• GREAT to see so many wonderful people commemorated in the CNJ (Black History Makers supplement) – but you left someone out.

Shapurji Saklatvala was born into a wealthy family in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1874. He worked for Tata, the richest business family in India, who were close relatives.

He also did voluntary work in the slums of Bombay and became increasing critical of his capitalist family. Partly in consequence, partly to recover from malaria, he came to England in 1905.

He worked for the Tatas in Manchester then became a barrister. He was shocked by the poverty in England, became increasingly socialist and joined the Independent Labour Party. He also joined Sylvia Pankhurst’s suffrage demonstrations.

In 1907 he married an Englishwoman, Sarah Marsh, a waitress.

In 1921 he joined the Communist Party at its foundation, then in 1922 became the fourth Indian to be elected to parliament, for Battersea North as a Communist, but endorsed by the Labour Party – Labour’s first MP of colour.

He lost his seat in 1923 but was re-elected for Battersea North in 1924, as a Communist; Labour had stopped endorsing Communists. He shocked parliament by calling the Speaker “comrade”.

A supporter of worker militancy, in 1926 he was imprisoned for two months for urging soldiers to support the General Strike.

He actively worked for Indian independence and was strongly anti-imperialist; his passport was withdrawn by the foreign office to prevent his subversive travels. He lost his seat in 1929, failed to be re-elected in 1931, and never ran again.

He died in 1936 at St Alban’s Villas, Highgate Road, opposite Parliament Hill Fields, where he lived through his political career with his wife and five children.

For further information see Marc Wadsworth’s Comrade Sak: Shapurji Saklatvala MP: A Political Biography, Peepal Tree Press, 2nd edition 2010.

PAT THANE,
Twisden Road, NW5