KARACHI: Gul Hassan Kalmati, widely known as a ‘people’s historian’, passed away on Wednesday after a protracted illness in Karachi. He was 66.

His relative Hafeez Baloch told Dawn that Kalmati’s health had further deteriorated when he got dengue fever. He was admitted to the Dow Hospital and discharged after treatment. Two days ago, he was again admitted to the hospital, where he breathed his last on Wednesday morning.

His funeral was held at his ancestral village Arzi in Gadap Town, which was attended by a large number of people, mostly from Malir district. He left behind a widow and a daughter.

Kalmati had written 11 well-researched books on various topics including history of Karachi and its founders. He was the founder of the indigenous peoples’ movement launched against Bahria Town Karachi in 2015. The local people believed that the land had a ‘historic sanctity’ and it was being occupied to pave the way for the property tycoon.

Born in Arzi Baloch Village of Gadap, Kalmati obtained a master’s in journalism from Karachi University.

Naseer Memon, a development professional, told Dawn that Kalmati was among the few illustrious historians and researchers of Sindh whose sources of research were people, society and observations. He did not conduct research while sitting in a library, he added.

He not only visited every street of Karachi, but surveyed areas of Sindh and Balochistan, where he personally observed things and met people. “Kalmati had not only left his intellectual legacy, but he also struggled with the people for their rights and cases were registered against him for his struggle against the BTK.”

Rauf Nizamani, a fellow writer, recalled that Kalmati started his career as a schoolteacher in Lyari. “He was a people’s historian. He recently visited the areas related to folk story of Sassui mentioned in Shah Latif’s poetry,” he added.

He said Kalmati’s book Barf Jo Dozakh depicted his agony when he got stuck in snow of Chitral.

Meanwhile, people from different segments of society paid rich tributes to him.

In a statement, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said Kalmati was an authority on local history, personalities, rivers/drains, tribes, graveyards and birds.

The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution, moved by PPP’s Saleem Baloch and Heer Soho, to pay rich tribute to Kalmati for his valuable services.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2023