After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
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Finally we are heading towards clarity on colonialism and immigration
HARSEV BAINS of the Indian Workers’ Association welcomes the decision by Labour to include key demands from the South Asian diaspora in Britain in their manifesto
'Future generations of black and minority ethnic people will be better placed to understand why they are in Britain, as many people from the old colonies were invited to live and work here'
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
Opinion polls point to electoral collapse, parliamentary rebellion and a looming leadership challenge as Starmer’s Labour haemorrhages working-class support and the far right exploits the vacuum left by a hollowed-out party, says NICK WRIGHT
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
THE Labour manifesto contains two vital pledges: an unequivocal formal apology by a serving Prime Minister for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and a commitment to teaching children about colonialism, injustice and the role of the British empire.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 resulted in the death of over 1,500 Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. Dead bodies left to rot after being denied medical treatment and drinking water, followed by press censorship, crawling orders and public floggings. This unprovoked attack to silence the protests against the brutal Rowlett Act was meant to strengthen the British empire; instead it provided the spark for the freedom movement that would demand total independence.
The campaign supported by the South Asian diaspora in Britain, from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, has from day one been very clear that for the apology to be meaningful it must offer a remedy for the future. Mere words alone like “deep regret,” which were offered by Theresa May, will not suffice.
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