Reserve a seat at Comrade Harpal’s memorial meeting, Saturday 22 March in central London.
“What a torch of reason ceased to burn, what a heart has ceased to beat!” (From F Engels’ speech at the graveside of Karl Marx)
*****
Comrade Harpal Brar, founding chairman of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), died on Saturday 25 January at the age of 85. He had suffered with a degenerative spinal condition for many years, and had finally settled in India as his physical dependence left him unable to cope without 24-hour care, yet he continued to be politically active despite his dwindling mobility.
During December 2024, he wrote four articles, edited the January edition of Lalkar, participated via zoom in study classes and central committee meetings, before declining suddenly in the new year. His children (Joti, Ranjeet and Carlos) and close comrade (Ella Rule) were with him in Chandigarh when he died, and they took him back to his birth village of Fattanwala, Punjab for cremation the same evening. The whole village and many people from surrounding towns attended, including many family members and contacts from his original life.
Going back to the place where he had been born brought home just how far Harpal travelled in his life. For those who knew him as a London lecturer, an intellectual and a political activist, it is hard to imagine him as a horse-riding, crop-raising Punjabi farmer. But those were his roots. Before he journeyed to the metropolis, became a law lecturer, married his wife Kathy Sharp, found Marx and Lenin, and took up the cause of the liberation of mankind.
His earliest years were spent on a remote farm in British India, and his first lessons were received in the village madrasa before partition ripped through his native Punjab and devastated his small community. Some of his earliest memories were of watching his father and grandfather patrol on horseback during the cataclysmic days of partition, as they tried to keep their own land free of violence, to protect their muslim neighbours and to help muslim friends get across the nearby border.
From an early age, Harpal had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He began reading the English-language newspaper that was delivered to his school every morning and, when he realised that it was not a pastime that was favourably looked on by his schoolmates, took to studying early in the morning in the fields to escape their derision and distraction. The same singlemindedness drove him to find a way to get to university (something absolutely unheard of in a peasant family where his father had received only a basic primary education and his mother no education at all) – first in Delhi and then in London, the metropolis at the heart of the British empire.
A full obituary will be published in the next edition of Lalkar, the anti-imperialist journal that he re-founded in 1979 and edited until his death. With such a full and meaningful life, of so much significance not only to his friends, family and closest comrades but also to the Indian community in Britain, the Indian Workers Association (GB), in whose leadership he served for several decades, the British communist movement, our own party, the working class of Britain and wider humanity, it is hard to know where to begin. And where to end.
Harpal played a role in many of the great liberation struggles of his time, from Zimbabwe to South Africa, Vietnam to 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 women’s liberation. His 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 and spoke 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 he recognised the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia as a watershed of cultural enlightenment and freedom; as the opening of the era of proletarian revolution in which we still live. Harpal’s defence of the revolutionary teaching and leadership of VI Lenin and Josef Stalin, and his critiques of all forms of opportunism – of social democracy, of Trotskyism, of Khrushchevism and the revisionism that ultimately caused the downfall of Soviet socialism – are among the lasting theoretical contributions he bequeathed to the communist movement.
His comrades and family were moved to see how many tributes flowed as news of his passing spread around the world – even before they had had a chance to notify anyone of his death. These tributes have highlighted the vital role he played in helping keep the flame of Marxist-Leninist theory alive in Britain and the English-speaking world at the most difficult of times. In English and in translation, his works have educated and will continue to educate many generations of Marxist worker-theoreticians.
Without his work, Britain would not have a revolutionary party today. The chain that connects us to the theoretical and organisational principles laid down by the founders of our movement would have been broken, and the current generation would be in a far worse position than it is when trying to find its feet and orient itself for the great struggle that is fast approaching.
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 our organisation 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.
Harpal thought creatively about how to solve the problem of uniting revolutionary politics with the mass of the British workers. To that end he worked with the best revolutionaries and working-class leaders of his time, from Abhimanyu Manchanda, Avtar Johal and Jagmohan Joshi to Arthur Scargill, Frank Cave and Bob Crow. But the greatest and most self-sacrificing comrades, and his true friends and comrades, were always those unsung heroes of our party: Godfrey Cremer, Iris Sloley, Ella Rule, Kathy Sharp, Deborah Lavin, Zane Carpenter, Giles Shorter, Jack Shapiro, Isabel Crook, and many others.
With Lenin, Harpal realised that “Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement.” That was the slogan he inscribed on the banner of Lalkar. And that in turn was Lenin’s insightful way of paraphrasing Marx: “There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits.”
For Harpal, study was a practical part of politics without which we can never succeed in liberating the working people from their current state of servitude – from their wage-slavery. This was an early realisation of Harpal’s, and his huge body of written work – together with the CPGB-ML itself – is the enduring legacy that he leaves us.
It is a legacy whose influence will continue to grow as the revolutionary situation develops.
A lutta continua!
*****
Tributes and condolences
We reproduce below a small selection from the many messages of tribute and condolence we have received.
“What Comrade Harpal and his comrades have achieved cannot be underestimated. In the face of an all-out assault on Marxism-Leninism from the head of CPSU itself (Khrushchev), joining with the Trotskyites, the US and British imperialists and all of their academic conmen, they have not only preserved the tradition in the heart of imperialism itself but added to it and strengthened it for the future.
“For many of us who came to the party having been through social democracy/Trotskyism, Comrade Harpal’s work has been invaluable in helping us make sense of our own failures in the past and how to learn and rectify those mistakes to play a part in rebuilding the revolutionary tradition in Britain …
“The best way to honour the legacy of our departed comrade is to continue our work in the manner that he set out for us. The working class need the weapon of Marxism-Leninism in order to achieve true freedom, and thanks to Comrade Harpal that tradition has survived for us to take to our class.” (Britain)
*
“Comrade Brar was a staunch defender of socialist principles and an unwavering supporter of nations resisting imperialist aggression. His profound analysis and works on imperialism, anti-colonialism, and anti-zionism have inspired countless comrades worldwide. His book Nato’s Predatory War Against Yugoslavia remains a vital resource in exposing the imperialist aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, for which we are eternally grateful.
“We particularly wish to express our deep gratitude for his solidarity with Yugoslavia during one of the darkest chapters in our history. Comrade Brar’s steadfast support for the sovereignty and dignity of our people, as well as his efforts to expose the lies of Nato and western imperialism, demonstrated his commitment to truth and justice.
“His contributions as a writer, editor of Lalkar, and founder of the CPGB-ML were instrumental in advancing the global Marxist-Leninist movement. His leadership and dedication to internationalism serve as an example to us all.” (NKPJ, Yugoslavia)
*
“The communist draws his strength from scientific ideology, from his absolute trust in the working class. He draws his strength from the passion for freedom of the oppressed peoples of the whole world.
“Harpal Brar was such a revolutionary communist. In the oldest stronghold of imperialism, in the country of the intellectual and physical creators of zionism, he waged a determined struggle against imperialism, zionism and revisionism. Relentlessly until the end of his life.
“This veteran, this tireless, courageous fighter, this brilliant Marxist theorist has passed away. His work continues to guide the way. The party he did so much to create continues to march shoulder to shoulder with us to victory.” (Communist Labour Party of Türkiye/Leninist)
*
“For many years, we have had the privilege of working closely with the CPGB-ML in the shared struggle for the liberation of the working class and the fight against imperialism and capitalist exploitation. Comrade Harpal Brar was a central figure in this collaboration, a great teacher whose clarity, discipline, and revolutionary vision inspired not only his comrades in Britain but revolutionaries worldwide.
“Comrade Harpal dedicated his life to the advancement of the working class in Great Britain and beyond. His intellectual contributions … have been invaluable in educating and mobilising generations of activists. He was more than a leader – he was a guiding light for the Marxist-Leninist movement and a steadfast example of what it means to serve the people with courage and conviction.
“The loss of Comrade Harpal Brar is an irreparable one for the left movement, but we are resolute in continuing his legacy … Comrade Harpal may no longer be with us in person, but his teachings, vision and revolutionary spirit will forever guide us.” JVP UK committee (Sri Lanka)
*
“Some 26 years ago, the works of Comrade Harpal changed me and played an enormous part in my understanding of the science of Marxism-Leninism. A dear comrade of mine produced two books and asked me to read them. The books were Perestroika: The Complete Collapse of Revisionism and Trotskyism or Leninism? Those two books, thankfully, changed me. Comrade Harpal’s writing was so powerful and, most importantly, so easy to comprehend. From there, my grasping of Marxism-Leninism flowered.
“I also want to highlight how profound Comrade Harpal’s writings on political economy have been, in particular on the role of the market/commodity production under socialism, especially in his work Perestroika, and more recently, in another masterwork, Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. These writings should be mandatory for all communists, young or old.
“‘Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement,’ said Comrade Lenin, and Comrade Brar carried this maxim out better than anyone. The creation of the CPGB-ML in 2004 was a momentous step forward for the British proletariat, a genuine Marxist-Leninist party in a sea of renegade revisionists and Trotskyists. Even from far away here in Australia, I have consistently looked to the CPGB-ML for guidance.
“Throughout his long political life, Comrade Harpal has stood time and again with the oppressed and exploited nations and people, no matter the opposition from the bourgeois media propaganda machine and opportunists. I will never forget, in 2011, Comrade Harpal standing in Libya, as the country was subjected to imperialist aggression, and having been abandoned by the imperialist ‘left’. Comrade Harpal was both a great theorist and practical revolutionary worker, in the best traditions of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, et al.” (Australia)
*
“Comrade Harpal Brar was a staunch Marxist-Leninist, a fighter for the communist future of mankind. In the face of the onset of reaction, he proudly raised the banner of the future revolution … He was a man whose life and work have awakened new generations of revolutionaries to the struggle.” (All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks)
*
“Harpal Brar embodied militant strength and intellectual rigour. His death is a huge loss for the international communist movement, but his legacy lives on through his writings, his party and the struggles he nurtured.” (PRCF, France)
*
“The ultimate standard of the ability to build revolutionary leadership is the ability to build a core cadre, and my experience was that Comrade Harpal had built the most cohesive and dedicated core cadre existing in any sector of the communist movement or indeed the wider left … This achievement provided the vision of what socialist internationalist leadership and organisation could mean, even in this, the oldest country of imperialism and the heartland of imperialist ideology and its hateful manifestations of all kinds.” (Britain)
*
“The left has lost a towering colossus, a thinker, a theoretician, indeed a great revolutionary. The only homage we can pay him is to carry on the struggle for which he was an unflinching fighter.” (Zimbabwe)
*
“Harpal was a stalwart against those who would distort the teaching of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao and divert us into petty-bourgeois politics. His books and articles have been and continue to be the tools which we must arm ourselves with in order to remain revolutionaries in the Marxist sense. His work lives on in our work.” (Marxist Workers Party, Australia)
*
“Comrade Harpal dedicated his life to the working class, to struggling against imperialism, and to building a socialist world. While socialist nations and once proud communist parties were falling into revisionism and liquidating, Comrade Harpal defended the immortal science of Marxism-Leninism.
“Comrade Harpal’s writings were noted for their ideological clarity and fierce defence of actually existing socialist states. Under his leadership, CPGB-ML remains a powerful force in the international communist movement and the birth of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform can be credited to his many years of theorising and organising.” (American Communist Party)
*
“When I think about how difficult it must have been for Harpal Brar to hold fast within the culture that existed during the time of his work, I am awestruck. The CPGB-ML is my hub when it comes to socialist directives, and because of Mr Brar, I know that it is trustworthy. We all owe him a tremendous and forever unpayable debt of gratitude.” (Canada)
*
“His works in the English language are a load-bearing pillar of the party here in Kenya and many other ML projects globally. We continue to be inspired by his tireless dedication and commitment towards the cause of the working class.” (Kenya)
*
“Harpal Brar, during the period of the greatest decline of the world communist movement, began its revival. The man who did this must undoubtedly have had a phenomenal character. A warrior man from legend.” (Russia)
*
“During my posting in London, Harpal’s dedication to the cause of the working class and his unwavering belief in Marxist-Leninist principles inspired me deeply. His passion for the communist movement cause and his firm convictions will always be remembered and admired.” (CP China)
*
“Comrade Harpal Brar’s unwavering commitment to the principles of Marxism-Leninism and his tireless struggle for socialism and the working class will forever be remembered. His legacy stands as an inspiration to all those who strive for a more just and equitable world.” (CP Cuba)
——————————
Books and pamphlets by Harpal Brar
- Perestroika, the Complete Collapse of Revisionism (1992)
- Trotskyism or Leninism? (1993)
- Social Democracy, the Enemy Within (with section on the miners’ strike) (1995)
- Imperialism: Decadent, parasitic, moribund capitalism (1997)
- Bourgeois Nationalism or Proletarian Internationalism? (the fight against racism) (1998)
- Marxism and the Emancipation of Women (assistant editor with Ella Rule) (2000)
- Bourgeois Democracy and Fascism (Stalin Society pamphlet) (2000)
- Imperialism in the Middle East (with a special focus on Palestine) (2002)
- Chimurenga! The Liberation Struggle in Zimbabwe (2004)
- The Soviet Victory Over Fascism (party pamphlet) (2006, 2016)
- Imperialism: The Eve of the Social Revolution of the Proletariat (2007)
- Imperialism and War (2008)
- The 1926 British General Strike (party pamphlet) (2009)
- Nato’s Predatory War Against Yugoslavia (party pamphlet) (2009)
- After the Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Israel’s Days Are Numbered (party pamphlet with Joti Brar and Giles Shorter (2010)
- Revisionism and the Demise of the USSR (party pamphlet, companion to Perestroika) (2011)
- Imperialism and the Worst-Ever Crisis of Overproduction (with Ella Rule) (2013)
- Inquilab Zindabad! India’s Liberation Struggle (2014)
- World War One: An Interimperialist War to Redivide the World (party pamphlet with Ella Rule, Deborah Lavin, Paul Cannon and Keith Bennett) (2015)
- Zionism: A Racist, Antisemitic and Reactionary Tool of Imperialism (2017, 2024)
- Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: Marketisation of the Chinese economy (2020)
- The Rise and Fall of Project Corbyn (party pamphlet with Paul Cannon, Zane Carpenter, Ella Rule, Joseph Phinn, Joti Brar, Ranjeet Brar) (2020)
- Capitalism and Immigration (2009, 2022)
- Britain’s Perfidious Labour Party (party pamphlet, extract from Social Democracy) (2023)
- Trotsky(ism): Tool of Imperialism (party pamphlet, extract from Trotskyism or Leninism?) (2024)
For articles by Comrade Harpal published in our party press, see this list.
Watch speeches by Comrade Harpal on Proletarian TV.
