KHAIRPUR, May 21: Scholars and social activists paid tribute to and highlighted the salient features of the life of Comrade Hyder Bakhsh Jatoi, social reformer and the pioneer of the famous slogan ‘Hari Haqdaar’.

They were speaking at day-long seminar on the life and achievements of Comrade Hyder Bukhsh Jatoi at Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, on Tuesday.

Vice chancellor of SALU Prof Dr Parveen Shah remarked that Comrade Jatoi was a national hero and had rendered tremendous services for the rights of haris. She said that the comrade had had a versatile personality and had been deeply inspired by the socialist movement of Shah Inayat Shaheed. Following in his footsteps, she said, the comrade had launched his Hari Movement and had also launched a paper ‘Hari Haqdaar’ whose title became synonymous with peasants’ rights.

The director of Knowledge Centre, Larkana, Mukhtiar Sami, said that Comrade Jatoi had been a visionary leader with a powerful personality who had fought against oppressive landlords to secure the rights of downtrodden peasants. In 1930, said Mr Sami, the comrade had joined the Hari Committee of G. M. Syed and later launched a newspaper called ‘Hari Haqdaar’.

In 1945, said Mr Sami, Comrade Jatoi resigned from his post after 14 years of service as an assistant commissioner and kick-started a campaign for the introduction of the tenancy act.

Mr Sami said that Comrade Jatoi had also worked towards getting Sindhi recognised as an official language. Listing his works, Mr Sami said that the comrade’s poetry had depicted the lives of the downtrodden people. His works included Shikwa, Tuhfa-i-Sindh, Harian Jo Zamano and Salam-i-Sindh. The comrade had also spent eight years behind bars in various jails including Kot Lakhpat, Mianwali, Mach, Lal Kilo, added Mr Sami.

Assistant professor at the department of international relations in SALU Imdad Hussain Chandio said that Comrade Jatoi had had a multidimensional personality and his poetry was revolutionary. He said that the comrade loved Sindh deeply and had struggled for getting the province recognised.

Prof Dr Saifullah Joyo, an assistant professor at SALU, said that Comrade Jatoi had vehemently opposed the imposition of the one unit system and the support of chief justice for the decision. The comrade had written a pamphlet titled ‘Justice of Chief Justice’ after which the then chief justice Mohammad Muneer had awarded him five years’ vigorous imprisonment, he said.

A social activist from the Jaagirta Forum (awareness forum) in Sukkur, Malik Khoso, said that Comrade Jatoi had been impressed by the ideas of Karl Marx and progressive literature introduced to him by Qadir Bux Nizamani.

He said that the comrade had been a messiah for peasants and his contribution regarding creating awareness about their problems was laudable.

Host of the programme Dr Shahida Amir Chandio said that Comrade Jatoi was a symbol of national unity and his life and struggle should be included in school curriculum.