts by Avtar Jouhl and the Indian Workers Association to discredit this right-wing group, March 1967
/26-/29 leaflets and photocopies of press cuttings relating to extreme right-wing political groups, including the British Movement and the National Anti-Immigration Society, 1968
/30-/32 correspondence between Jagmohan Joshi and Patricia de Joux, feature writer on 'The Times' newspaper, concerning an article on the question of integration which Joshi was concerned to note did not acknowledge the contribution made by Asian women to integration, February 1968
/33 press statement issued by Jagmohan Joshi, General Secretary, Central Executive Committee, on behalf of the Indian Workers Association (GB) condemning the racist speech made by Enoch Powell at a dinner in Walsall 9 February 1968 which included an attack on the Sikh community in the context of the struggle by Sikh bus conductors in Wolverhampton to retain their right to wear turbans at work, 15 February 1968
/34 parish newsletter of St George's church in Wolverhampton, including comments on Enoch Powell's speech, and explaining the benefits of living as part of an extended family, as is more common in Indian communities, 1968
/35 letter from the Legal Secretary of the Law Officers Department, Royal Courts of Justice, to Jagmohan Joshi concerning the case for taking criminal proceedings against Enoch Powell under the Race Relations Act 1965 over the speech made by Powell in Birmingham on 20 April 1968. The letter is dated 14 May 1968
/36-/38 letters and statements issued by the Socialist Union at the Guild of Undergraduates, University of Birmingham, to mobilise support for their campaign to prevent Enoch Powell from speaking at the University as a guest of the Politics department in June 1968
/39 printed pamphlet prepared by members of the Cultural Committee of the Birmingham Communist Party entitled 'Who is Enoch Powell', October 1968

/40-58 correspondence and associated material relating to the Prime Minister Harold Wilson's visit to Birmingham on 5 May 1968, and the arrest of several members of the Indian Workers Association at a demonstration organised to protest against Wilson's support for American aggression in Vietnam and his willingness to tolerate racism. These papers include:

/40 flyers issued by Aston Socialist Society to mobilise support for the demonstration at Birmingham Town Hall
/41 press statement issued by the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) condemning the actions of the police in arresting the leaders of the Indian Workers Association and others after the demonstration
/42-/43 letters of support from the President of the University of Birmingham Guild of Undergraduates and Jack Shapiro prior to court action taken by the police against Jagmohan Joshi and other members of the Indian Workers Association
/44-/47 copy letters to witnesses asking them to attend the Victoria Law Courts to give evidence
/48 letter from David Ennals, Home Office Minister, to Donald Chapman, MP [for Birmingham Northfield], discussing police actions at the demonstration at Birmingham Town Hall during Harold Wilson's visit on 5 May 1968 and refuting criticisms made by Jagmohan Joshi of police aggression towards black and Asian demonstrators. The letter is dated 22 July 1968
/49 open letter from Jagmohan Joshi explaining the sequence of events at the 5 May 1968 demonstration, from the point of view of the Indian Workers Association
/50 letter to the Home Secretary expressing concern about the rejection of the representation made by the Indian Workers Association through Donald Chapman, MP to hold an enquiry into alleged police brutalities against some of its members during a demonstration at the time of Harold Wilson's visit to Birmingham on 5 May 1968. The letter is signed by representatives of a number of black and Asian organisations
/51 letter from the Home Office to the Petition Committee led by Jagmohan Joshi giving reasons for the rejection of the request of the Indian Workers Association for an enquiry to be held into police behaviour during the Prime Minister's visit to Birmingham on 5 May, 1968. The letter is dated 16 September 1968
/52 letter from the Chief Constable of Birmingham City Police to the Petition Committee led by Jagmohan Joshi, concerning allegations of police brutality at the 5 May demonstration, 23 September 1968
/53 detailed witness statements by some of the protestors who attended the demonstration, including members of the Indian Workers Association and other protestors and bystanders
/54-/55 correspondence from Tony Smythe, National Council for Civil Liberties, to Jagmohan Joshi, discussing the need for black and Asian organisations to build up case histories of instances of police brutality in order to expose the inadequacies of the current police complaints procedures, October 1968
/56 letter from Reg Birch to Jagmohan Joshi enclosing a donation towards Joshi's legal costs, 3 October 1968
/57-/58 letters from Tony Smythe, National Council for Civil Liberties, to Jagmohan Joshi and K. S. Sanghera, Secretary of the Birmingham branch of the Indian Workers Association enclosing copies of a letter from the Chief Constable of Birmingham City Police concerning the police investigation regarding complaints against officers behaviour on 5 May 1968, and referring to evidence from citizens, December 1968

/59 letter from the Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Jagmohan Joshi in reply to a letter concerning the refusal of applications from black and Asian workers for tax relief, 24 October 1968
/60-/62 correspondence between Jagmohan Joshi and a Pakistani man living in Nottingham who had written a letter to Enoch Powell, extracts from which had been printed in the 'Nottingham Evening Post' to imply that he supported Powell. A copy of this letter is included in the correspondence, December 1968. These items have been closed under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 until 2049 because they contain sensitive information about the views of individuals
/63 from a graduate from Birmingham University who is finding it difficult to gain employment, enquiring about the possibility of putting his case to the Race Relations Board, 2 December 1968.
/64-/77 letters sent to Joanne Pinto, an African Caribbean nurse who threw coffee over Enoch Powell during his visit to Nottingham, and to Jagmohan Joshi in the aftermath of Enoch Powell's speeches in Birmingham and elsewhere. The majority of these letters contain racist abuse, but there are also a small number of letters of support. This correspondence is closed under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 until 2049 because they contain sensitive personal information about the political views of individuals
/78 letter from the Home Office to Jagmohan Joshi concerning arrangements for the delivery of a petition, 4 March 1969
/79 briefing leaflet issued by the Socialist Unity Movement for a Black and White Unity Mobilisation demonstration to be held in Wolverhampton, including details about the route of the march and the slogans to be used. This leaflet is undated, but it refers to the actions of Enoch Powell over the previous year, suggesting a date of around 1969
/80 composite report compiled by Surjit Singh Mann, Sarwan Singh Sahota and Narinder Dusanj, members of a section of the Indian Workers Association opposed to the views and policies of the group led by Jagmohan Joshi and Avtar Jouhl, giving an account of events at a unity demonstration held in Birmingham 23 March 1969 to protest against government restrictions on male fiances of women living in Britain entering the country. The report gives details about the groups participating in the demonstration and some of the slogans used. It also refutes connections with the Black Peoples' Alliance
/81-/82 correspondence between Jim Murray, 'Man Alive Unit' at the BBC, and Jagmohan Joshi, discussing the attendance of representatives from the Indian Workers Association at an outside broadcast to discuss the relationship between Indians and the police in Britain, at which they were not given the opportunity to speak, May 1970
/83 leaflet issued by the Pakistani Workers Union, Alum Rock branch, giving information about a protest meeting held in B.C.S Assembly room, Alum Rock, Birmingham, 3 May 1970 to discuss the increasing racial violence against Pakistanis living in Britain, and the need to organise self defence groups in the absence of police action to protect members of Pakistani communities
/84 leaflet issued by the Pakistani Workers Union giving information about a demonstration to be held in London, 3 May [1970] against racist violence against Indian and Pakistani people in Britain
/85 programme for an anti-fascist exhibition entitled 'The Faces of Fascism', organised by the Birmingham Anti-Fascist Committee to show the historical development of fascism from the 1930s to 1970. The programme includes the names of speakers and music performers at the exhibition, including the Clarion Singers and other folk groups
/86 leaflet issued on behalf of the Indian Workers Association; Pakistani Workers Union; Afro-Caribbean organisations; Black Peoples Alliance and its affiliated organisations, giving information about a demonstration against the Immigration Bill, held in London 21 March 1971
/87 typescript copy of a protest note handed to 10 Downing Street and the Home Office on behalf of the Indian Workers Association; Pakistani Workers Union; Afro-Caribbean organisations; Black Peoples Alliance and its affiliated organisations. The note condemns the Immigration Bill and demands its immediate withdrawal
/88 leaflet issued by Asia Society, Aston University, supported by Arab Society, Islamic Society and R. S. Society giving information about an open meeting at Aston University to support the fight against the Immigration Bill, 8 March 1971 with speakers including Jagmohan Joshi, Tony Huq, President of the Pakistani Workers Association, and others, ahead of the national demonstration to protest against the Bill in March
/89 open letter to working class and revolutionary youth groups issued by the Schools Action Union discussing reasons for the rise in fascism in capitalist societies and inviting delegates to a preliminary meeting to organise an Anti-Fascist Youth Conference, November 1971
/90 leaflet issued by the All Nationals Workers Committee setting out reasons to oppose the Immigration Act 1971
/91 copy letter from Avtar Jouhl to the Home Secretary concerning the arrest of an Indian worker under the Immigrants Act 1971, October 1973. This item is closed under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 until 2054 because it contains sensitive personal information about an individual
/92-/93 correspondence between Avtar Jouhl and Mitchells & Butlers Limited brewery concerning a case of racial discrimination towards a group of Indian customers at a public house in Smethwick, October 1975
/94 typescript protest letter handed to 10 Downing Street on behalf of people demonstrating against racism in Britain, 11 July 1976, written by Jagmohan Joshi, Convenor of the Anti-Racialism National Demonstration Committee. Threatening slogans against Joshi have been written on this letter in an anonymous hand
/95 typescript article probably written by a member of a Christian organisation about the rise of the National Front in Britain, and the need for Churches to condemn the racism of extreme right-wing groups and to speak out about the anti-Christian character of these groups
/96 photocopied pages from 'Economic and Political Weekly' containing articles by Farrukh Dhondy on racist violence against black and Asian people living in Britain, 21 August 1976
/97 statement issued by the Anti-Imperialist Society on the need to fight racial discrimination against overseas students at Birmingham Polytechnic, 1978
/98 flyer issued by the Steering Committee of Asian Organisations Against Racialism to defend the right of Asian people to defend themselves, and to gather support for members of the Virk family who were imprisoned in 1978 for defending themselves against a group of white attackers
/99 Minutes of the Steering Committee meeting of the Newham Anti-Nazi League held 15 June 1978
/100 election flyer for the Conservative party candidate for Birmingham Ladywood in the 1979 General Election, expressing support for tighter immigration controls
/101 flyer issued by the Anti-Nazi League urging people to donate to the organisation following an arson attack on their offices, and the continuing activities of the National Front, circa 1979
/102 letter from the Steering Committee of Asian Organisations Against Racialism to the General Secretary of the Indian Workers Association asking the organisation to attend a demonstration in front of the Royal Courts of Justice 7 June 1979 to protest against the discriminatory treatment of black people by the police, in the context of the court case against members of the Virk family following their actions to prevent a racist attack on their lives, 12 May 1979
/103 letter from the Abdul Azad Defence Committee concerning the detention of Abdul Azad following the murder of his mother, and his likely deportation on the grounds that he was an 'illegal immigrant', June 1979
/104-/106 letters and statements issued by the Revolutionary Communist Tendency, 21 July Organising Committee, relating to a national demonstration to be held to picket Harmondsworth Detention Centre, Heathrow on 21 July 1979. These papers include a motion for Trade Union branches and other Labour Movement organisations resolving to campaign against immigration controls and the increased repression of ethnic minorities and the working class
/107 flyer for a demonstration against immigration controls held at Harmondsworth Detention Centre, Heathrow, 21 July 1979, organised by the Revolutionary Communist Tendency and supported by the Bengali Youth Front; Newham Defence Committee; Indian Workers Progressive Forum and Trade Unions
/108 copy of 'CAIL News', newsletter of the Campaign Against the Immigration Laws, number 3, Autumn 1979, containing news stories about cases of attempts to deport black and Asian people under the terms of the 1971 Immigrants Act. The newsletter includes an item about the dropping of charges against Abdul Azad
/109 letter from Leamington Anti-Racist Anti-Fascist Committee making arrangements to discuss unidentified matters, 2 September 1979
/110 newspaper cutting from 'The Times of India' 26 November 1979 consisting of a photograph of a demonstration against Britain's 'increasingly racist' immigration policy by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights outside the British High Commission in New Delhi
/111 pamphlet entitled 'Passport to Racism: A Critique of the Conservative Government's White Paper on British Nationality Law' by Rudy Narayan, 1 September 1980

Undated material consists of:

/112 letter from Maureen Baker, Movement for Colonial Freedom, to Jagmohan Joshi asking for a representative from the Indian Workers Association to attend a meeting of a standing committee on racial discrimination organised by the Movement for Colonial Freedom
/113 leaflet issued by the Socialist Unity Movement, Wolverhampton entitled 'The Truth about the 'Ash Tree' Affair', containing information about a case of racial discrimination at a public house in Wolverhampton and the campaign of the Indian Workers Association for the boycott of these premises
/114 open letter from 'Vigil' addressed to Members of Parliament, inviting them to St Margaret's Church, Westminster for a presentation of the personal histories of immigrants and a speech by Ann Dummett of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
/115 letter from Walsall Council for Community Relations to Avtar Jouhl inviting members of the Indian Workers Association to a conference on Third World Workers in the NHS
/116 statement issued by the Indian Workers Association about the activities of some Indian Workers Association members in confronting National Front activists in West Bromwich

Part of this file is closed under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 until 2050 because it contains personal information about an individual. The remainder of the file is available for consultation. Remove marked 'closed' items before serving.