Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.
Harpal was born on 5 October 1939 in Fattanwala village, district Muktsar, Punjab. His father was a farmer, Harchand Singh Brar, who later became a businessman and an MLA in the Punjab assembly. After studying at Khalsa High School and Khalsa College in Muktsar, he studied law in Delhi and then at University College London.
He was introduced to Marxism in a Luton library and later married an English student, Maysel Sharp.
While teaching law in London, Harpal focused on promoting Socialism. He was a leader in the Indian Workers’ Association (IWA-GB) and founded its anti-imperialist journal, Lalkar.
He wrote on socialist history, theory, and practice, and founded the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) in 2004. He was Chairman of the Stalin Society of Great Britain and Honorary Chairman of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform.
He is survived by three children, Joti, Ranjeet, and Carlos, seven grandchildren, and his partner, Ella Rule.
Harpal supported Marxist-Leninist ideology and opposed reactionary movements. He was a scholar and activist known for his commitment to his beliefs.
His journey from Fattanwala to becoming a global advocate for the working class and anti-imperialism was notable. Marxists should ensure his legacy continues to inspire future generations.
Ideological Thrust and Orientation of Brar
Harpal followed Marx and Lenin, viewing the Russian Revolution as a significant event for humanity. He criticized Trotskyism, defended Stalin, and opposed Khrushchevism and revisionism, which he believed led to the fall of Soviet Socialism.
He defended the USSR's role in World War II and opposed globalization, supporting North Korea, Cuba, China, and Russia against U.S. hegemony.
Harpal supported liberation struggles in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Vietnam, Korea, Palestine, and Ireland. He focused on freeing the working class from capitalist exploitation and imperialism.
He wrote on proletarian revolution and women's liberation and criticized the Labour Party as an imperialist party. He sought to integrate revolutionary politics with British workers.
After the USSR's collapse in 1991, Harpal blamed Khrushchev's revisionism. He opposed Zionism and supported Palestinian self-determination.
Harpal defended Communists like Stalin and Mao, supported Iraq against the U.S., and backed Iran's right to possess weapons. He argued that capitalist imperialism leads to crises, wars, and oppression of the working class.
He noted that since 2008, imperialist governments transferred wealth from taxpayers to financiers, attacking workers at home and waging wars abroad.
Harpal emphasized the need for British socialists to combat racism and for black socialists to oppose separatism and black bourgeois nationalism. He urged workers to unite against national oppression and privileges.
Harpal wrote on Marxism, imperialism, and related topics. His works included critiques of Trotskyism, Leninism, and revisionism, and analyses of British class structure, Soviet victory over fascism, and Claudia Jones.
Under Harpal, Lalkar countered imperialism, neo-fascism, racism, and revisionism. It exposed British capitalism and opposed Modi's rule in India. While critical of Maoism, it acknowledged leaders like Chairman Gonzalo and Professor Joma Sison.
Harpal viewed post-1978 China as practicing "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics." However, he was criticized for not opposing revisionist parties like CPI or CPI-M, or events like Operation Greenhunt in India.
Despite shortcomings, Harpal's contributions to fighting capitalist oppression should be recognized. Marxists must preserve his legacy.
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*Freelance journalist
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