support for the destruction of democracv 1u The demonstration took place on Friday 30 IN THE WAKE of Labour Party annual conference former Black Section activist Paul Sharma has launched a public attack against that organisation, branding as the 'Mojahedin claims are fighting a 'holy leadership. Labour Party drop their demand for constitutional recognition, he says, and instead go for the affiliated status that groups such as neglects to mention been mooted and failed to win support. TURNER looks at the issues.
PAUL Sharma recently used the pages of Tribune to launch an attack on the Party Black Section. That attack was greeted with delight by a hostile media.
The Guardian of Wednesday which appeared before Tribune itself hit the streets reported that Black sections 'have beel hijacked' according Paul Sharma Like many before him, Sharma failed to recognise Ine me connection ween the movement of black members 1U1 LUll faction' those whom he war' with the party black members should Poale Zion enjoy. But Sharma that this solution has already CAROL stitutional rights in the party and headway in the abour movement on the politica issues heid to be most important within the DaCk Instead Sharma offers the two as an elther-or choice In Tribune Sharma concludes that: "The demand for constitutional change official recognition should not be dropped until it is won but black sechons must lurn their energies bigger concerns the real issues of politics. Their influence must now be re-directed at councils power and at the next mantesto which the national power will win power.
As an ex-activist in the Black Section movement Sharma simply cannot fail to be aware that the rise oi support for the Black Section coincided with. and was the decisive factor in the tremendous increase in the number of black colnculors electeo ano une historic return to _parliament of four black Labour MPs, including Diane Abbott, the first-ever black woman to win a seat. It is a simple fact that the in. creasing (although depressingly inadequate) atennon lo anul-lacisin l the Labour in relauos the growth of the Labour Party Black Section.
To launch an attack on the Black Section is, in practice, to lend suppor to the opponents of Black That newspapers like the Guardian are more than willing Furthermore, Sharma 1S lusI aseenlou. when 1t comes to advocating tactics. The compromise solution that Black Sections should become a Labour Party affiliated organisation was put to the NEC by • Eric It was voted doWn.
Among voting against it was Neil Kinnock. According to Sharma it is Black Section which has declared hor war' on Kinnock. In fact it Kunnock declared holy war on black The against the wal Black Section was cojoin ed in the following issue of Tribune. Prominent LCC supporter Lesley Smith welcomed Sharma's arti de The black press, however. didn't subport him, despite Sharma's claims that 'the black com munity has watched with amazement' the Black Section battle. The Voice reported Bernie Grant's response that Sharma was 'opportunist ana 'dodgy character'.
Debate about how to further the constitutional aims of the black members of the party is, of course valid. Naturally, Paul Sharma could propose as a tactic that the issue of affiliation should be reopened if it was now believed incie has ally on the issue bi the NEC movemen But provocative language like 'Mujahedir and 'holy wal was not designed to influence the Black Section but to discredit it. It was not intended as part of the debate on how to take forward the struggle for a Labour Party Black Sec tion but as part of the moves to derail it.
In SU doing Sharma tres lo weaKel the cam paign out of which others have gained success - anc the only beneficiaries of that are white racists.
SOLIDARIT WITH SWAPO!
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