Sadar Ali Malik, originally from Kashmir, was an early settler in Canning Town, East London. He was interviewed in 1990 about his experiences of work and community organising over the previous thirty years, recalling the harsh working conditions and describing the climate of everyday racism. Apart from becoming an active shop steward at Ford’s, Mr Malik also formed the Canning Town Muslim Welfare Association and played a part in national community groups such as the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and, locally, the Newham Monitoring Project.
The TUC called a day of action, 14 May 1980, in protest against the recently elected Conservative government’s social, industrial and economic policies.
2.
See PunjaHarsh, ‘The need for unity: an interview with Vishnu Sharma’, in this issue.
3.
BaigAkhtar Ali, 29, was attacked in broad daylight by a skinhead gang, he was stabbed in the heart by a 17-year-old with a sheath knife. The death led to massive demonstrations locally and ultimately led to the creation of the Newham Monitoring Group to campaign against racist violence and police inaction. See Newham: the forging of a black community (London: NMP/CARF, 1991).
4.
This refers to the period examined by AsheStephen. on pp. 34–54.
