| Description | Circular letters issued by the Central Executive Committee containing details about events and activities organised or supported by the association, and asking for action by local branches in mobilising support. Many of the circulars urge members to attend demonstrations and rallies; hold public meetings and celebrations; send delegates to conferences; and pass resolutions. The majority of these circulars date from the mid 1960s, but there are also a smaller number issued during the 1970s.
/1 asks branch secretaries to prepare for elections of branch executive committee by the end of August 1963 and to send membership subscription dues
/2 refers to the need to distribute copies of 'Mazdoor', October 1964
/3 requires branch executive committees to arrange meetings with the Central Executive Committee, October 1964
/4 discusses the need to support Republic Day Celebrations and striking workers at Woolf's Rubber Co. in Southall, as well as drawing attention to reports of famine in some areas of India. This circular is undated, but is likely to have been issued in 1965
/5 gives information about the forthcoming Indian Workers Association lobby of parliament on the subject of the White Paper on immigration in December 1965
/6 provides a clarification that the association does not advocate a policy of abstention in the forthcoming General Election of 1966, but recommends that members abstain from voting only in two Birmingham constituencies where the Labour candidates have made statements exploiting the issue of immigration
/7 provides information to executive committee members and office bearers about a demonstration and rally to be held in Birmingham 2 July 1967, and emphasises the need to hold social programmes to publicise this event
/8 consists of an invitation to the general body meeting of the revitalised Wolverhampton branch, issued by the Central Executive Committee, June 1967
/9 requests members to protest against the participation of the Indian 'Miss World' winner in a youth festival in London, sponsored by the Punjabi newspaper 'Des Pardes'. It also asks members to attend a demonstration against racism to be held in Birmingham 2 July 1967, and to support the national liberation struggle in Vietnam by attending an exhibition against American aggression in Birmingham and Smethwick, and a folk concert held in Birmingham Town Hall
/10 provides information about the 1967 national conference and a forthcoming rally of Indian Workers to be held in Leicester, asking branches to mobilise members for these events
/11 contains information about the postponement of the national conference from September to mid October 1967, and includes an agenda for a Central Executive Committee meeting to be held 10 September 1967 in Birmingham
/12 gives details about the national conference to be held in Leicester in November 1967
/13 asks members to participate in the campaign against imperialism by joining demonstration at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in London in January 1969. One of these demonstrations was organised by the Indian Workers Association; the other was organised by the Black Peoples Alliance.
/14 asks members to take part in a protest in Birmingham against the racist policies of the Government, 24 February 1969, written in Punjabi
/15 calls on all branches to mobilise support for a demonstration against racism in Britain and the rise of racist attacks, to be held in London 11 July, and gives instructions about the preparations that branches should make for the event. This circular is undated, but it is likely to date from the late 1960s or early 1970s
/16 requests branches to mobilise support for a demonstration in London 7 April 1974 in solidarity with the struggle of peasants and workers in India, particularly those in the state of Gujarat, against the Indian government.
/17 contains information for members attending a picket against the state of emergency in India, to be held outside the Indian High Commission office in Birmingham, 21 July 1975
/18 asks members to attend a conference to be held at Birmingham University 17-18 July 1976 in order to prevent attempts by 'so-called black leaders, such as Dilbagh Chana' to form a black committee, the National Organisation of Afro/Asian/Caribbean Peoples. The Central Executive Committee's opinion was that the leaders of this group compromised with racism
/19 requests branch committees to participate in the forthcoming Shaheed Udham Singh Day, held to celebrate the opening of the Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Centre 19 August 1978. The circular also refers to the printing of a leaflet on women's rights
/20 contains instructions to branches mobilising support for a national demonstration on racism and immigration to be held in London 25 November 1979, including a version written in Punjabi
/21 contains information about a conference on Sikh separatism in Punjab, and its effects on the working class movement in India and Britain, organised by the Central Committee at the Students Union, Wolverhampton Polytechnic, 27 November 1983
/22 is undated, and contains information about a demonstration in London 10 December against the persecution of students in Punjab by Indira Gandhi's government
/23 is undated and requests all members to attend the elections and general body meeting of the Birmingham branch, 8 May. Members of the Central Executive Committee were also requested to remain behind after the meeting to discuss attempts by elements in the organisation to violate the constitution |