We Wish You Happy Birth Day Palijo Sahib: By Nazir Laghari

Seventh year of the imprisonment term of Rasool Bakhsh Palejo Sahib had begun. The political romance of working class of the country had not yet hit the despondency and people were suffering for their political consciousness – deep wound caused by the hanging of ZA Bhutto was still not heeled. Following the historical resistance put up by the people during MRD movement in Sindh, the anti people forces were uniting and reorganizing on war footings. Secret Agencies were using their organizational resources to reorganize and strengthen the racist neo colonial ruling elite. MRD was still relevant but the agents of State Establishment, who had seeped into the MRD, were dictating the genuine forces to implement Establishment’s designs. The demigods of Sindhi nationalism were receiving bouquets from General Zia ul Haq, General Jahandad Khan and other army Generals. The local agents of the intelligence paraphernalia were asking the people to disengage from the politics so that ‘independence could be achieved’.

Political prisoners were kept in different rooms but in same building of Special Ward of Jinnah Hospital at that time. Rasool Bux Palijo, Jam Saqi and Jamal Naqvi were prisoners of the Special Ward – soon G M Syed too was transferred to this ward too. Rasool Bux Palijo was transferred from Kot Lakhpat jail where he had spent many years. Tired and unmotivated jail guards used to sit outside each room and would allow meeting of political workers and journalists with the prisoners on payment of five rupees.

I was going to meet Rasool Bux Palijo after seven years – much water had flown under the bridge in these 7 years. Bhutto was hanged, cold war in Afghanistan was in its last phase and heading to its end. Indira Gandhi was murdered in India – the leadership of controlling forces of the world capitalism had been taken up by Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher – the path was cleared for capitalist’s hegemony of multinational and transnational companies in the world – all preparations were finalized for new world order. With this perspective, I had a lot to talk to Palijo Sahib.

Rasool Bux Palijo is highly well read pragmatic politician and is known as magician for organizing various classes of people. He applies his wide knowledge to his politics and his political moves. He had told me some 25 years ago that political consciousness is creeping into the Arab world – he had also said that the political change is imminent in the Arab World in next 30 years – Arab people would come out on streets against their rulers while on the other hand the regional racist agents of the leaders of the world capitalism would jump to capitalize on fall out of Arab consciousness yet the Arab people are bound to break the freezing stalemate and they will prove to be a nightmare for the hegemonic multinational companies dominating the Arab resources of energy. Arab people would enter into long battle with world capitalists for reasserting ownership on their resources. They will employ amazing guerrilla tactics and pragmatic wisdom and will fight with full force against the dominant unjust world order – though they will be crushed time and again, they will face humiliating defeats but they will rise again from the ashes. However the most testing time for them would come while battling with collaborators of South Asian regional racist dominating forces who will use from naval forces to suicide bombers for browbeating and subjugating Arabs in order to continue hold on their resources.

In our meeting after 7 years, dialogue remained mostly confined to the future events that would take place in 25 to 30 years’ time. I wanted to talk about political scenario of the country, new dimensions of historical MRD movement, Afghanistan’s proxy war and Army dictatorship in the country but in turn Palijo Sahib handed me over a packet containing his five books and said that we can discuss about the future of this region after I have read these books.

Today Rasool Bux Palijo Sahib’s political party ‘Awami Tahreek’ and its allied parties are celebrating his 81^st birthday and I do not know why on this day I remember G M Syed. I had attended many functions of GM Syed’s birthdays. I remember well that on the occasion of celebration of his 87^th birthday, I was seated next to him and he was furiously insisting on the spiritual hanging of Mr. Bhutto, who went to gallows with honor and dignity. Those days Palijo Sahib used to say that Bhutto has earned honor and dignity for his coming seven generations. Today Rasool Bux Palijo has reached the stage of G M Syed and the political force ‘Awami Tahreek’ having unparalleled political vision and wisdom in the history of Sindh has retreated uncrowned – it has suffered at the hands of petty self serving egotism – the party expected to provide inspiration and help to Sindhi people come out of despondency and feelings of helplessness, has become victim of opportunism. I shudder at the feelings of failure of politics. I pray to God that may the political process and political activism live long in nook and corner of the country. I congratulate Rasool Bux Palijo Sahib on his 81^st birthday today.

(This article was published in daily Jang on the occasion of 81^st birth day of Rasool Bux Palijo. We are publishing it here with the permission of Mr. Nazir Laghari) 

Translated into English by Haider Bhurgri