KARACHI: Speakers at a seminar commemorating Allah Bukhsh Soomro’s 74th death anniversary on Sunday discussed issues of Sindh’s politics, the federation and the still vague provincial autonomy.

They regarded Mr Soomro as the greatest among the first ‘premiers’ of the province, whose death harmed gravely Sindh at a time when history was about to witness a great tide in the shape of the partition.

Allah Bukhsh Soomro was Sindh’s most popular politician during the twilight of British Raj who renounced British honours in protest against Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s accusations against Indian politicians that eventually cost him the highest seat in the province and his own life a few months later.

“Soomro was a politician who achieved the highest echelon for his ability; he hadn’t made money because of politics as many here now do and he paid a price by sacrificing his life to a cause now people hardly find,” said Madad Ali Sindhi, eminent intellectual at the seminar organised by the Sindhu Sabhita Sath (Friends of Indus Civilisation) at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

Mr Sindhi said that Soomro had inspired secular souls outside Sindh as well and quoted an Indian scholar Sayantani Mitra as saying “most of us would not even have heard of Allah Bux, a name long mistreated on both sides of the border. He incarnated everything that worldly India values today but he remains an unsung hero.

“During the days of relinquish India Movement in 1942, Allah Bux was the prime minister of Sindh. He was a true patriot and a true secular,” he quoted her as saying.

Mr Sindhi said fewer politicians in the subcontinent had manifested an instant charisma to attain the zenith in one’s field and vanish abruptly by leaving a lasting impact, which still reverberated and inspired generations – Allah Bukhsh Soomro was one of them. “He did a lot of better things for his people,” he said.

During Soomro’s government the press asked him whether he wanted to extend the hand of friendship to the Nazis and Fascists and he had replied, “I believe in two things – to defeat British imperialism and fight against Nazism and Fascism at the same time. It is my birthright to fight against both evils.”

Speakers said in October 1943, Governor Sir Hugh Dow sent a letter to the premier intimating him that he had lost confidence and thus was dismissed from office.

“He did not protest against his sacking and headed to Shikarpur to resume a low key life for the next seven months before he had been assassinated,” said Khadim Soomro.

Speakers said that he was just 43 when he was assassinated in a violent attack in a village of Shikarpur. He spent six brisk years of active politics that earned him the role of the first leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly and twice made him its premier.

G.M. Syed’s words were quoted there as saying, “today, he (Soomro) is sleeping in his grave in the Panjpir graveyard. We can’t say whether he would be laughing at our condition or weeping”.

Prof K.S. Nagpal, Shahida Qazi, and Dr Adal Soomro also spoke at the semianr. Younis Mahar moderated the proceedings.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2017