RIP: Belle Harris - Joint statement from Sunahwar Ali and Syed Mizan

” London–Dhaka–Sylhet ”

Sunahwar Ali & former councillor Syed Mizan

Joint statement from Sunahwar Ali and Syed Mizan:

We have learned with sadness of the passing of Belle Harris.

Belle was a committed anti-racist campaigner long before she became a councillor. Sunahwar remembers her running trade council stalls on Brick Lane in 1978. She was there at the founding of the Tower Hamlets Association for Racial Justice (THARJ) in 1982. Her contribution to the struggle against racism and fascism in our borough cannot be counted lightly.

Sunahwar and Belle later served together in the 1990s – she as Chief Whip, Sunahwar as Deputy Chief Whip. The following year, Sunahwar became Chief Whip and Belle served as his Deputy. That close political partnership, even with their differences, reflects the seriousness they both brought to the work.

Sunahwar writes honestly: Belle’s commitment to the Bengali community was real, but she had a problem – she tended to believe all Bengali people were the same. That was the main difficulty between her and himself.

Still, we redirect this tribute to acknowledge her decades of sacrifice and struggle, from 1978 onward, while not erasing the complexity of how she related to the community she fought alongside.

It is so sad to hear. She was a good friend to us for many years, a colleague and comrade. A true anti-racist campaigner. It is because of her contributions that we got lots of resources from the GLC and ILEA back then. Those resources changed lives in our community.

Belle Harris was not just a colleague but a steadfast ally to our community during the darkest days of the National Front and institutional racism. She put her body and reputation on the line when many others stayed silent.
We remember her organising, her late-night phone calls, and her refusal to look away. Though our relationships with her were not without tensions – and we do not pretend otherwise – we honour her legacy of action.

Rest in power, Belle. Our condolences to all who knew her.

Signed,
Sunahwar Ali and Syed Mizan