LARKANA: Comrade Sobho Gianchandani’s son lamented at the 11th death anniversary of his illustrious father at the family residence here on Monday that neither Sindh government nor its culture department had done anything to fulfill their promise of establishing a memorial for Gianchandani.
Sobho’s son Nirmal Gianchandani said: “We have no expectations from the Sindh government or the culture department. Sobho’s belongings — photographs, radio set, glasses, books, watch and other personal items have been kept in Tajjar building by the Archives Department”.
He lamented that the government that made tall claims but did nothing to realise them. The void created by his father could never be filled, he said. “Today, we observe his 11th anniversary. We have never forgotten him. It always feels as though he is still with us. He may have departed but he is never forgotten, because he was a person worth remembering, not forgetting. He loved humanity and dedicated his life to its service,” he remarked.
Meeral Abro, an old associate of Comrade Sobho, said that Comrade was simultaneously a revolutionary, Sindhi patriot, scholar and thinker. He was truly a multidimensional personality. In his writings, he always advocated for welfare of humanity and his homeland, he said.
To him, he said, humanity held a higher place than religion. He recalled that he used to craft replicas of Mohenjo Daro artifacts for sale but was paid only Rs150 a piece at that time. “I would take them to Sobho’s residence, where he would help me sell them for Rs500 a piece. I consider myself fortunate to have spent time with him and learned so much from him. His lasting lesson was: serve humanity — nothing is greater than that”, he said.
Prof Jam Jamali, former secretary of Arts Council of Pakistan, Larkana, expressed regret over the culture department’s continuous negligence. Comrade Sobho did not want anything from anyone, but as Sindhis, it was the duty of culture department to commemorate his anniversary and pay him tribute, so the younger generation and general public realised the sacrifices and services of Sindh’s eminent personalities, he said.
He said that Comrade always said that humanity demanded equality, and all people should be treated respectfully. “He opposed class system and social divisions, and struggled against them until his final breath,” he said.
“Tagore had called him ‘Man of Mohenjo Daro,’ but I call him ‘Strong Man of Larkana’ because of his unwavering revolutionary ideals, Jamali said, adding Comrade’s “life is a lesson for all of us”.
Dr Mir Muhammad Shaikh said that Comrade was a wise and knowledgeable man, deeply fond of books and genuinely concerned for his people. “He dreamed of a prosperous Sindh, free from suffering. He wanted libraries to be established for the younger generation so that they learn about Sindh’s great personalities and their contributions,” he said.
He said that Comrade was a true son of the soil who exposed exploiters of the poor through his stories and always rose above religious and caste divisions to speak for humanity.
Earlier, Comrade’s family members and all participants of the anniversary laid wreaths before Comrade’s bust and portraits as a token of respect and love.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2025
