| Description | Campaign material produced by the Campaign Against Racist Laws [CARL] for demonstrations and conferences mainly dating from 1979 and 1980 and organised in opposition to Nationality and immigration legislation proposed by the incoming Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher, but also including some campaign flyers for a demonstration in 1983.
Papers consist of:
/1 copy letter from Teja Singh Sahota and Avtar Jouhl on behalf of the Indian Workers Association asking other organisations to attend a meeting to discuss the formation of a national body to launch a campaign on issues surrounding the proposed Nationality and immigration legislation, 20 August 1979
/2 letter to Avtar Jouhl from the Senior Field Officer of the Commission for Racial Equality suggesting that the Action Group on Immigration and Nationality already deals with issues surrounding immigration legislation on a national basis, 20 September 1979
/3-/5 Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants briefings and press statements on the White Paper on Immigration; the Government's Immigration Proposals; and Foreign Husbands, November 1979
/6 newspaper article from the 'Morning Star', 8 October 1979 reporting on the build-up to a national conference and demonstration against immigration proposals sponsored by the Indian Workers Association and by other anti-racist groups
/7 open letter asking supporters to attend a mobilising conference for the newly formed Campaign Against Racist Laws and giving a list of organisations and Members of Parliament supporting the organisation to date. A national demonstration was scheduled to take place on 2 December 1979
/8 list of names of individuals elected to the mobilising committee for the campaign against immigration laws, with details of the organisations they represented, 20 October 1979
/9 letter to supporters from Jerry Fitzpatrick for the mobilising committee, issued on Campaign for Racist Laws headed paper, asking for support for the first mobilising committee meeting, and for organisations to book coaches and distribute posters and leaflets ahead of the demonstration, which has been brought forward to 25 November
/10 handwritten notes about activities of 'CRC' [possibly Community Relations Commission] written on notepad which also contains a list of names and organisations, and notes on the CARL National Mobilising Committee meeting November 1979
/11 copy letter from Jouhl to Jerry [Fitzpatrick] referring to arrangements for the 25 November demonstration against Nationality and immigration legislation, enclosing a 'list of names, amendments passed and other papers', together with a list of signatures of people attending an unidentified meeting, and the organisations they represented, November 1979
/11 flyer in English and Punjabi giving information about the demonstration organised for 25 November 1979 to 'Stop the Tory Racist Laws' and 'Repeal the 1971 Immigration Act'
/12 open letter sent to supporters asking for support for the 25 November 1979 demonstration, and for donations to the campaign. The reverse of this letter contains the names of individuals, organisations and Members of Parliament sponsoring the Campaign Against Racist Laws
/13-/14 two letters to supporters, one signed by Avtar Jouhl, Chief Steward of the National Mobilising Committee, the other signed by Parminder Vir for the National Mobilising Committee, asking supporters to distribute leaflets and posters and to attend a steward's meeting, as well as to request their organisation to picket the UK High Commission
/15-/20 correspondence between the organisation Women Against Rape and representatives from Campaign Against Racist Laws concerning the arrest of Judit Kertesz of Women Against Rape at the demonstration against immigration controls whilst attempting to speak to an organiser. These papers include a letter from the arrested woman thanking the Indian Workers Association Birmingham branch for their support on the march; a flyer issued by Women Against Rape campaigning against the new immigration proposals introduced by the Conservative government; a photocopy of a letter from Avtar Jouhl to Women Against Rape explaining that he has contacted Jerry Fitzpatrick of CARL and suggesting that he will write to the police on the organisation's behalf; and a photocopy of photographs taken at the 25 November 1979 demonstration in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square
/21 letter to supporters from Jerry Fitzpatrick for CARL inviting people to attend the National Recall CARL Conference on 22 March 1980, and asking for people to support vigils outside Parliament until the parliamentary vote on the new immigration laws. The letter also mentions a national demonstration to be held on 27 April in remembrance of the violence at Southall in April 1979 and the death of Blair Peach at this demonstration, 20 February 1980
/22 letter to supporters from Jerry Fitzpatrick for CARL giving information about a mobilising committee meeting to be held at the Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Centre in Birmingham to discuss a forthcoming march organised with the Asian Youth Movement in Bradford, 25 February 1980
/23 letter inviting supporters to the National Recall CARL conference on 22 March 1980 and encouraging people to make a donation to the campaign
/24 typescript list of declarations made at the CARL Conference in March 1980
/25 flyer in English and Punjabi giving information about a demonstration in remembrance of Blair Peach, to expose police brutality, and to protest against racist attacks, April 1980
/26 letter to members of the CARL mobilising committee giving information about a meeting to be held at the Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Centre on 18 May 1980 to discuss the progress of the campaign so far, and to finalise details of the Black Freedom March
/27-/28 handwritten draft minutes of a CARL mobilising committee meeting probably held on 18 May 1980, and letter from Vishnu Sharma, conveying apologies for his absence from the meeting. The minutes include details of representatives attending.
/29-/30 letter to Avtar Jouhl from the South London branch of CARL enclosing leaflets advertising a public meeting organised by this group to take place on 10 September 1980 and urging Indian Workers Association members to support this meeting. The leaflets discuss the proposed Nationality Act and offers the opportunity to affiliate to CARL
/31-/32 minutes of a CARL newsletter organising meeting held on 9 May 1980, together with a photocopied typescript proposal for the format and content of a CARL newsletter, put together by Bernard Misrahi
/33 letter to supporters giving details about a Recall Conference to be held to discuss the Black Freedom March provisionally arranged for August 1980. The letter includes an agenda for this conference, and details of conference fees
/34 printed pamphlet entitled 'Passport to Racism: A Critique of the Conservative Government's White Paper on British Nationality Law', by Rudy Narayan, September 1980. The pamphlet was written for the West Indian Standing Conference and was distributed free to all Labour Parties and affiliated organisations, and to all Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Kashmiri and West Indian organisations in Britain
/35-/39 various flyers in English, Punjabi and Urdu giving details about a demonstration and open-air festival organised by CARL 27 March 1983. One flyer gives details about the music and poetry performers who will be at the festival. Most of the flyers were issued by CARL, but one was issued by the Indian Workers Association and gives information about pick-up points for coaches leaving Birmingham and Smethwick |
| AdminHistory | The Campaign Against Racist Laws [CARL] was established in 1979 by representatives from a number of black and Asian campaigning groups and anti-racist organisations to work together to oppose the trend of legislation to tighten controls on immigration into Britain. The organisation was particularly active in campaigning against the White Paper in 1979 and the Nationality Bill which became the 1981 Nationality Act. CARL remained active during the 1980s, and subsequent demonstration and conferences organised by CARL also focused on efforts to oppose racist legislation introduced by the government. The Indian Workers Association approached other organisations in 1979 to discuss ways of campaigning together on issues of immigration and nationality, and Avtar Jouhl and other members of all three Indian Workers Association groups existing at the time were elected to the mobilising committee. |