Labour figures joined Manchester’s Labour mayor Andy Burnham yesterday at Manchester Cathedral to unveil a statue celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue was given as a gift to the city by the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD) movement.
Gandhi was given the honorific “Mahatma” (“Great Soul”) by Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. He was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in Delhi, at the age of 78.
During a visit to the UK in 1931, Gandhi visited the textile mills in Lancashire, travelling from London to Blackburn via Manchester to meet with mill workers and explain the Indian perspective on the boycott of British goods that was damaging their cottage industry. During this visit, Gandhi attracted large crowds of admirers and received a warm welcome.
As well as mayor Andy Burnham, Labour was represented at the unveiling by Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner, senior GP and health campaigner Dr Kailash Chand OBE, Manchester council leader Richard Lee, Tameside mayor Leigh Drennan and many other senior figures.
Dr Chand told the SKWAWKBOX:
Gandhi has been the inspiration for civil rights and social change across the world. Among the greats of our times who adopted his philosophy of non-violence and non-cooperative methods are US civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr and former South African President, Nelson Mandela.
I grew up with his Nobelist teaching to the world, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which means “the world is one family”. Every individual important, regardless of his status in society or the position he holds.
In 2013, Corbyn was awarded the Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award. His commitment to peace and human rights is lifelong.
Richard Leese said:
This statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader who tirelessly championed the power of peaceful protest, will find a welcome home in Manchester. In the turbulent times we live in, his legacy of peace is one we can all appreciate and reflect on.
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What is the ‘cottage industry’ referred to in the piece that was being damaged by the boycott?
I presume it’s weaving on a home loom.
plain citizen King cotton in Lancashire which in my day covered Liverpool Manchester and parts of Cumberland such as Barrow
Thank you. Exactly. Hardly a cottage industry. Heavily industrialised, the cradle of socialism, communism, trade unionism. Cottage industry my arse. Usual southern wine bar socialist written rubbish
You misunderstood. The ‘cottage industry’ referred to was that of India, undercut by industrially produced cotton.
Of course, British textile manufacture grew out of a similar cottage industry. Many in my family iwere part of that before the mills opened.
The recent attack by Ephraim Mervis the Chief Rabbi on Jeremy Corbyn is despicable. Because Corbyn supports the civil rights of the Palestinians, it is clearly an attempt to try and smear him on behalf of the racist State of Israel.
This is yet another attempt by the Israeli Lobby to corrupt our democratic process and prevent Jeremy Corbyn a lifelong anti-racist from becoming our next PM.
To see Andy McDonald on the TV this morning capitulating to Mervis was disgusting and yet more proof why we should never have even contemplated falling for the trap of the IHRA definition.
Very pro-Israel judging by his Wikipedia entry.
Victoria Derbyshire programme was awful today (I do not normally watch it). Several anti-Corbyn lies not challenged, for example.
A reminder of Norman Finkelstein’s no nonsense view on the anti-Semitism smear campaign against Corbyn. Lest we forget many in LP and supporting it with media platforms have also been enablers.
https://twitter.com/Renegade_Inc/status/1199436867466346497
Jack T is absolutely correct, the IHRA chickens are coming home to roost. There are sections of the British ruling class, ably abetted by domestic and foreign intelligence services, the media, plus significant sections of our own movement, for whom nothing less that Corbyn’s head on a pole to display outside the tower of London will suffice. Further attempts to retreat and apologise will not placate the witch-hunters nor their masters. Hopefully it’s not too late but now is the time to show some backbone; grovelling will appeal to nobody. The motives of these people – to defend the indefensible in the shape of the state of Israel – cannot be gainsaid because they’re being totally disingenuous.
The IHRA definition has absolutely nothing to do with this mendacious attack on Jeremy Corbyn and the left, but perhaps you – and Jack et al who NEVER miss an opportunity to criticise and condemn the LP they claim to support – missed the fact that they were blackmailed in to doing so, and over a period of weeks by the corporate media and the Israeli lobby AND the Blairites of course.
Even if the IHRA definition had never come in to existence, the same fraudulent claims and allegations would have happened just the same – ie the black op smear campaign against Jeremy and the left – and YOU have been deceived by Jack’s ongoing deceit. But perhaps Jack would like to explain how the IHRA definition has anything whatsoever to do with the fraudulent attack by Mervis and the Times et al today. It doesn’t of course, but under the guise of pretending to condemn Mervis, Jack then blames it on the LP itself for adopting the definition.
And THAT was his sole objective, and I repeat, the adoption of the IHRA definition had nothing whatsoever to do with this premeditated and fraudulent attack by the chief rabbi, so ask yourselves WHY Jack would mention it, and the reality is that Jack is a complete fraud who DEFINITELY is an enemy of Jeremy Corbyn and the left, and who trys to undermine the LP practically every time he posts.
The smears and false claims of A/S were going on LONG before the IHRA definition ever came into the picture, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the smear campaign. But Jack and Co persist in their objective to blame JC and the LP for it all, because he/they ‘appease’ the smearers and don’t ‘fight back’, when they know damn well that it’s an impossibility to ‘fight back’ if the media is hostile towards you AND been complicit in the smear campaign from the outset, as it has.
More convoluted verbosity from Allan Howard the white flag troll!
Oh, how predictable – ie Jack and his white flag! Funny, isn’t it, how he has never ONCE acknowledged that the smearers/MSM control the narrative and, as such, hold all the cards. As Justin Schlosberg points out in Chapter 4 of Bad News For Labour:
“In contrast to other contexts, the antisemitism issue by its very nature inhibits the development of a counter-narrative. This is because much of the discursive framing serves to pre-emptively delegitimise any defensive response as ‘part of the problem’”.
Agreed Jack?
Allan – whatever the remedy is, it certainly isn’t adoption of the warped IHRA definition and constant apology.
That much is just a statement of the bleedin’ obvious : it hasn’t worked!
P.S. I was pleased today that Corbyn didn’t actually apologize – even if he didn’t rubbish the accusations.
I’m not sure where this will end up when I post it, but it’s in response to RH’s PS:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/11/26/general-election-jeremy-corbyn-anti-semitism-chief-rabbi-brexit/
And this:
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jeremy-corbyn-refuses-to-apologise-to-the-community-after-chief-rabbi-warning/
And this:
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-11-26/corbyn-refuses-to-apologise-to-jewish-community-after-chief-rabbi-warning/
And this:
https://news.yahoo.com/jeremy-corbyn-refuses-apologise-anti-semitism-bbc-andrew-neil-191637173.html
And this:
https://news.sky.com/story/general-election-jeremy-corbyn-addresses-antisemitism-row-after-chief-rabbi-attack-11870789
And this:
https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/26/jeremy-corbyn-refuses-apologise-labour-anti-semitism-11223774/
And this:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1209635/Jeremy-Corbyn-news-andrew-neil-bbc-video-antisemitism-general-election-labour-party-news
And this:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10429034/jeremy-corbyn-andrew-neil-interview-anti-semitism/
And this:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/generalelection2019/video-2057264/VIdeo-Jeremy-Corbyn-refuses-apologise-British-Jewish-community.html
PS There’s more of course – ie The Times, Guardian, Indy, Mirror and the Standard and the Scottish newspapers and the other Jewish newspapers etc, but I won’t bother posting links to them.
And needless to say, it was no coincidence that the chief rabbi demolition job happened on the same day as the interview with Andrew Neil had been arranged for AND that Neil repeatedly asked him if he would like to apologise to the Jewish community. And needless to say, – as Neil knew all too well – that for Jeremy to have apologised was to concede that the chief rabbi was telling it like it is, when he wasn’t, but to NOT apologise would be jumped on and condemned by all the usual suspects and media, just as it now has been. In other words – as has been the case ALL along – Jeremy was in a no-win situation.
And you didn’t need to be psychic to know that the moment Jeremy declined to apologise, it would be headline news all over the MSM in a matter of hours (as I myself did).
Repeat a lie and repeat again and eventually they will own it Labour 21 st century and owning the AS tag and stuck too the membership as well. How dare are almightys accept the racist tag without a special consultation with the whole Membership.I am no longer welcome in the homes of my wifes relatives in Brighton because of this AS scam.Can’t our leaders see the damage they have done not only to the Labour party but the personal lives of people like me.A lot of jews are genuinely frightened and especially when its confirmed by the leadership.The appeasement and collaborators has only helped to.damage the party and individuals like myself who call Watson mann berger Hodge and Lansman liars are now getting the results of owning AS in our personal lives even amongst Jewish relatives,and personally I do not blame ordinary jews for accepting the words of their own leadership,when ours aceppt a lie.Ps…..I expect expulsion for my comments,but that just goes to show how out of touch we are with the reality of collaboration.
How long has that been going on for Joseph – ie you no longer being welcome in the homes of your wife’s relatives in Brighton? And what does your wife herself think about the whole anti-semitism thing, out of interest? I assume – given that she’s your wife – that SHE is aware that it’s all a right-wing/Establishment black propaganda op. Perhaps you should get your wife to show her relatives the recent statement by the Jewish Socialists’ Group, which includes the following:
We can see no evidence that a victorious Labour government would persecute, disadvantage, hurt, oppress or delegitimise Jewish citizens. On the contrary, the party’s commitment to equality and to challenging racism and discrimination, are key to its values and manifesto commitments. As are its commitments to benefit the majority of the population, especially the working poor, disabled people, those who are homeless, unemployed or young, as well as disadvantaged ethnic minority groups and refugees.
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/jews-for-a-labour-victory/
And there are of course plenty of other articles on JVL’s website that refute the claims, and articles by Jonathan Cook, for example, and many other Jewish people. Then there are the letters supporting Jeremy written by Jewish people and academics, and the Open Letter recently, signed by Roger Waters etc. And needless to say, if Ken Livingstone or Jackie Walker or Chris Williamson etc HAD really said something anti-semitic – which they DIDN’T of course – how come not a single one of the individuals or groups who claimed that they DID, has reported them to the police, given that racism/anti-semitism is a criminal offence.
Just came across the latest post by Jonathan Cook in my inbox in fact:
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/2019-11-27/antisemitism-claims-have-one-goal-to-stop-jeremy-corbyn-winning-power/
Allan…..shut up if you cant give a sensible answer other than the white flag..Sad 😢 really and you are part of the problem in the Labour collaberation of lies on the AS scam.Ps my wife stands shoulder to shoulder with me and as like me described AS a scam too her offended relatives…
So how long has it been since you weren’t welcome in the homes of your wife’s relatives in Brighton Joseph? I mean I don’t know how many people you’re referring to – ie how many homes/families you’re talking about – but did they all ‘reject’ you at the same time, or was it something that happened over a period of time? Must be difficult for your wife. Does she still see them?
And just to be clear, were you in fact blaming Jeremy for your predicament because – as you see it – he didn’t ‘fight back’ against the lies and falsehoods AND that – as you see it – if he HAD, your wife’s relatives would have accepted and believed his side of the story, as opposed to Hodge and Smeeth and Austin and Mann et al AND the BoD and the JLM and the CAA and the LAA and the CST, and you wouldn’t have ended up being shunned by them all?
Afterthought: Why didn’t you and your wife enlighten her relatives on Jeremy’s behalf, so to speak Joseph?
Anyway, I assume it happened just recently as I don’t recall you mentioning it before, as I’m sure you would have done, and not waited until now, just a couple of weeks before the GE, to apprise us of your situation if it had happened months ago or a year or two back, and do so on the very day the chief rabbi does a big hit-job on JC.
I assume from what you say Joseph that both you AND your wife are estranged from your wife’s relatives, and that’s very sad to hear given that it’s happened as a consequence of a series of falsehoods and lies and smears, as such. I assume the relatives you speak of – who are your in-laws of course – are her brother(s) and sister(s) and nephews and nieces etc, and maybe even her mother and/or father if they are still alive? I can only suggest that you email them a ‘dossier’ consisting of articles and letters by members of the Jewish community supporting Jeremy AND rejecting the claims and allegations of A/S and, for example, how Margaret Hodge submitted 200 claims of A/S to the LP which, as it transpired, corresponded to 111 people, only 20 of whom were LP members, AND how only ONE person has been convicted of A/S, and THAT was before Jeremy became leader, and four others charged with A/S earlier this year,but who haven’t been to court yet.
And tell them how the former staffers stole a big batch of cases just before they left AND deleted the originals etc, and how seven of the ten people who participated in the Panorama program and were presented as ordinary Jewish LP members were in fact all executive committee members of the JLM, and one of the other three their former Campaigns Officer, and put it to them – ie her relatives – that any journalist AND production team making a documentary about A/S in the LP would have conferred with the CLPs whom they made very serious allegations about, to get THEIR response to the allegations and, as such, included them in the program. And also tell them all to check out the Aljazeera undercover investigation etc, etc, etc.
I mean it isn’t just a case of re-establishing both of your relationships with them all, but also – at the same time – showing them how totally corrupt all the people and the media are who have conspired in the whole thing from the outset. Then again, had *I* been married to a Jewish woman etc, I’m sure we would have been bringing all these things to her relatives attention in an ongoing sense – ie as they happened – along with bringing the numerous articles and letters rejecting the claims and allegations AND supporting Jeremy to their attention, and I HAVE to say I’m surprised that you didn’t.
But it’s never too late!
PS And just what was it exactly that Jack said that I didn’t give ‘a sensible answer’ to?
Can we please stop sanctification. Ghandi was all too human, frequently in racist and sexist ways.
Yes he was, but he also caused an empire to tremble.
We all have feet of clay – even those of us who don’t move mountains, much less continents.
Yes and as it me be Jeremy and the IRA tomorrow when he was planting a seed for peace it is good to remember that JC got the Ghandi International Peace Award.
In fact to think about it a Nobel Peace Prize for Jeremy re N.Ireland would go nice on his shelf next to the Ghandi Award!
Love Ghandi’s quote on What do you think about Western civilisation? Ghandi: “It would be a good thing.”
Yes, he had wit. Another one of his quotes was:
There’s enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.
Allan Howard Thanks I for all the advice have you thought of counselling,?…go to bed now and get some rest.
Glad to be of help Joseph.