ISLAMABAD: The Awami Workers Party (AWP) held a reference in tribute to the party’s late president, Fanoos Gujjar, at the National Press Club on Friday.

The event featured prominent figures of the left in Pakistan, including Ismat Raza Shahjahan, Abid Hassan Manto and Dr Farzana Bari.

Fanoos Gujjar started his political career by establishing the Gujjar Youth Forum in the 1980s. The organisation was meant for collectively discussing issues that confronted members of the Gujjar community and as a platform for raising a voice against discrimination against them.

He was also part of the Movement for Restoration of Democracy, the National Awami Party and AWP.

Fanoos passed away last December after suffering a major stroke.

The keynote address at the reference on Friday was delivered by Abid Hassan Manto, founding leader and former president of AWP. He spoke about the trajectory of the independence movement and the resultant contradictions of the postcolonial state.

The outgoing district president of the party, Masoodul Hassan spoke about the struggles of Fanoos Gujjar and his dedication to socialist principles.

A panel discussion on Socialism and Socialist Politics of the 21st century followed in which Ismat Raza Shahjahan, Murtaza Solangi, Farzana Bari, Haider Kaleem and Usman Fanoos Gujjar participated. The discussion was moderated by Alia Amirali.

Ms Shahjaham, who was also a member of the Communist Party Pakistan at the same time as Fanoos and is presently AWP’s deputy general secretary, recalled Fanoos’ energy and spirit that helped in the revival of progressive politics in the country.

She said Fanoos was one of the few leftists to not be discouraged by the fall of the socialism of the 20th century.

Dr Bari spoke about the manner in which Fanoos Gujjar had been open to the idea of incorporating more and more marginalised groups in a coalition of the oppressed.

For some of those who consider themselves Marxist, the only question that demands an answer is the situation of the working class, overlooking the many other oppressed groups in society, she said.

But Fanoos welcomed and demanded the inclusion of the rights and struggles of women, minorities and other oppressed communities as key planks of socialist struggle in the 21st century, she added.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2019