https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geI5r-tvCK8&t=1s Keith Bennett, an old friend and comrade of Harpal's, and leader of the "Friends of Socialist China" campaign, gives a moving message of condolence. This video was shot in January 2025 at Harpal Brar's memorial service in Bolivar Hall, London. It was a moving tribute and celebration of his life, held with his friends and family, representatives of Socialist nations and fraternal political organisations. Many comrades spoke in moving and generous terms, giving solidarity with his family and party, and paying tribute to his political contribution. We will share the messages of all the comrades who spoke at the service. Harpal Brar was the inspirer and founding Chairman on the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist). He was a lecturer in Law, a barrister, a historian, a marxist scholar, theorist, thinker and teacher. Harpal was one of the foremost leaders of the British working class, and the Indian working class in Britain. He was a great leader of the world communist movement, holding aloft the torch of reason, of proletarian class consciousness and struggle in the dark days after the collapse of the USSR - when the imperialist bourgeoisie were riding high and proclaiming their rotten and parasitic system to be "the end of history". You can read his full obituary here: https://www.lalkar.org/article/4613/h... And find his books here: https://shop.thecommunists.org/produc... He was the editor of the paper of the Indian Workers' Association, and the anti-imperialist workers' journal LALKAR, which can be found here: https://www.lalkar.org Harpal played a role in many of the great liberation struggles of his time, from Zimbabwe and South Africa, Vietnam and Korea, Palestine and the Middle East to the great anti-imperialist cause of Irish reunification and national liberation. And of course he struggled tirelessly to solve the central question of the liberation of the working class from capitalist exploitation and imperialism. Harpal wrote extensively on the question of proletarian revolution and womens liberation. Harpal’s criticism of the Labour Party as an imperialist party of Social Democracy is essential reading for all British workers. He wrote on Indian, Zimbabwean, Korean and Vietnamese national liberation, on bourgeois nationalism, black separatism and identity politics. He wrote of course extensively on the great revolutionary movements of the Soviet people and of China, and he wrote on the historical roots of Zionism and imperialism in the Middle East with specific reference to the cause of the Palestinian people for national liberation and self determination. Harpal was undoubtedly a great disciple of Marx and Lenin, and recognised that the Great Socialist October Revolution in Russia as a watershed of cultural enlightenment and freedom for Humanity. Harpal’s critique of Trotskyism, his defence of the revolutionary teaching and leadership of Joseph Stalin, and his critique of Khrushchevism and revisionism that caused the downfall of Soviet Socialism is among the lasting theoretical contributions he bequeathed to the communist movement. We are grateful and moved by all of the tributes from his friends and comrades - that flowed to us even before we could speak to any but our closest comrades and family. To all of Harpal’s comrades and loved ones: we are sorry for your loss too. We are united in our grief. And our determination to carry on his work. Which is all of our work. The Party was Harpal’s wider family in every sense. And remains ours. If Harpal could say one thing to us it would be: “guard the party as you guard the apple of your eye.” He struggled to found and build it in the most difficult conjunction of circumstances, after the fall of the once mighty USSR. It is a great gift - the best of British - that he leaves us. A lutta continua!
