HYDERABAD: A group of women, men and children is sitting at a hunger strikers’ camp outside local press club, seeking recovery of their ‘missing’ family members. They may have different political affiliations but they have one thing in common.

They share the same political ideology of G.M. Syed and are yet another reminder of the fact that though Syed’s nationalist struggle for Sindhudesh may have run out of steam its romance is still alive.

After the death of Syed, the nationalist struggle could not find leadership of his stature and thus his Jeay Sindh Mahaz soon split into several factions, which demonstrate a pretense of unity on Jan 17 every year in Sann, Jamshoro where Syed’s followers gather to remember him on his birth anniversary. This year marks the 117th birth anniversary of G.M. Syed.

The leading lights of once popular struggle have either died, formed their own groups or opted for federalist politics within the framework of 1973 Constitution including Syed’s grandson, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, a relative Shah Mohammad Shah (PML-N), Dr Dodo Maheri and Gul Mohammad Jakhrani (PPP), etc. Jalal heads his party – Sindh United Party (SUP).

Syed’s Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) has today split into multiple groups with separate entities albeit with common philosophy. G.M. Syed -- the mover of resolution for Pakistan’s creation in Sindh Assembly -- founded the Mahaz on June 18, 1972, at his Hyder Manzil in Karachi after losing elections in 1970.

The Mahaz remained intact until 80s when Gul Mohammad Jakhrani, late Bashir Khan Qureshi, Niaz Kalani and Sattar Morio, who were student leaders, parted ways with the party after developing differences over mode of struggle, marking the first split in the movement.

Dr Qadir Magsi soon followed after having developed doubts over Syed’s ideology and raising questions. “Syed mostly remained incarcerated for his thoughts and late Abdul Wahid Arisar worked as JSM chairman. Whilst JSM was intact, Qureshi and Jakhrani founded Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST) in 1989,” said Abdul Khaliq Junejo, chairman of his own faction of JSM.

“After Syed’s death in April 1995 those who had left Syed created Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) on the chehlum of their ideologue in Sann. But we stayed out of JSQM’s fold,” said Junejo.

He said that he took a position against criminal factor which he believed had damaged Syed’s cause and therefore he wanted this question addressed first before deciding to merge with any other faction. A committee was formed that published the points agreed upon between representatives of JSM and JST but even after agreeing to the point that criminal factor be expelled from JSM it was not done and thus was born JSQM while embracing JST, he said.

Junejo has also removed symbol of ‘axe’ from his party’s flag as he believed it did not carry a positive image. And he has replaced ‘Sindhudesh’ with ‘autonomous’ and ‘sovereign’ Sindh in the backdrop of 1940 resolution which he believed formed the basis of Pakistan’s creation.

Arisar, an ideologue in his own right who loved wandering among peasants and villagers, soon parted ways with Bashir Qureshi and thus JSQM stood divided into Arisar and Qureshi factions.

Today Qureshi’s faction is led by his young son Sanan Qureshi while Arisar’s party is headed by Aslam Khairpuri. Bashir Khan Qureshi, Wahid Bux Arisar, Dr Mir Alam Mari and Asif Baladi have remained leading lights of “Jeay Sindh” narrative of nationalist politics.

However, Dr Mari is now working in People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) and is all but inactive in politics after having briefly worked with Shafi Burfat, who leads banned Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) from exile.

Mari also served as JSQM-Arisar chairman. Likewise, Baladi has gone into oblivion and Dr Safdar Sarki, once Qureshi’s close associate, lives in self-imposed exile after being released from captivity and reviving JST.

Burfat, according to Dr Qadir Magsi, pursues violent path of ‘Jeay Sindh’ struggle which he said is ‘dangerous’. Magsi had publicly urged Burfat to give up armed struggle. “Sindhudesh is a dangerous slogan which can be used by establishment to divide Sindh on ethnic grounds, for Sindh has strong multiethnic elements,” said Dr Magsi.

Dr Mari found Sindhudesh slogan not ‘doable’ in present geopolitical conditions. “I quit JSMM after developing differences with its strategy. Movements can’t be seen in isolation. Regional and international situation always influences them,” he said.

On JSQM-B front, post-Qureshi ‘Mahaz’ is yet to make its presence felt under Sanan Qureshi. “Almost 10 years down the road after Qureshi’s death in April 2012 JSQM-B has yet to become effective while Niaz Kalani remains sidelined,” said an activist.

“But what is most worrying is the fact no tendency is seen on leadership’s part to strengthen the party and fill the vacuum caused by Qureshi’s death,” he added.

Qureshi’s friend Riaz Ali Chandio leads his own faction of JSM. A relatively new ‘Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement’ is said to be coalescing with JSMM.

Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah and Dr Magsi have been actively participating in parliamentary politics for over two and a half decades with Shah having served as deputy speaker of Sindh Assembly in 1997.

Magsi has, however, been not successful in electoral race. “I differed with Syed when he put his weight behind Jam Sadiq government which targeted Sindhi children at the pretext of association with Al-Zulfikar Organisation (AZO),” he said.

Magsi formed ‘Jeay Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party’ in 1991 and after release from jail in 1994 he removed the prefix of ‘Jeay’ from the party’s nomenclature. “Such prefix will have portrayed us as offshoot of Jeay Sindh movement. I didn’t believe in personality cult either and was inspired by Marxism,” he said.

In Jalal’s viewpoint, G.M. Syed had also espoused cause of ‘safeguarding Sindh’s legitimate interests besides raising ‘Sindhudesh’ slogan. “We are struggling considering our potential. After his death, leadership of Syed’s stature is nonexistent,” he said.

Naz Sahito, a senior journalist, who has extensively covered Sann-based politics also subscribed to this view.

“Strong character and charismatic stature matter a lot. Syed was the man who differed with M.A. Jinnah over tickets’ distribution being leader of the party’s Sindh chapter. That in fact reflected his strong belief in provincial autonomy,” he said.

“Even during Bhutto’s rule Syed’s followers had strong presence in universities who stood for their cause. Although they didn’t meet Syed but present day students are also influenced by Syed’s romanticism,” Naz said.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.