Record

Ref NoMS 2141/C/12
TitleIndian Peoples Association in North America
LevelFile
Date1976 - 1986
DescriptionCorrespondence; press releases and circular statements; and publications and flyers of the Indian Peoples Association of North America [IPANA]. Avtar Jouhl and other members of the Indian Workers Association were supporters of this organisation, and the two Associations worked together to exchange information on the struggles of South Asians living in Europe and North America, and to exchange the literature of Indian Marxist-Leninist organisations. They also worked together on cultural projects. Most correspondence in this file dates from 1979 and 1980, but there are also a small number of papers with earlier and later dates.

Papers consist of:

/1 circular letter from Hari P. Sharma enclosing a complimentary sample copy of the first issue of the IPANA publication 'New India Bulletin'

/2 copy of 'New India Bulletin', March-April 1976 containing articles about peasant struggles in India and the activities of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)

/3 copy of 'New India Bulletin', May-June 1976 containing an editorial article on the activities of the organisation during its first year

/4-/5 letter from Harinder Mahil, Chairperson of IPANA, to Avtar Jouhl, expressing sympathy following the death of Jagmohan Joshi. The rest of the letter discusses financial arrangements for Sant Ram Udasi's visit to Canada and England, and plans to bring out a book of his poems/songs 3 July 1979, with a reply from Avtar Jouhl, 20 July 1979

/6 letter from Harinder Mahil to Avtar Jouhl discussing dates for Sant Ram Udasi's visit to England, 14 August 1979

/7 circular letter from Harinder Mahil to IPANA Executive, with a copy to the Indian Workers Association consisting of minutes of a meeting between representatives of IPANA and the Indian Workers Association that took place in Toronto, 18 September 1979 to discuss joint activities

/8 letter from Harinder Mahil to Avtar Jouhl discussing matters to follow up resulting from the meeting between members of IPANA and the Indian Workers Association during a Mahil's visit to England, 6 October 1979

/9 copy letter from Avtar Jouhl to Hari Sharma, IPANA, discussing the production of a book and recording of Sant Ram Udasi's poetry, and the Punjabi translation of Ye Jianying's speech, 15 October 1979

/10 flyer issued by IPANA giving information about a demonstration on 8 December in Vancouver to denounce the detention, beatings and harassment of Harinder Mahil by Punjab police in Faridkot, India after he addressed a Conference on Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights in Baghapurana, 9 November 1979

/11 open letter to the President of India condemning the arrest of Harinder Mahil and demanding that an inquiry be conducted into his treatment

/12 press statement issued by Harinder Mahil 11 November 1979, giving an account of the events leading up to and following his arrest in Baghapurana and describing his treatment by police

/13 press release from IPANA on the arrest of Harinder Mahil and his ill treatment in detention, 23 November 1979

/14-/15 letter from Hari Sharma to Avtar Jouhl discussing the respective campaigns of IPANA and the Indian Workers Association, and discussing matters relating to the production of a recording of Sant Ram Udasi's poetry, 4 December 1979, with a reply from Teja Singh Sahota discussing the production and distribution of the book and recordings of Sant Ram Udasi's poetry, 17 December 1979

/16 copy of the monthly news publication of IPANA, 'India Now', January 1980

/17 Special Supplement of the monthly news publication of IPANA, 'India Now', March 1980

/18 letter from Harinder Mahil to Avtar Jouhl discussing the distribution of the recording of Sant Ram Udasi's poetry in Britain, and the possibility of making a recording of poetry by Jagmohan Joshi, 24 March 1980

/19 letter from Harinder Mahil to Avtar Jouhl enclosing a copy of the IPANA document 'The Real Face of India's Democracy', 27 March 1980. This document does not survive in the archive

/20 letter from Harinder Mahil to Avtar Jouhl enclosing a press release issued by the Canadian Farmworkers Union which is supported by IPANA, together with a flyer giving information about an event to celebrate the founding of the union, 26 April 1980. Mahil states that IPANA supports this organisation and its campaigns, and asks whether the Indian Workers Association will send a message of solidarity for the union's celebration, 10 April 1980

/21 letter from Harinder Mahil to the Indian Workers Association inviting representatives to join IPANA's Third General Convention in New York, 15-17 August 1980

/22-/23 publicity material issued by Lok Sabiacharak Manch Calgary and IPANA for a cultural event in memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, 23 March 1985 and for future events 1986-1989
Extent1
FormatFile
Related MaterialSee MS 2142/D/9 for further material relating to the Indian Peoples Association in North America
Access StatusOpen
AdminHistoryThe Indian Peoples Association in North America was founded in June 1975 after a three day convention in Montreal, Canada. It was an organisation of progressive, patriotic Indians living in North America to work together in supporting people in India. The organisation campaigned against the domination of the country by American and Soviet imperialism, to win genuine democracy for the majority of the people, and to attain decent living conditions. Their first campaigns focused on opposition to the State of Emergency introduced by Indira Gandhi's government in India during the mid 1970s, and the organisation aimed to build a broad front of progressive support through mass propaganda and education to oppose fascism and dictatorship in India and discrimination and racism against Indians in North America. The organisation had bases in Vancouver in Canada and Boston and New York in the United States of America.
LanguageEnglish
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