Being a communist in Britain

It’s now six months since our beloved friend and comrade Godfrey Andries Cremer died, on 26 March 2012. This tribute, paid to him by his life-long friend, his brother, and comrade, Harpal Brar, is the first of several moving and politically insightful contributions we intend to broadcast, made by his comrades and family.

This and the other contributions were made at his memorial meeting held in April this year, attended by well over 120 of his friends, family and comrades, who packed into Saklatvala Hall to share our sorrow at Godfrey’s passing and our joy that he has enriched our lives.

Despite our sadness, it was an inspiring and uplifting celebration of the 50 selfless and meaningful years Godfrey devoted to the finest cause in all the world – the fight for the liberation of mankind.

As we move forward and build our movement, it has been hard to accept that Godfrey is gone. We share this footage with you now as it is a valuable chance to reflect upon the past half-century of British working class and anti-imperialist history; to evaluate the struggles we have fought, and put the tasks facing us in historical perspective.

It is, consequently, an uplifting celebration of a beautiful life. Godfrey’s deep love for humanity, his profound marxist understanding, and his determination to use all his talent to serve the working class by building a truly revolutionary movement dedicated to their emancipation from wage slavery, and a communist party capable of directing that struggle, were his consistent motivating forces.

It was this higher cause and meaning that enabled him to harness his creative powers and live an outstanding and exemplary life; a life full of passion and joy, free of black despair and wasted, petty and meaningless years.

Godfrey faced his final moments with the same optimism and fortitude that characterized his life. His abiding certainty was that his life’s work was a great gift to humanity – and we salute him for it.

http://www.cpgb-ml.org

Local Paper Southall Gazette leads with tribute to Godfrey here:
http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2012/04/04/ealin…

Proletarian, paper of the CPGB-ML, pays tribute to Godfrey here:
http://www.cpgb-ml.org/index.php?secName=proletarian&subName=display&…

Godfrey’s internationalist Poem “Uddham Singh and Baghat Singh”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD9eZYYrzK0

Godfrey’s popem “Zimbabwe Chimurenga!” on the Zimbabwean liberation struggle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRh5oUNGyz0