From The Hindu Archives, March 6, 1976: Move against BBC film on Asian immigrants

London, March 6: A British Labour member of Parliament has denounced as “abominable, racist and fascist”, the film on Asian immigrants shown on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) television last Saturday and demanded the sacking of BBC’s Director-General, Sir Charles Curran.

Mr. Sydney Bidwell, who represents Southall, told a press conference last night that the film was a concoction by the National Front and could not do race relations any good. “We will not leave it alone. The protest will rumble on and grow”, he said, “after talks he and a representative delegation had with senior officials of the BBC.”

The delegation consisting of the President of Indian Workers Association, Mr. A.S. Rai, General Secretary, Mr. M.S. Padda and Mr. Kadri, General Secretary of the standing conference of Pakistani organisations said the BBC tried to defend its programme by saying it was in the interests of free speech.

After failing to persuade BBC not to repeat the programme scheduled for this Saturday the Indian Workers Association decided to move the High Court for an injunction to bar BBC from proceeding with its programme.