LAHORE: Moderating the ThinkFest session, where ‘Struggle for Hegemony in Pakistan’ -- a book by Asim Sajjad Akhtar -- who now teaches at the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, was launched, Sarah Eleazar, an anthropologist from the University of Texas at Austin, USA, said the work should be translated into Urdu to have a wider readership locally.

She says though the book didn’t offer a solution to the Pakistani crises, it poses questions; who is the revolutionary subject of our times? How do we map politics of the Left, she asks, and what would the political terrain be like in the backdrop of aspirations of the middle class that believes that the present electoral model can lift the people out of poverty. She sees such mindset behind the rise of Imran Khan. Asim’s book, Ms Eleazar says, provokes us to do better, desire better and organise better.

Afiya Zia, the author of Fate of Feminism in Pakistan, from the Wesleyan University, US, says many Pakistani authors are writing books that are mainly meant for donors from the West and they talk about resilience of Pakistan, ignoring the local contradictions. Such books, she says, are mostly politically neutral or just criticise, army, the West or the USA. Those writing such flat narratives just secure their connections in the upper class intelligentsia, she asserts.

Asim’s book, she says, is different as he has not only presented ideological analysis of the evolution of the middle class in Pakistan but he has also indulged in critical, theoretical engagement, especially the critique of post-colonial theory.

Ms Zia says the feminists like her had been labelled ‘enlightenment puppets’ ‘allergic to religion’ etc for criticising post-colonial, postmodern theorists for their preference to culture and religion over class analysis. “But now when Asim has said this in his male, rather Punjabi male, voice, it may become acceptable”.

Ammar Ali Jan, an academic and founder of Haqooq-i-Khalq Party, lauded the author for his role and sacrifices for “keeping the Left alive in a very difficult situation”. He regretted that the culture of teaching students out of the classroom by guiding them intellectually had died in Pakistan but Asim was an exception who was still holding a weekly study circle at Quaid-i-Azam University.

About the book, Mr Jan says, it not only offers criticism of mainstream political parties like those in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) but also of their ‘fake alternative’ like Imran Khan. The book points towards the ‘actual alternative’ and looks at the issues of contemporary politics in Pakistan.

He says the Left has failed to send his message across to the people and that’s why it may be seen nowhere in the upcoming general election.

Asim Sajjad Akhtar terms social media just a tool that could not necessarily bring about a positive change. He says that it is a general misconception that religious/sectarian outfits like Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) comprised illiterate followers. Actually, he says, the TLP also has educated youth among its followers who are using social media quite effectively. He stresses the need for engaging with the people who one is working for by meeting them and just posting a message on social media is not enough.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2023