Venturing on roads with hockey sticks stashed in car trunks and amassing petrol bombs as a means of self-defense are just some of the gripping anecdotes woven into a fresh UK documentary delving into the racist assaults endured by British Indians during the tumultuous 1970s and 80s.
Titled 'Defiance: Fighting the Far Right,' this riveting three-part series, broadcasted on Channel 4 starting Monday, meticulously pieces together a narrative using a trove of archival footage and poignant firsthand accounts from individuals who lived through the era. It chronicles the resilience of Britain’s South Asian community against a barrage of vicious racist attacks and murders spanning from 1976 to 1981.
The documentary underscores how this community staunchly confronted escalating anti-immigrant sentiments and a barrage of violence orchestrated by notorious far-right and racist factions like the National Front.
Recalling those turbulent times, Rajesh Thind, a British Punjabi director contributing to one of the episodes, reminisces, “Back then, my Ludhiana-born father would drive around with hockey sticks in the boot of his car in case we ever ran into far-right thugs as we went about our daily business.”
"Since my childhood, witnessing the events of the late 1970s and early 1980s, I've harbored a deep-seated desire to share the narratives of how we British Asians resisted the National Front and other racist and fascist organizations," Thind expressed passionately.
"I've been driven to demonstrate to the world that contrary to some Western stereotypes depicting South Asians as meek and docile, our communities were brave, resilient, and resourceful, drawing upon decades of experience from anti-colonial struggles in India and Africa," he added fervently.
Crafted by BAFTA-winning Rogan Productions, Left Handed Films, and GroupM Motion Entertainment, the series delves into pivotal moments in British South Asian history, including the Southall protests, the Battle for Brick Lane, and the Bradford 12 – events often overshadowed by the media, law enforcement, and the government of the time.
"At a time when we have a British Asian Prime Minister [Rishi Sunak] and an Asian First Minister in Scotland [Humza Yousaf], it is profoundly impactful to share the stories of ordinary British Asians striving to carve their path in this country and be heard," remarked Shaminder Nahal, Channel 4 Head of Specialist Factual, who spearheaded the series.
James Rogan, Executive Producer for Rogan Productions, emphasized, "A comprehensive retelling of the extraordinary experiences of a generation of Asian refugees and migrants who came to Britain and faced an unprecedented wave of racial violence, stood their ground, and turned the tide, is long overdue."
The series commences with the tragic killing of 18-year-old Gurdip Singh Chaggar on the streets of Southall, west London, and the chilling declaration by far-right leader John Kingsley Read: “One down, one million to go!” Subsequently unfolds a harrowing confrontation between Britain’s South Asian and black communities and the far-right activists.
"The British Asian civil rights movement is a forgotten piece of history… These are stories of bravery in the face of violence and a refusal to let prejudice go unchallenged – they could not be more timely," echoed sentiments from Riz Ahmed and Allie Moore of Left Handed Films.
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