Harpal Brar
Encyclopedia
Harpal Brar is an India
n-born communist politician, writer and businessman based in Britain
.
Born in Muktsar
, Punjab
, British India
, Brar has lived and worked in Britain since 1962, first as a student and lecturer in law at Harrow College of Higher Education
(later merged into the renamed University of Westminster
), and later in the textile business. He is noted for his anti-revisionist positions describing the Soviet project of collectivisation and industrialisation under Joseph Stalin
as the working class's willing "forgo(ing of) consumption in order to build the mighty Soviet state" and other Stalinist policies.
but soon left to become a founder member of a small group of "anti-revisionists", the Association of Communist Workers
, as well as being a member of the Association of Indian Communists.
He and his comrades officially dissolved the ACW in 1997 in order to join Arthur Scargill
's Socialist Labour Party
, a breakaway from the Labour Party
after its abandonment of the original version of Clause IV
, though the group continued as an active faction within the SLP. This led to the Indian Workers Association severing its links with Lalkar. Brar and his comrades worked to bring what they described as an Anti-Revisionist
Marxist-Leninist programme to the SLP, but were eventually expelled seven years later.
After Scargill expelled the entire Yorkshire Regional Committee and five members of the National Executive Committee without due process and for what Brar's supporters claim was for attempting to engage in serious debate as opposed to petty personal politicking, a number of SLP activists resigned from the party. From this nucleus, in July 2004, the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
was formed, and Brar was elected as its chairman.
he claims that the USSR abandoned the project of socialism and accuses Stalin of laying the foundations of Krushevite revisionism. Despite this, he is seen as an unapologetic admirer of Stalin and by some as an anachronism and somewhat controversial figure. He, along with his daughter Joti Brar, is an active member of the Stalin Society
, the website of which contains articles denying Soviet wrongdoing in the Katyn Massacre
, the Ukrainian Famine (Holodomor
), and the Moscow trials
which they blame on the Nazis, dismiss as propaganda, or describe as fair process, respectively.
. He has also contributed to broadcasts on Press TV
on the politics of the Indian sub-continent.
Since 1992, Brar has published eight books on various aspects of Marxism, imperialism and revisionism. These works are a combination of original material and articles previously published in Lalkar and have been translated and distributed internationally by a number of sympathetic communist parties around the world.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born communist politician, writer and businessman based in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Born in Muktsar
Muktsar
Sri Muktsar Sahib is a city and a municipal council in Sri Muktsar Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab. Sri Muktsar Sahib's historical name was Khidrane dee dhab .-Demographics: India census, Sri Muktsar Sahib has a population of 3,96,030...
, Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
, British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, Brar has lived and worked in Britain since 1962, first as a student and lecturer in law at Harrow College of Higher Education
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
(later merged into the renamed University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
), and later in the textile business. He is noted for his anti-revisionist positions describing the Soviet project of collectivisation and industrialisation under Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
as the working class's willing "forgo(ing of) consumption in order to build the mighty Soviet state" and other Stalinist policies.
Political activities
Brar joined the Maoist Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist LeagueRevolutionary Marxist-Leninist League
The Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League was a small Maoist political party in Britain.The group was founded in 1968 by a group of students around Abihimanyu Manchandra. It participated in the Joint Committee of Communists, but suffered the split of the Association of Communist Workers around...
but soon left to become a founder member of a small group of "anti-revisionists", the Association of Communist Workers
Association of Communist Workers
The Association of Communist Workers was an anti-revisionist political party in the United Kingdom.It originated in 1969 as a split from the Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League around Harpal Brar. Initially regarded as Maoist, it spent time working in the women's movement through its "Union of...
, as well as being a member of the Association of Indian Communists.
He and his comrades officially dissolved the ACW in 1997 in order to join Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill is a British politician who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1982 to 2002, leading the union through the 1984–85 miners' strike, a key event in British labour and political history...
's Socialist Labour Party
Socialist Labour Party (UK)
The Socialist Labour Party is a far left socialist political party in the United Kingdom. The party is led by former trade union leader Arthur Scargill, who established it in 1996 as a breakaway from the Labour Party...
, a breakaway from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
after its abandonment of the original version of Clause IV
Clause IV
Clause IV historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the British Labour Party constitution which set out the aims and values of the party. Before its revision in 1995, its application was the subject of considerable dispute.-Text:...
, though the group continued as an active faction within the SLP. This led to the Indian Workers Association severing its links with Lalkar. Brar and his comrades worked to bring what they described as an Anti-Revisionist
Anti-Revisionist
In the Marxist–Leninist movement, anti-revisionism refers to a doctrine which upholds the line of theory and practice associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, and usually either Mao Zedong or Enver Hoxha as well...
Marxist-Leninist programme to the SLP, but were eventually expelled seven years later.
After Scargill expelled the entire Yorkshire Regional Committee and five members of the National Executive Committee without due process and for what Brar's supporters claim was for attempting to engage in serious debate as opposed to petty personal politicking, a number of SLP activists resigned from the party. From this nucleus, in July 2004, the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Great Britain is a British communist party which has a close relationship with the Workers' Party of Korea.-History:The party was founded on July 3, 2004 in London...
was formed, and Brar was elected as its chairman.
Ideology
Brar defends the governments and leaders of the USSR up until 1951, when they contributed to and approved the first draft of the British Road to Socialism. Two years before the death of Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
he claims that the USSR abandoned the project of socialism and accuses Stalin of laying the foundations of Krushevite revisionism. Despite this, he is seen as an unapologetic admirer of Stalin and by some as an anachronism and somewhat controversial figure. He, along with his daughter Joti Brar, is an active member of the Stalin Society
Stalin Society
The Stalin Society is a British discussion group for individuals who see Joseph Stalin as a great Marxist-Leninist and wish to preserve what they believe is his positive legacy...
, the website of which contains articles denying Soviet wrongdoing in the Katyn Massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
, the Ukrainian Famine (Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
), and the Moscow trials
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
which they blame on the Nazis, dismiss as propaganda, or describe as fair process, respectively.
Electoral activity
The Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) was registered with the Electoral Commission in 2008 under the name "Proletarian", which is the title of the bi-monthly newspaper of the CPBG(ML). The party was registered "to prepare for standing in elections".Publications
For many years, he was on the executive of the Indian Workers Association (GB) and was the editor of that organisation's journal LalkarLalkar
Lalkar is a London-based bi-monthly political magazine. The word ‘lalkar’ means ‘challenge’ in Punjabi and the expression ‘lal kar’ means ‘red work’....
. He has also contributed to broadcasts on Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
on the politics of the Indian sub-continent.
Since 1992, Brar has published eight books on various aspects of Marxism, imperialism and revisionism. These works are a combination of original material and articles previously published in Lalkar and have been translated and distributed internationally by a number of sympathetic communist parties around the world.