A MEMORIAL meeting memory of Jim Masters, who died last December, will held on Friday 20 April at 7.30pm.
Jim was an active revolutionary for all his adult life. Starting political work in the Communist Party, he later SUCHE years Socialist Labour League and then Workers Socialist in About two years became an independent milibe tant. This wasn't a retreat into passivity. He openly supported the non-sectarian project of Socialist Challenge in a letter in the early issues.
But his main priority was always support for the struggle the of the Irish people. In practice this meant working with the Prisoners Aid defending the Irish prisoners ago, he of war.
Sadly, despite
contributions he was making to the movement, he unable to overcome what used to call the "frenzy within", and in December last year he finished his own life.
Friends and comrades of Jim are gathering this Friday, Committee Conway Hall to honour memory.
FOR much Britain's population, the immigration laws that the Labour leaders want to maintain Tories HaVe toughen mean the permanent fear of a midnight visit from the police, followed by detention without trial or the right of appeal, and then deportation if the authorities consider that the person is an 'illegal' immigrant Since the Immigration became law, over 5,000 people have been held for deportation. One of those is 17-year-old Abdul Azad, arrested at WOrK In on the dav his mother was murdered. The police claim that blood tests show he is not the son of his Dal CHILs This is Abdul's story. It is just one of the thousands cole be although this one has a difference. The campaign to defend Abdul has so far prevented his deportation.
On 4 October, a Wednesday, I 1.20pm cousin. I went off to work in the van. At about 9.30pm the foreman called me and said, 'Go downstairs". I went. There were two policemen waiting. said, What happened?' 'Your mum is dead', and they took me to the police station, saying they had to ask me some questions.
I was crying till about midnight. I couldn't believe it. I saw my mum that very morning. She asked me to go a bit late because my browner was cryng.
The police started questioning me on the Thursday morning visit our house, ete. They swore at me called me "black bastard' and said I had smashed the window of the cell. They kept me all day in the cell. Once they came in to take my photograph and Fingerprints. I asked, They had given me nothing to eat all day. They searched me again and again.
They let me go on Thursday night but they came back on Friday morning at 9.45am and said "Come with us for a while'. And then they questioning me, all about my sister's address, ete. answered them. said I was a liar: Black bastard, you're Socialist Challenge 19 April 1979 page 8 telling lies!"
black promised LO allowed to see anyone.
Act throw them outside.
who was Oldham last confused.
went normal that morning. the told, SRIRIPE saying remember when, they would hit me more.
myself and my US AIES me sign the paper.
noticed that and said, They said, which people months without trial.
was on 19 March.
Will you let me police station.
haven't seen body even for once.
go through all these unjust pains, instead of trying to get SANCE They They pulled my hair, pushed around, and then threw me in the cell. I said, 'I want to go home". They didn't let me. They didn't let me eat anything on Friday either .They wanted to see my little brother and said I won't be On the Saturday night, for the first time, they brought me some chips.1 had no water or tea to drink. hev fore my hair...handfuls of hair. They had to I was very scared. I wept. I asked them, "Why are you hitting me?'. They made no answer...just kept hitting me.
My head was swimming. felt sick and my stomach hurt with pain. I could not make out wrong...everything WaLS Friday onwards, they i ney are your parents'. Saturday or Sunday, I can't made me sign a paper. They said if I didn't sign, they At about one o'clock in the night, three of then came. One looked like a boss. He said, 'Kill him!'.... was hit so much I felt sick. Then they took me They hit me again and made search It was probably Sunday or Monday. I was swaying. One of the police bosses that a •What's wrong with you?' I said, I've had nothing to eat. He got me some chips and peas.
That's how it went till 14 October, the tenth day, when they let me see my father, for the first time, for ten ol fifteen minutes. The next day they took old house to question me.
They hit me and then took me first to Manchester Airport and then to Risley. That's where I was held for months and temporarily relegser from Risley three times, the last time Now I have to report at the local against musinces died. They didn't let me see her dead I can't understand why they made me Abdul Azad was due to be deported on 16 March, but mobilisation by the Bengali community in Oldham, othe Asians, and anti-racists put a stop to that. An 80-strong picket Remand centre in Cheshire on March secured Abdul's release from the centre the following day, but that like the lifting of the deportation order itself - is only temporary.
When 300 marched through Oldham on 24 March, led by Abdul and his father, the chant was: 'Here to stay. here to fight. Hands off Abdul Azad!
The march did more than call for the withdrawal of the deportation order — it demanded the scrapping of immigration laws. Labour's candidate in Oldham, Michael Meacher, has not gone along with that. the Abdul's case - provided his parentage proven. Otherwise, considers, he should be treated like any other 'illegal' immigrant.
Meacher, Tribunite, no condemns the violence that Azad received at the hands of the police. He may not approve of the house-to-house throughout the Bengali community in the Oldham area by the police in their not for the murderer of Abdul's mother - but for 'illegal' immigrants. He may not be too happy search was made of all the Bengalis' employment records.
Unfortunately, the Tories will have difficulty in justifying activities in the hallowed name of the Immigration Acts. After all, how else could these laws be implemented?
*Firm immigration control for the future is essential if we are to achieve good community relations, the Tory manifesto declares. It is not racism that is to be confronted, but the rights of black people with a severity that is heralded by Labour's own policies, although not quite matched by them.
The Tories regar migrams immigrants overstayers'. While they compulsory repatriation -advocated by the National Front they will 'help those immigrants who genuinely wish to leave this country'.
By 'immigrants' Tories referring to black people who have made Britain their home, quite apart from those who were born here. And we can be certain that racists and the police would be more than willing to help them make up their minds to leave. 1s a first ire on ly will have a word to say about the real reasons why blacks come to Britain; that Britain's ensuree mate countries are still tied to the capitalist West, making poverty the norm.
areas where a Thatcher government will make Labour's policies that much more tough and oppressive: by introducing a register of all those settlement; ending the 'concession' of the allowing husbands and male fiancés to come Britain; restricting' the issue of work permits. supports but it is along the same path. Work Meacher permits are a good example. A year ago these were ended for unskilled migrants in hotels and catering, as a result of doubt pressure. The Abdul should ask the Garners workers who have been on strike for 16 months what they think about this 3N 20C measure.
Instead of policies to unemployment, low pay, and the need for unionisation, the labour leaders scapegoat people responsibility for the crisis economic interests of just one small section of society: the bosses. these immigration laws. remain on the statute books, people and not the identified as a 'problem'.
Manchester is showing how the issue of the immigration laws can be taken up during the conjunction with the Abdul Defence Committee, meetings in Tameside, Oldham, and Ardwick to demand the scrapping of and the Immigration Acts. reject the policy Sunday, 29 April, at which the speakers will be Colin Barnett, secretary of the North-west TUC; Mr Khan, president of the Oldham Bangladeshis; representatives from Bradford Asian Youth and the ANL Andrews Hall, Winterbottom Street off Middleton Road, Oldham.
step to compulsory None of the main political parties pranace or as colonies economies of these The Tory manifesto identifies other entitled to and "severely The Tories go further than Labour, London labour leaders restaurant London confront who have no ol ar system tailored to the It is not a question of liberalising the So long as they black Unity. system will be The Anti Nazi League in Greater campaign.
Azad is holding A rally will be held in Oldham on council and April.
The rally begins at 4.30pm at St Confronting the Front FRONT leaders Martin Webster John Tyndall, who are standing in constituencies. will receiving a welcome they don't when they plan to speak at pi meetings in London over the next days. This is the line up.
Wandsworth, 18 April, ANL S mobilisation. Asser 5.30pm opposite Battersea Town I Lavender Hill, SW11.
Islington, 20 April, ANL N London mobilisation. 6.30pm ou Islington Town Hall, Upper Street Thirty of Islington's Labour c cillors are signing a petition deman that the NF is not allowed to hol meeting in the town hall.
Southall, 22 April. Demonstra against the NF meeting the follo day, backed by a large number of A organisations, the ANL and Soc It begins at 1pm, at the Domi cinema car park, The Green, Sout On 23 April, a general strike in the has been called to begin at 1pm, mass sit-down to start at 5pm ou Southall Town Hall, in the Broad Coventry Carnival By Will Reese PLANS to hold an anti-racict cart in Coventry last year had to cancelled when the Tory-contr refused to grant a ce venue. But with support from Labour group on the council, we support for a carnival this year o The trades council has agree
cialist