THATTA: It was not an event that could go unnoticed despite having been held in this district’s far-off village of Munghar Khan Palijo, where veteran nationalist leader Rasool Bux Palijo has been buried, near Jangshahi.

Participation of several thousand activists, supporters and followers of the late leader to pay homage to him on his fifth death anniversary on June 7 proved that the Awami Tehreek (AT) founded by him has not lost its vigour. Not even dented by his death.

The number of women participants was also no fewer than that of men. And more importantly, all of them appeared as ambitious as ever to carry forward the late Palijo’s mission of getting Sindh and its native people their righteous status in this country.

Although AT is currently without a charismatic leader of R.B. Palijo’s calibre and also lacks a proper communication network essentially requi-red to run a province-wide movement, the size of the gathering truly reflected its unflinched strength.

Speakers at the programme highlighted Palijo’s political ideology and the audience coming from across Sindh listened to them in a pin-drop silence. Occasionally, they raised slogans and clapped whenever the speakers recounted achievements of the late Palijo in creating awareness of women’s rights and promotion of Sindhi language in his life-long struggle.

Attired in the symbolic red suits and carrying red flags, a large group of young women workers sang ‘revolutionary’ songs on the stage.

Born in the village on February 21, 1930, Rasool Bux Palijo was regarded by his followers as an iconic figure of Sindhi nationalist politics.

He received his early education from the Sindh Madrasatul Islam and got his LLB degree from the Sindh Muslim Law College, Karachi. As a young lawyer, Palijo started taking interest in cases related to human rights and then creating awareness of Sindh’s and Sindhis’ rights, besides women’s rights.

His son, Ayaz Latif Palijo, who has founded his own Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT), was prominent among those who laid floral wreaths on the grave of his father.

Speaking on the occasion, he his father had introduced new trends in politics and actively advocated the rights of the marginalised segments of society. “He played an active role in the struggle against ‘One Unit’ as well as the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy,” Ayaz Palijo said, adding that the late leader also played a pivotal role in bringing womenfolk in politics. He recalled that his father had spent almost 11 years of his life in different jails for leading his party’s movements against injustices.

Luminaries like Sheikh Ayaz, Hyder Bux Jatoi, Fazil Rahu and Jamal Abro were among his close associates in the movements, he added.

He made special mention of his father’s province-wide movements against publication of voters’ lists in Urdu and Kalabagh dam project.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023