IT was a week in which, mostly, special events were held in memory of some renowned individuals. On Nov 11, 1974 this newspaper reported that the day before the 36th death anniversary of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk was observed in Karachi at the Turkish Consulate General. Turkish nationals residing in the Sindh capital gathered at the residence of Consul General Reha Aytaman for the occasion. Addressing the attendees, the CG said Ataturk’s greatest achievement was that he changed the mentality of Turks through a revolution. Instead of expanding his territory, he consolidated it.

The word ‘revolution’ was used on Nov 13 as well, when Hasan Nasir Day was observed in the city. Homage was paid to the revolutionary who gave his life for the cause of the oppressed 14 years ago. A number of memorial meetings were arranged by political parties, student organisations and trade unions. The biggest of them was held at Katrak Hall under the auspices of 11 political, student and labour organisations. Speakers recalled the inhuman treatment to which Mr Nasir was subjected — he died at Lahore Fort in 1960 — for standing up against the forces of injustice, tyranny and the feudal system. They stressed the need for a united front of progressive groups, political parties, students and labour bodies to wage a struggle for the underprivileged segment of society. One speaker said, “He [Nasir] warned everyone that imperial and feudal forces were still engaged in disrupting the unity of the people. He also demanded restoration of civil liberties.” Apart from that, the need for the restoration of fundamental rights, freedom of expression, the repeal of certain laws and release of all detainees were highlighted.

On Nov 16, the art and life of Khwaja Moinuddin, the well-known Urdu dramatist, was praised on his third death anniversary at the Pakistan National Centre. Eminent scholar Dr Akhter Hussain Raipuri presided over the programme. He lamented that drama had always been a neglected part of our culture. After the death of Khwaja Moinuddin, there’s a ‘perpetual silence in the field of drama’. Plays could be the best tool for awakening the common man, he said and urged that Khwaja sahib’s scripts should be restaged. “He used satire as his main weapon in exposing social evils of our society,” Mr Raipuri remarked. Earlier, a resolution was passed asking the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) to rename Karimabad Road as Khwaja Moinuddin Road.

And on Nov 14, the visiting Soviet scholar, Dr Yuri L Rubinski, Professor of History and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economic and International Affairs, Moscow, gave a talk on various aspects of Soviet foreign policy at a group discussion held at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA). He pointed out that out of all the military confrontations that had taken place since World War II, a majority of them unfolded in Asia. He suggested regional economic, cultural and political cooperation between Asian states, the setting up of non-nuclear zones of peace in the region, and a determination to peacefully resolve disputes between countries in Asia.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2024