PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE

FROM COLONISATION TO GLOBALISATION

A COMMEMORATION OF THE

150^th Anniversary of the First War of Independence

1857 in the subcontinent

Saturday 20^th October 2007, 2.00 pm

Norton Hall, Ralph Road, Saltley,

Birmingham B8 3QU

Speakers:

Dr Ram Puniyani (Scholar, Writer -- from India)

Younus Taryaby (Kashmiri Workers Association)

Sarbjit Johal (South Asian Solidarity Group)

Prof John Newsinger (Historian)

Dr Virinder Kalra (1857 Committee)

Hani Lazim (Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation)

1857 saw a sustained and widespread uprising against British imperialist rule in South Asia. Although commonly known as the ‘Indian Mutiny’ in many British history books, the uprising, which spread from Kandhar to Chittagong i.e. across much of the northern and central South Asia (at that time called India, now including Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan) lasted almost two years and had all the aspects of a war against imperialism and for independence.

The 1857 Committee , South Asian Solidarity Group and others are organising a series of events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1857 uprisings. The aim of these events is not only to remember what happened in 1857, but also to highlight the parallels with the situation in South Asia and globally today. We will be looking at 1857 as one of the high points of continuing popular anti-imperialist resistance, in which people identifying with different communities and religions but sharing many aspects of culture consciously came together to resist an aggressively racist colonial power. In the process we will talk about propagation of contemporary imperialism and racism under the guise of “democracy”, “freedom” and “globalisation” and the struggles against them in South Asia and here in Britain as it is imperative that we reclaim our shared history of anti-colonial struggle.