Today, Southall is emblematic of the virtues of multicultural Britain, with its lively intermingling of different cultures and traditions which help to promote intercultural and interfaith harmony. With its predominant South Asian community, it has often been dubbed the ‘mini-Punjab,’ in addition to the local train station displaying key information in Punjabi. However, this was not always the case. Such a tranquil environment of civil harmony was only established after confronting years of racist abuse and hatred from far-right and fascist organisations who sought to wreak havoc on the immigrant population.
The 1970s were marred by political and economic instability, witnessing large scale strikes for better working conditions and pay. It was also a period in which men like Enoch Powell would stir hatred and violence towards the immigrants who settled in Britain. In his most defining speech, the ‘Rivers of Blood’ in 1968, he argued that majority of immigrants would not assimilate and would seek to undermine the institutions through civil disobedience and their alien culture. Such rhetoric would inflame a viscous campaign which often resulted in violence against ethnic minorities.
In Southall, West London, where organisations like the National Front regularly targeted immigrants, the Southall Youth Movement (SYM) was founded in the late 1970s to fight racially motivated violence against South Asian communities. The SYM was established in response to the local authorities’ disregard for racial attacks and was prompted by the 1976 murder of Gurdip Singh Chaggar. Focusing on community protection and self-defence, the organisation mobilised South Asian teenagers to patrol the streets and repel fascist attacks, especially during National Front marches.
During the 1979 Southall Riots, SYM organised rallies against a National Front gathering that culminated to violent altercations with police. Following the police killing of anti-racist educator Blair Peach, which exposed systemic racism in law enforcement, the demonstrations attracted global attention. By highlighting the police’s inability to protect minority neighbourhoods and pushing for accountability, the SYM exposed institutionalised racism.
Furthermore, SYM helped the British South Asian youth develop a strong sense of collective identity, empowering them to embrace their ancestry and fight bigotry. Through this empowerment, young people were able to claim their position in British culture while navigating the bigotry they encountered, as well as the cultural expectations of their immigrant families.
In order to respond to racism on a local and national level, the SYM also joined forces with other anti-racist organisations, such as the Anti-Nazi League, and joined a larger network of Asian Youth Movements throughout the United Kingdom. The Southall Youth Movement was vital in safeguarding South Asian communities and promoting anti-racist activity in Britain by fusing self-defence, protest, and coalition building.