On a blazing hot day, in Hyderabad, Sindh, 350 people attended a packed meeting on the roof of the Hyderabad Press Club. This was the third and most successful in the speaking tour of Socialist Appeal and www.marxist.com editor, Alan Woods, under the auspices of the Struggle, the Pakistani Marxist tendency. At the meeting a Sindhi language version of the Communist Manifesto, published by the Struggle, was launched. And afterwards a play was performed depicting the class struggle with actors representing the workers and the capitalists. The audience included men and women, trade unionists, activists of the Agricultural Workers' Organisation, and many students from the three Sindh universities.
| On a blazing hot day, in Hyderabad, Sindh, 350 people attended a packed meeting on the roof of the Hyderabad Press Club. This was the third and most successful in the speaking tour of Socialist Appeal and www.marxist.com editor, Alan Woods, under the auspices of the Struggle, the Pakistani Marxist tendency.
The meeting was preceded by Sindhi revolutionary songs. Its purpose was the public presentation of the Sindhi language version of the Communist Manifesto, which has been recently published by the Struggle together with introductions by Leon Trotsky and Alan Woods. |
| The audience included men and women, trade unionists, activists of the Agricultural Workers' Organisation, and many students from the three Sindh universities. Many wore colourful Sindhi national costumes. The meeting place was covered by a tent decorated with Sindhi traditional designs.
The speakers included Mohammad Khan Ahmadani of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign; Lal Khan, the editor of the Asian Marxist Review; Anwar Panwar, the translator of the book; and lastly comrade Alan Woods. After the interventions there was a lively question and answer session, covering subjects as varied as Stalinism, war and peace, Sindhi nationalism, the water problem and religion. On the last-named subject, Alan said the following: |
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I have here a note which asks: "Why do you communists always attack religion?" Well, I do not believe I attacked religion in my speech. I think everybody has a perfect right to believe anything they wish. However, as a Marxist, I have some problems with religion. For example, Tony Blair is a very religious man, and a practicing Christian. So is his friend George W. Bush. They go to church every Sunday. The Bible says that if someone strikes you, you should turn the other cheek. Yet Tony Blair and George Bush are the biggest warmongers in the world today.
There are other things about religion which I find difficult to understand. For example, the priests tell us that we must accept the evils of this world, that we must suffer in silence, because it is the will of God. So if you are a worker and the boss exploits you, you should accept it. If you are a woman and your husband beats you every day, you should accept it; and if you do all this, and suffer all your life, then you will be very happy - when you are dead. I must confess that I have never understood this. [Laughter and applause]
But in reality, for millions of men and women in this world, the real question is not whether there is life after death. The real question is: Is there a life before death? [Laughter and applause]
Now, I do not claim to know a lot about Islam. But as far as I know the Koran says that you must not lend money at interest. Yet I see that in Pakistan there are many big banks which make a lot of money out of squeezing the people through interest. I ask myself where is the religion of the bankers and capitalists? I will tell you where it is: it is in their pockets and their bank balances. [Applause]
So I say to the Muslim workers and peasants in this audience: do not be afraid of the communists. We are your brothers. We are fighting for the same things, and you should join us. We are fighting for a paradise in this world. [Applause]
After comrade Alan Woods replied, the function ended with a very effective piece of street theatre organised by young supporters of the Struggle, directed by comrade Ejaz Chandio, in which one actor depicted the forces of the counter-revolution and the other actor the workers and the peasants, who finally subdued their oppressors. Everyone agreed that this meeting has been an outstanding success and a turning point for the left in Sindh. March 29, 2002 |
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Karachi
The meeting in Karachi the following day was adversely affected by unforeseen circumstances. A total strike of public transport made movement across the city almost impossible. Nevertheless we decided not to suspend the meeting, which had been already advertised. In the event, 82 people attended the meeting, which under the circumstances was a success. Without the strike the attendance would certainly have been similar to the meeting in Hyderabad. For example, a delegation of 20 workers from Pakistan Steel Mills was prevented from attending because the factory is 40km from the city centre.