GM SYED POLITICS

SAEEN GM SYED: HIS POLITICS, HIS LEGACY

BY: IMRAN ALMANI



“JEY PAHINJO NOOR NICHOEY WAYA, AIN TUHINJEE JOT JALAI WAYA
SEY LURRK MITTI MEIN LOEY WAYA, PAR CHA CHA MOTEE PAI WAYA.” (Shaikh Ayaz)

It is evident from perusal of the history of oppressed nations that whenever they are subjected to the utmost humiliation and deprived of what actually belongs to them by oppressors, colonisers and exploitative classes, there always comes a succour to such nations in the form of a person who acts like a beacon light to lead them out of the darkness of oppression, exploitation and humiliation into the broad daylight. Saeen GM Syed was one such individual in the political history of Sindh. Sindh which had been a cradle to one of the oldest civilizations on earth namely, the Indus Valley Civilization was conquered by the British as an independent state in 1843 but the treatment that was meted out to Sindh thereafter however, defied all moral and ethical conventions. Sindh was first merged with Bombay Presidency on the pretext of facilitating administrative work and at the time of partition handed over to their ‘spiritual sons’. The long chapter of Sindh’s troubles had only just begun as it proved only a change of masters: WAYA GORA WARYA KARA, FIKAR BADLYA NA FUN BADLYA, NA BADLYO KO NIZAM HIN MULK JO BAQEE BADAN BADLYA (Ibrahim Munshi). Sindh would henceforward be treated as an occupied territory of Pakistan. Sindhis would be treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland. Their resources would be utilized for the benefit of Punjab. The Sindhi youth would be brainwashed in the name of Islam in a systematic manner so much so that they would forget their own identity. Sindhis would be reminded time and again that to demand their legitimate rights was tantamount to treason. Liaquat Ali Khan and his likes would treat Sindhis as ‘ the scum of the earth’. Urdu would replace the rich Sindhi language. The rich Sindhi culture would be replaced by a totally new culture_ the so-called ‘Islamic Culture’. Sindhi Hindus who had formed the backbone of Sindhi urban society before Partition would be forced to leave their homeland once and for all under a conspiracy so as to create a vacuum in the urban centres of Sindh. The big cities of Sindh would be turned into ‘World Orphanages’ where people from other parts of Pakistan as well as those from other countries would be settled in order to turn Sindhis into a minority in their own homeland. The roaring “Sindhu” whose roaring waves had once frightened Alexander the Great would assume such a silence that even the most silent amongst us would be surprised at its silence. The loot and plunder of Sindh would continue unrelenting albeit in different names:

SINDH SASTEE THEE WIKAMEY, NIT NAEN NEELAM MEIN
KEDEHN KEHREY NAAM MEIN AIN KEDEHN KEHEY NAAM MEIN (Ibrahim Munshi)


IHO MAJOR, IHO CURNUL, IHO GERNAL JIGAR KHAI
SADAIN SINDH PAEE THUDJEY MISL FUT BAAL MAKUZ MEIN (Ibrahim Munshi)

It was Syed alone who stood against all this tyranny and oppression. Whilst Sindhi mirs, pirs and waderas were busy adulating their new brown masters, Saeen GM Syed stood alone in his struggle for emancipation of Sindhi nation. When the tyranny was so great that even one’s voice was suppressed, it was his voice that was the loudest and clearest. Sindh formed the centre of his universe. Sindh was to him what Mecca and Medina were to devout Muslims. He became the staunchest opponent of ‘Two Nation Theory’, which had formed the basis of struggle for Pakistan. His own experience of religious politics with Muslim League had dictated that nations did not come into being on the basis of religion. Religion was merely a tool that had been used time and again to achieve certain political ends. He reminded Sindhis that they were a nation not on religious grounds but because of their distinct history, culture, language, geographical entity, economic and political interests. The main points of his political struggle were: Nationalism, Secularism, Democracy and Socialism. The idea of a secular, democratic and socialist government becomes meaningless unless the masses have freedom to choose the form of government they would like to put in place and they can only do so when they are freed from the chains of slavery. The disappointment and distrust of the federal structure and the separation of the then East Pakistan clearly showed that the rulers of Pakistan had failed to give the oppressed nations their rightful place within the framework of Pakistani constitution. When the last flicker of the candle flame of a rightful place for the people of oppressed nations in Pakistan had died out, Saeen GM Syed was left with no other option but to raise the slogan of an independent SindhuDesh that meant parting of ways with Pakistan. SindhuDesh in his view had existed throughout the history of the Indian Subcontinent and the struggle that he was waging for an independent SindhuDesh was not a new one but a continuation of the struggle by his predecessors like Maulana Ubeidullah Sindhi who had openly advocated this cause before him. The emancipation of SindhuDesh in his opinion would mean the emancipation of the country confined to the present boundaries of Sindh since by ‘Sindh’ was meant the entire area that comprised the Indus Valley. The rulers of Pakistan labelled him as a ‘traitor’ and imprisoned him for almost thirty-two years. The incarceration continued until the end of his life in April 1995:

ASAN JEAN JEAY KO BHALA KO JAHAAN MEIN
SADAIN NISHAAN TEY, SADA IMTEHAAN MEIN (HALEEM BHAGEE)

Apart from being a great political leader he was also a prolific writer. His writings encompass a wide range of subjects such as politics, history, philosophy and religion. He was the author of more than sixty books. Some of his most famous works include: “Jean Ditho Ahey Moon (Religion as I view it)”, “Sindhu Jee Sanjaah (An understanding of Sindhu)”, “Pakistan Jo Mazee, Haal Ain Mustaqbil (Pakistan: Past, Present and Future)”, “Paigham-E-Latif (The Message of Latif)”, “Pakistan Harn Tutarn Ghurjey (Pakistan should now be broken up)”, “Jadeed Syasat Ja Nauratan (Nine Jewels of Contemporary History)” and “Sindh Galhai Thee (Sindh Speaks)”. In “Jean Ditho Ahey Moon” he refutes the argument that religions come down from Heaven. Religious phenomenon in his opinion is as much social as it is cultural. The core idea preached and emphasised in this most beautiful and certainly one amongst his many controversial works is the fact that men are responsible for the birth of religions. Religions are for men and not vice versa. He rejects the notion held by the religious fundamentalist who claims his monopoly on truth and rejects all other religious notions, which are contrary to his interpretation of religion as KUFR or INFIDELITY. In essence, he was a staunch believer in the ‘Sufi’ interpretation of religion. Today, when the world has woken up to the menace of religious fundamentalism in the aftermath of tragic events of 11 September 2001 in America and 7 July 2005 bombings in London, it is this notion of sufi interpretation of religion the theme of this treatise “Jean Ditho Ahey Moon” which ought to be adhered and subscribed to if we wish to avoid any such tragic events in future. In “Paigham-E-Latif” Syed introduces Latif as the great national poet of Sindh and Latif’s poetry in terms of his immense love for the motherland Sindh. Therefore, Syed strikes right at the Achilles’ heel of Sindhi society which generally worships Latif not as the great poet but as the great ‘pir’_ the fact endorsed by the government of Pakistan and its media to portray Latif as a religious man in order to restrain Sindhis from understanding the true message of Latif which would mean a death blow to the fundamentalist ideology of the country. Syed was thus not only critical of Pakistan and its fundamentalist foundation but at the same time he also left no stone unturned in criticising the weaknesses of Sindhi society for instance, the institution of ‘Pirdom’ and ‘Feudalism’. His lifelong struggle culminates in the birth of an independent ‘SindhuDesh’. The zenith and amalgam of his lifelong teachings ‘The Mission Of Sindhudesh’ could be best summed up in his own words as: “Itehade Insanee (Unity Of Mankind), Amane Alam (World Peace) and Taraqee Bane Adam (Progress Of Mankind). Sindhudesh is the culmination of his lifelong struggle_ the dream of an independent SindhuDesh, which would serve as a role model for nations of other parts of the world. He lived for Sindh, he fought for Sindh and he died for Sindh. Sindh was his ‘Beloved’. He immersed himself in Sindh and Sindh immersed herself in him. The lover became the beloved and the beloved became the lover: MEIN APNEE AAH KEY SADKEY KE, MERE AAH MEIN BE TEREE NIGAAH KEY ANDAAZ PAI JATEY HEIN. Sindh and Syed became one entity:


PEHEE JAAN PARN MEIN, KAYAM ROOH RIHAARN
NAKO DOONGAR DEH MEIN, NAKA KECHYAN KAARN
PUNHOO THYAS PARN, SASUI TAAN SOOR HUA (Shah Latif)


“SINDH AIN SAYED PARN MEIN, DINEE GAL GIRAAT
SOOR BINHEEN JO SAGIO, JEREY MANJH JARAAT
BAEE GHERE GHAAT, BAEE KEIDEE KAUL JA.” (Ibrahim Munshi)



Syed was against all forms of exploitation and slavery whether physical or mental. His legacy is the legacy of freedom from fear, the head held high, and the indomitable will. There was no stealth, no furtiveness about his person or his politics. He was a follower of Gandhiji’s path who was the most vociferous advocate of non-violence in the face of most brutal and naked oppression. Syed has left a legacy for the present and future generations of Sindh to follow_ the legacy of an independent SindhuDesh_ his unfulfilled dream. In his address to a large gathering of his followers on the occasion of his 89th birthday at Nishtar Park Karachi on January the 17th, 1992 he delivered his message in the following words: “ The people of Sindh should pledge themselves fully and totally to the struggle for making their land free and themselves an independent nation_ a land which is the cradle of peace in the world and a nation which serves fraternity of men and human civilization to the utmost limits of its physical and spiritual being.” Today, almost eleven years after his death the steps of his followers have never faltered, their minds have never wavered as they continue to march forward on his path towards the promised destination of an independent SindhuDesh.