Panjabis of Southall:

70 years of History, Struggles & Achievements: 1949 - 2019

A Brief History: Key factors influencing migration of Panjabis to Britain in last 70 Years

Panjabis and Sikhs in the British Army: At the outbreak of World War 1, Sikhs made up more than 20% of the British Indian Army. During World War II, 300,000 Sikhs served in the army, almost all combatants.

Britain’s Reconstruction post World War II: Britain actively promoted and encouraged migration from its former colonies & later independent Commonwealth countries to meet its insatiable demand for cheap labour needed for its reconstruction efforts and economic development.

Partition of Panjab by the British: 1947: The Partition uprooted and dislocated an estimated 14 million Panjabis from their homes and land, the biggest migration of people in human history.

The Indian Army attack on Harmindar Sahib complex Amritsar & massacre of Sikhs in Delhi & other Cities across India, 1984: which resulted in thousands of Sikhs, mainly civilians killed, injured, or imprisoned.

War in Afghanistan: which forced Sikhs to flee Afghanistan due to the infringement of civil liberties and harassment imposed under the Taliban regime.

Panjabis living in Southall: 1950s

In the 1940s and 1950s the early Panjabi community was centred around the Aldgate (East London) area. In the 1950s Panjabis began moving to Southall due to the availability of work in and around Southall and particularly at the R. Woolf’s ‘Rubber’ factory.

The ‘Rubber’ factory is synonymous with the history of the early Panjabi settlers in Southall, as the majority, if not all, of these early settlers worked at this factory. By 1960 the ‘Rubber’ factory employed 40 per cent of the Sikhs in Southall. In 1965, 90% of its unskilled workers were Sikhs

By 1956, the first wave of Panjabi women and children arrived to join men already settled and there were small settlements, almost entirely of Panjabi men in the Hambrough Ward and particularly on Abbotts Road, Beaconsfield Road and Woodlands Road.

By 1958 there were an estimated 1200 Panjabis, mostly men, resident in Southall.

The first batch of Panjabi children went to Featherstone High and Beaconsfield Infants & Primary schools.

Early Panjabi Businesses in Southall

Many of the early Panjabi businesses started working by selling a range of goods door-to door and later on supplying and delivering foodstuffs using vans to Panjabi households in Southall.

1955: Mr Lacha Singh Sidhu: set up the first Asian owned stall in Southall Market 1956: Pritam Singh Sangha and Jarnail Singh Ghura converted their Café and set up the first Indian owned grocery shop in Southall, named Props Sangha & Co (London) Ltd: Merchants & Importers; Indian Foodstuffs. 1957: Bakshish Singh Bassi opens the second Indian grocery shop in Southall at 35 Talbot Road

In the early 1960s a number of Panjabi businesses were established which included:Sohan Singh Dosanjh: Doaba Stores, a Grocery shop at 106 Beaconsfield Road Mohamad Aslam: Sunny, a grocery shop on 222A Beaconsfield Road The Teji Brothers: open grocery shop on 1 Beaconsfield Road (1962) Ajit Singh Rai: opens the first Asian business, Indian General Store, on 139 The Broadway (1965)Abdul Majid Chaudhry: opens the first Restaurant Tandoori Kebab Centre, on The Broadway (1965)

Over the coming decades the myth of the Asian ‘corner shop’ open 7 days a week, ridiculed and joked about for years came of age, became mainstream and respectable, and their concept began to be reproduced by multi-national companies with Asians acquiring a reputation as hardworking and as entrepreneurs.

Discrimination and Racism

Housing: Immigrants experienced racial discrimination in securing public housing, rented accommodation and in purchasing housing which created overcrowding. Signs of “No blacks, No coloureds” in housing were commonplace place. Ealing Council tried to implement a 15-year residential qualification for Council housing to deny access to housing to Asians.

Employment: Finding work was extremely difficult for Panjabis, particularly turbaned Sikhs often turned away and refused employment. Those in employment were routinely subjected to unequal pay and worse working conditions than their white counterparts. Trade Unions and Management often colluded to limit numbers of immigrant workers in their factories, segregate immigrant workers to dirty and low paid jobs and practices that maintained unequal wages and unfair treatment .

Education: White parents protested against the increasing number of Asian immigrant children coming into their local primary schools. In 1965 the Government introduced a racist policy of “bussing” whereby immigrant children were “bussed” out from Southall to schools all over Ealing borough for a period of nearly 10 years.

Immigration: The Government introduced immigration laws in 1962 to restrict numbers of immigrants arriving from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Commonwealth countries.

The inhumane illegal and abhorrent practice of ‘virginity tests’ on Asian women within immigration exposed most profoundly the racism within immigration policy and practice.

Racial Attacks: Racial abuse and physical racist attacks became a feature of the daily life of many early settlers and their families and terms such as ‘Paki bashing’ and ‘Wogs’ were commonplace. Even as late as 1981, Government research confirmed that Asians were 50 times more likely to be victims of ‘racial attacks’ than white people.

Indian Workers’ Association (IWA): 1956

IWA (Southall) was established in 1956 by Panjabis, many of whom had been involved in the Indian freedom struggle movements to protect the new immigrants from racial discrimination and exploitation and to alleviate the problems faced by their countrymen.

IWA brought together people of different faiths and political affiliations and campaigned tirelessly against discrimination, inequality including within the trade union movement and against unjust immigration laws, both locally and nationally.

In 1965, IWA purchased the Dominion cinema for £25,000 and began showing Indian films, generating enormous income and set up a national Welfare and Information Centre at 16-18 Featherstone Road which supported thousands of people annually along with coordinating national campaigns against unjust immigration laws, racial inequality and injustice.

By the mid-1970s, IWA had established itself as the most powerful and nationally acclaimed organisation within the Asian, African Caribbean and immigrant communities, recognised by successive governments as the authentic voice and representative of the immigrant communities in Britain.

IWA’s extraordinary, legacy of struggles and achievements in the political arena and rootedness in the community culminated in the election of its

Presidents, Sardul Singh Gill as the first Asian councillor in 1968 and of Piara Singh Khabra as the first Asian MP in 1992.

Murder of Gurdip Chaggar and formation of Southall Youth Movement: 1976

The racist murder of Gurdip Chaggar on 4th June 1976 in Southall led to spontaneous protests and exposed the schism between the second generation of Asian children who had grown up in Southall and their elders on responses to racial attacks and racial injustice.

Galvanised by the murder of Gurdip Chagger and police and community leaders’ inaction, the new second generation of young people formed the Southall Youth Movement (SYM). SYM’s stance and actions against racial attacks smashed the myth of the ‘passive’ Asian, created and drove a new response encapsulated by the SYM’s slogan ‘Here to Stay: Here to Fight’.

SYM demands for justice and equality, its determination to defend community, fight back against racist attacks acted as a catalyst for other Asian youth groups across the country to organise, defend their communities and to assert their rights. SYM inspired the formation of other Asian Youth Movements in Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, East London and other regions across Britain.

23 April 1979: National Front Meeting in Southall & the Murder of Blair Peach

The National Front, a party known for espousing openly racist views and hostility to immigrants, was allowed to hold a meeting in Southall Town Hall, despite mass community appeals and opposition.

The Southall community’s protests, led by Southall Youth Movement, were thwarted by a massive military style police operation, whereby Southall was effectively ‘sealed off’ and local peaceful protests denied and crushed.

Over 750 people were arrested and 342 charged.

Blair Peach was murdered by Police.

The Government set up a special Stipendiary Court at Barnet Court where the trials of 342 defendants were held over a period of 7 months.

Burning of Hambrough Tavern: 3 July 1981

Coachloads of ‘skinheads’ and other supporters of the music band “4 Skins” descended into Southall on 3 July 1981, abusing and assaulting local people on their way to the pub.

The Southall Youth Movement (SYM) organised a massive response, mobilising hundreds of its supporters and demanded the closure of the provocative event in the pub and the removal of racists from their community.

The police’s failure to listen to appeals from SYM leaders resulted in a pitched battle between the police and Asian youth.

The Hambrough Tavern Pub was burnt down.

SYM sent a signal across the country that Southall was a no-go area for racists and that Southall would stand up and defend itself against racism and racist attacks.

Sri Guru Singh Sabha (Southall): 1958 - 2019

The “Shepherds Bush” Gurdwara was the only Gurdwara in London and acted as refuge, transit point and a community- cum- social point for the early Panjabis and Sikhs, arriving in Britain in the 1950s.

In 1958, Sikhs in Southall set up the Sikh Cultural Society and started hiring Shackleton Hall on Shackleton Road once a month on Sundays to host prayers and in 1964, purchased 11 Beaconsfield Road, a house and established it as the first Gurdwara.

In 1964, Sikhs from Malaysia and Singapore established the Guru Nanak Sat Sang Sabha and purchased the Hall adjacent to St. Anslems Church on The Green, opening the second Gurdwara in Southall.

In 1967, the Sikh Cultural Society and Sat Sang Sabha formally merged creating the Sri Guru Singh Sabha: Southall (SGSS) and together opened the Gurdwara at Havelock Road on 27 January 1967.

SGSS opened its Park Avenue Gurdwara in 1984 and on 13th April 1999 started the construction of the new and biggest Gurdwara at Havelock Road at a cost of £17 million.

On 30th March 2003, the new Havelock Road Gurdwara was officially inaugurated by HRH Prince of Wales – Prince Charles.

The First Nagar Kirtan: 22 January 1967

The first Nagar Kirtan procession was held on Sunday 22 January 1967 and started from Havelock Road Gurdwara. From Havelock Road the procession went into Kings Street, The Green, Beaconsfield Road, Woodlands Road, The Broadway, South Road, The Green, Kings Street and back to the Havelock Road Gurdwara.

An estimated 7000 people participated in this first Nagar Kirtan procession.

The honour of being the first Panj Piaras (Five Beloved Ones) was bestowed upon Sardars Swaran Singh Punia, Mohinder Pal Singh Bedi, Gyan Singh Randhawa, Harcharan Singh and Baba Assa Singh Grewal who walked barefoot in extremely cold weather.

The Khanda of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was brought in April 1967 by Gurbachan Singh Gill, to England from the Tosha Khana at Darbar Sahib Amritsar for Amrit Parchar. Sant Prithipal Singh, who was visiting Southall and UK had requested the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee in Amritsar for permission to take the original Khanda, which was used by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to baptise the first Sikhs in Anandpur in 1699.

The Khanda had originally been kept at the Gurdwara at Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur) from where it was taken to Amritsar to be brought over to London. An estimated 20,000 devotees greeted the arrival of the Khanda

Sahib at Heathrow airport. The ceremony to hoist the Nishan Sahib at the new Havelock Road Gurdwara was bestowed upon Sardar Gurbachan Singh Gill whose devotion to Sikhism was exemplary and without whose generosity the Gurdwara could not have been purchased.

National landmark campaigns for Sikh Rights

1964: Amar Singh Gill vs London UndergroundAmar Singh Gill who lived on Hambrough Road, challenged his employer who threatened him with dismissal on the grounds that he was wearing a turban in breach of company uniform rules which required all employees to wear caps. Amar Singh was suspended from work but after a 2 month campaign was reinstated to his job.

Amar Singh became the first Sikh to work for London Underground.

1973 -1976: Baldev Singh Chahal vs British GovernmentIn 1973 Baldev Singh Chahal launched his campaign to change the law to exempt turbaned Sikhs from wearing helmets on motorcycles and established The National Turban Action Committee with Balwinder Kaur Chahal acting as Campaign Coordinator.

Baldev Singh Chahal was stopped 42 times, appeared at Magistrates Court innumerable times and was fined between £20 to £30 each time, but steadfastly refused to pay any of the fines, on a point of principle and in order to protest against the law as it stood, which denied the Sikhs their fundamental right to wear their turban as a strict cultural and religious requirement of their faith.

In 1975, Baldev Singh Chahal was imprisoned for 30 days in Pentonville

prison (London) for riding his motorcycle whilst wearing his turban.

In November 1976, as a result of Baldev Singh Chahal’s campaign the Government relented and passed a Bill to exempt turbaned Sikhs from having to wear crash-helmets when riding a motor-cycle: The Motorcycle Crash-Helmets (Religious Exemption) Act, 1976.

Panjabi Language: Preservation and Development

In 1969, Sri Guru Singh Sabha (SGSS) started hiring Featherstone High School and teaching Panjabi classes on a voluntary basis.

By 1972, SGSS was employing 23 teachers to teach and run Panjabi classes.

Until 1976, the Panjabi Language was not taught in any school but over the coming years demand and pressure for its introduction as a language in schools continued in Southall. Panjabi parents started becoming school governors and pressing Government to use Section 11 (Local Government Act 1966) funding to introduce Panjabi as a language in schools.

In 1988, the first teacher was appointed to teach Panjabi Language in Southall at Featherstone High School followed by others at Villiers High School. Community language campaigners successfully ensured schools offered Panjabi as a Language option, on a similar footing as French and German, to all pupils from Year 7 onwards.

Panjabi Language had become recognised and mainstream.

Sport Music and Culture

Culture: The first Indian Independence and Vaisakhi celebrations were organised by IWA in 1958 and held at Southall Community Centre, Bridge Road and attended by 400 people.

Sports: Kesar Singh Bhatti establishes first Asian football team in 1968.

Southall Kabaadi Team set up by brothers Harpal Singh Brar and Karnail Singh Brar.

Bhangra: Panjabi Dancers, the first bhangra group formed by Sandhu brothers at Featherstone Boys School. Great Indian Dancers bhangra group was set up in 1968.

Indian Films: The IWA and Panjabi businessmen start showing films in 1959. In 1965, IWA buys Dominion cinema, with 1800 seating capacity, and watching Indian films becomes the main social activity amongst Asians in Southall.

Music: Mohinder Kaur Bhamra becomes the first female and national singer and introduces live music in wedding functions.

Channi Singh forms Alaap in 1977.

Premi and Heera groups are set up in 1980 and help bring bhangra into mainstream.

AcknowledgmentsPanjabis of Southall film project was developed by The Asian Health Agency. Produced in partnership with digital:works (Sav Kyriacou & Matthew Rosenberg) and Project Consultant (Balraj Purewal) with funding from Heritage Lottery Fund.

The film consists of interviews developed, conducted and shot by: Raj Ghedu, Arif Hussain, Kamaljit Kaur, Resham Kaur, Maninder Purewal, Balraj Purewal, Shivam Patel and Charan Singh Das.

And all the interviewees who gave their time and stories: Mohammad Aslam, Sukhdev Singh Aujla, Kuljit Bhamra, Mohinder Kaur Bhamra, Babs Bhangu, Karnail Singh Bhatti, Surjit Singh Bilga, Shan Chaudhry, Jaggi Chhokkar, Salvinder Dhillon, Malkit Jeer, Davinder Singh Khalla, Dr Sathi Ludhianvi, Surinder Singh Purewal, Balraj Singh Purewal, Didar Singh Randhawa, Hari Sandhu, Tejinder Sangha, Shabnam Sharma, Ranjit Sohal, Gurcharan Singh, Merhanwan Singh and Himmat Singh Sohi.

For more information and to view the film online: www.panjabisofsouthall.org.uk

The Asian Health Agency in partnership with digital:works and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.