THATTA: Speakers at a webinar commended services of late veteran politician Rasool Bux Palijo and said nobody in entire South Asia fought case for water like he did and his lifelong struggle for Sindh’s rights was a noticeable chapter of history.

Ayaz Latif Palijo, chairman of Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) which organised the event on the second death anniversary of Palijo at SRO auditorium in Makli on Sunday, told participants that Palijo developed a combined leftist theory and practiced it to promote people’s interests.

He said that at a time when leftist leaders in Pakistan toed lines of Moscow and Beijing, he adopted a unique way by connecting Marxism with national question and raising voice for protecting Sindh’s rights on its natural resources and rights of women and minorities.

He contended that because of this unique approach, so-called leftists who rejected national question started targeting him. Those doing popular politics deemed him as a threat to their politics and they, from Gen Zia to Pakistan Peoples Party, tried hard to prevent Palijo from reaching parliament, he said.

He said that as a father and husband he gave equal status to his children and wives and provided them independence in pursuing their goals for study and profession.

PPP Senator Sassui Palijo said that Palijo Sahib had great unparalleled political vision that was why he always used to draw comparisons between prevalent socio-political system in Pakistan and the rest of the world, particularly in relevance to Sindh.

She said that Palijo Sahib was an enlightened, progressive and pro-people person who was an epitome of tolerance and always raised voice for the downtrodden class of the entire world.

Palijo Sahib was not only a politician, he was a great warrior who led throughout his socio-political tenure on the fronts of writing books, columns, short stories and poetry. He had deep knowledge of music and poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Rumi, Jami, Allama Iqabl, Shaikh Saadi and others. He wan an institution embodied who always preached youngsters to read books, she said.

She said that despite his ailment Palijo remained active in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, joined rallies periodically taken out for the rights of Sindh, including against controversial Kalabagh Dam and other issues of the province.

Thatta district council chairman Ghulam Qadir Palijo said that charismatic personality of Palijo attracted poverty and misery-ridden population of Sindh including scheduled caste Kolhis, Bheels, and others towards him who followed him wholeheartedly and became part of his lifelong struggle for legitimate rights of Sindh and Sindhis.

He said that Palijo freed the poor from the clutches of Pirs, Mirs and capitalists and with their help launched massive campaigns against handover of Sindh lands to outsiders, Kalabagh Dam and voters lists.

N.A Baloch Institute of Heritage Research Jamshoro director Dr Mohammad Ali Manjhi said that Palijo had a multi-dimensional personality and he involved his own family members and women and children of his party workers in street protests and made them part of fight for the rights of Sindh. Palijo produced hundreds of people, particularly party activists who played exceptional role in various fields, he said.

He educated his workers with his thought-provoking ideas through regular classes which helped evolve an educated political culture in Sindh. A clear example of this was Sindhiani Tehreek, a sister organisation of Awami Tehreek, which continued to play a vital role in politics shoulder to shoulder with Awami Tehreek till this day, he said.

Awami Tehreek central committee member Dada Qadir Ranto said that Palijo’s vast knowledge was not limited to politics but he had great command over other sphere of life as well including literature, art, music etc.

Earlier in the morning, dozens of party workers laid wreaths on Palijo’s grave in Mungher Khan Palijo village.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2020