Thousands of people gathered at the British House of Commons (British Parliament), near the residence of the British Prime Minister on Downing Street at the start of a militant march to the Indian High Commission in Holborn, London.
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The march, which took place on the eve of founding of the Indian Republic, on 25th January, was organised by a coalition of organizations to demand that the Indian government immediately repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act which links citizenship to religion. The people participating in the march also demanded that the Modi government publicly withdraw its decision to organise an All India National Register of Citizens.
The protest started with militant slogans and condemnation of CAA and NRC Representatives of participating organisations and community leaders addressed the rally held near the residence of the British Prime Minister.
Addressing the people participating in the protest rally on behalf of the Indian Workers Association, Comrade Dalvinder said:
“First of all on behalf of Indian Workers Association (GB) I would like to say that we utterly condemn the passing of this fascist law named CAA by the Indian Parliament. We condemn the compilation of NRC and the NPR. The single aim of the Indian state controlled by the 150 biggest monopoly houses, at the present moment, is to divide the people on the basis of religion. They have singled out the people of Muslim faith for their attack. We have no doubt that at other times they will not hesitate to attack the people of different faiths, castes, trade unionists, communists, human rights activists as well in order to continue with the policy of “divide and rule” inherited from the British colonialists.
“The Indian government of BJP led by the duo of Modi and Amit Shah is following in the footsteps of US and British imperialism. They are spreading islamophobia, that the Muslims are the terrorists and the source of all the problems in the world. The fact is that US imperialism is the fountain head of terrorism in the world. US has been launching the wars of occupation against those who do not agree with its dictate to establish its undisputed domination in the world. And the Indian government is helping in this by promoting the same islamophobia in India.
“Comrades and friends, I am standing here in this place about 350 yards or so from the British House of Commons, where Mr Narinder Modi praised this establishment and said how proud he was about the common history of India and the Britain, how a model of Westminster democracy had been established in India. Standing here today, I would like to say that it is this so-called Mother of parliamentary democracy that has been responsible for millions of crimes, murders, loot and hunger not only in India but also in nearly one quarter of the world. It is the model for the capitalist governments in countries, like India, on how to pull the wool over the eyes of ordinary people while doing its utmost to maximise the wealth of those who are already most wealthy.
“So comrades and friends, we have to take the words of those who tell us how great a democracy Britain is and how India is the biggest democracy in the world with a pinch of salt. These Parliaments are the places where representatives of the monopoly capitalists discuss how to best implement the agenda of the monopolies, how to sell their agenda to the people.
“So today on behalf of Indian Workers Association, I call upon all of you to not have any illusions about the British or Indian democracy. We call upon you to raise your voice against the citizenship law passed in Indian parliament and in support of our brothers and sisters, youth and students, and millions of working people, intelligentsia, human rights activists who are braving the laathis, bullets, tear gas and water cannons of police and the goondas of the establishment. We salute the ladies of Shaheen Bagh, we salute the students and staff of AMU, JNU, JMI and other universities for their bravery and courage in the struggle against this fascist law. We are with you and we will be with you all the way. Finally, I salute all of you who came all the way from different places from all across Britain to participate in this historic protest against this fascist law. Inquilab Zindabaad.”
Speaking on behalf of the Ghadar International, Comrade Salvinder pointed out that people were demanding Azadi from the oppressive Indian State. He saluted the students for fearlessly resisting the attacks of the Indian state. Students are demanding freedom from exploitation stemming from policies of privatization of education. They are demanding free quality education as a basic right. They are demanding jobs as a fundamental right. Workers are demanding freedom from the exploitation of their labour and robbery of India’s natural resources which is being carried out to boost the profits of monopoly capitalists of India in collaboration with foreign capitalists. Peasants are demanding freedom from debt and from robbery by profiteering wealthy middlemen.
Comrade Salvinder applauded the people for unitedly fighting against the attacks on dalits and other oppressed sections of the Indian people. He expressed confidence that the time was not far when the people of India will unify all their struggles against the oppressive Indian State and bring real azadi to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of the patriots of the Ghadar Party and martyrs such as Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and all their comrades. The tidal wave of struggle will sweep away this barbaric system and bring real azadi through inquilab, so that the wealth produced by working masses of India is used for continuously raising their material and cultural standards. A system ensuring the well-being of the majority and in which workers and other toiling sections are the decision makers and are masters of their own destiny. At the end of his speech thousands of protestors joined him in raising the slogan of Inquilab Zindabad!
Those who organised the protest rally included the Indian Muslim Federation (U.K), Muslim Association of Britain, South Asia Solidarity Group, Indian Workers Association, Ghadar International, Tamil People in UK, Castewatch UK, Kashmir Solidarity Movement, Malayali Muslims and Newham Muslim Alliance.