Luton historian explores South Asian resistance in new book
A Luton journalist and historian has written his first book exploring more than 400 years of South Asian history in Britain and the fight against racism, discrimination and colonialism.
Taj Ali’s Come What May, We’re Here to Stay: The Story of South Asian Resistance in Britain will be discussed at his first book event at Marsh House Community Centre in Luton on Tuesday, September 15, as part of his 18-date UK tour.
The book uses archival research and oral history interviews to tell the stories of South Asian communities and their resistance to racism and discrimination.
It includes accounts from people in Luton, Bradford and Birmingham who experienced racism during the 1970s and 1980s.
In an interview with the Luton News, Taj said: “It’s called resistance because we weren’t simply passive victims of injustice. We had agency, shaping history.”
He added: “I’ve written it primarily with a younger audience in mind. I think young South Asians should understand the history of our elders.”
Luton features heavily in the book, with Taj recalling how some parts of the town were unsafe for Black and Asian people.
“There were certain roads in Luton that you wouldn’t have walked as a Black or Asian person, because you’d get your head kicked in by racists,” he said.
He credits the changes in areas such as Bury Park to how communities have fought to create the diverse town seen today.
He said: “We walk through Bury Park today. We see lots of thriving independent businesses. We appreciate the diversity of Luton, but that was fought for, and it’s important to learn the lessons from history.”
Taj said the history explored in the book is particularly relevant following racist violence and the rise of far-right extremism in recent years.
He said: “As we see a rise in far-right extremism across Britain, we need to understand how our elders fought back against racism in the 70s and 80s, and what lessons we can take away from that for racism in the here and now.”
The Luton event is particularly significant to Taj as Marsh House Community Centre is where he wrote the proposal for the book.
The evening will include food, chai and discussions, with guest speaker Suresh Grover from Southall Monitoring Group.
Grover was stabbed in the 1960s, was involved in anti-racism campaigns in Southall and later supported the family of Stephen Lawrence following the teenager’s murder.
Taj said: “I want it to be that intergenerational conversation where we’re speaking to our elders, but also thinking about the challenges we face today where we are seeing an increase in hate, thinking about how we unite our communities and how we tackle racism.”
Taj will also visit his former Luton high school, Challney Boys, with his book as part of his visit to the town.
The Marsh House event is the first stop on his autumn tour, which includes events in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southall, Durham, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Liverpool and Bristol.
The event takes place at Marsh House Community Centre, Bramingham Road, Luton, from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday, September 15.