ISLAMABAD: Syed Sibte Hassan contributed immensely to the progressive literature and the cultural history of Pakistan from the people’s perspective. He inspired the youth and student activities for many decades but his works have not been acknowledged yet by successive governments, universities and researchers, speakers at Lok Virsa’s fortnightly Muzakara said on Friday.

Speaking about the life and legacy of Syed Sibte Hassan, academics, writers and translators Raza Naeem and Dr Nazir Mahmood said Hassan was the author of several books as well as the moving spirit behind the Progressive Writers Association.

His books are not taught in universities and even some liberal writers have not acknowledged his contributions to the history of Pakistani civilisation and culture, said Mr Naeem, a social scientist, book critic and an award-winning translator.

Sibte Hassan is popular among students and youth activists of Sindh and Balochistan as his writings provide answers for many inquisitive minds, Dr Mahmood said.

Speaking about his journalistic works, Dr Mahmood said Sibte Hassan moved to Mumbai at a time when it was a hub for labour, communist movements and literary activities and started a career in journalism and literature.

He arrived in Lahore in 1948 and started work with the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) with his comrades Sajjad Zaheer and Faiz Ahmad Faiz. However, the CPP was later banned on a trumped-up charge of attempting to overthrow the Liaquat Ali Khan government.

Dr Mahmood said Sibte Hassan was arrested along with scores of progressive stalwarts in 1951 in connection with the Rawalpindi Conspiracy case and remained in jail until 1955. After Pakistan’s first military coup in 1958, led by General Ayub Khan, he was again arrested.

Mr Naeem rightly compared him with noted Italian Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci. After his release, Sibte Hassan wrote his seminal works including Moosa say Marx Tak, Naveed-i-Fikr, Maazi kay Mazaar, Shehr-i-Nigaraan, Pakistan mein Tehzeeb ka Irtiqa and Inqilab-i-Iran.

Raza Naeem described Musa Se Marx Tak as the most remarkable book which has remained for many decades the fundamental guiding text for progressive activists and students of Pakistan. His other phenomenal works are Shehr-e-Nigaraan in which he became “aware of the beauty of life” and learnt to love human beings and said it also was a record of the crumbling feudal oppressive Asif Jah dynasty of Hyderabad Deccan.

In Marx Aur Mashriq, Sibte analysed the writings of Marx and Engels on the eastern traditions and formation of society.

He died of a heart attack on April 20, 1986 in New Delhi while returning from a conference. He was buried in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018