HARIPUR: Renowned social activist Mohammad Taj aka Taj Lala passed away here on Thursday. He was 79.

He left behind a widow, four daughters and a son to mourn his death. Family sources said that Taj Lala had been admitted to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad for the last over two weeks for treatment of his lung infection but he could not survive and passed away on Thursday morning.

He was buried at his ancestral graveyards in Jama village. Social activists, poets, journalists and locals participated in his funeral.

Taj Lala was one of the founding members of Sungi Foundation, the civil society organisation that late Omar Asghar Khan founded in early 90s. He was one of the close aides of Omar Asghar Khan and took part in a number of movements orchestrated by Sungi against mega dams, deforestation and environmental degradation caused by fertiliser factories in Haripur.

Taj Lala served Sungi till the death of Omar Asghar Khan. He was known for his mobilisation skills, required for implementation of projects. He was a poet of Hindko and also penned down his autobiography in Urdu titled “Zindagi Ka Anokha Aafar”.

The 370-page biography of Taj Lala has been divided into three parts. The first part is about his early education, countryside culture, famous Hindko songs, Tappay and Maheeay, local traditions and words that were on the verge of getting out of use. The second part depicts the circumstances of 25 years of struggle of Taj Lala as a social activist.

In the last part of his book, he shared the details of his efforts for poverty reduction, social, political and economic rights of citizens and how he was part of activities meant for social development from the platform of Sungi Foundation.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2024