Harpal Brar | |
|---|---|
 Brar speaking at the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in Birmingham, 2015. | |
| Born | 5 October 1939 |
| Nationality | British-Indian |
| Education | University of Westminster |
| Occupation(s) | Former Chairman of the CPGB-ML, Businessman, University lecturer |
| Known for | Anti-imperialist activism, CPGB-ML founder, support of Irish republicanism and Palestinian solidarity |
| Notable work | Inquilab Zindabad: India's Liberation Struggle (2014) |
| Political party | Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) |
| Children | Joti Brar (daughter) Ranjeet Brar (son) |
Harpal Brar (born 5 October 1939) is an Indian communist, politician, writer and businessman, based in the United Kingdom. He is the founder and former chairman of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist), a role from which he stood down in 2018.
Born in Muktsar, Punjab, British India, Brar has lived and worked in Britain since 1962, first as a student, then as a lecturer in law at Harrow College of Higher Education (later merged into the renamed University of Westminster), and later in the textile business. Brar owns buildings in West London which he uses for CPGB-ML party activity, and he part-owns an online shop called "Madeleine Trehearne and Harpal Brar" which sells shawls.
Brar is the editor of a left-wing political newspaper Lalkar, the former journal of the Indian Workers' Association. Brar has written multiple books on subjects such as communism, Indian republicanism, imperialism, anti-Zionism, anti-colonialism, and the British General Strike. He is also a co-founder of the Hands off China Campaign.