KARACHI, Feb 29: Thoughts and ideology of the late Professor Hamza Alavi be propagated widely to enlighten masses so that they could be able to counter exploitative forces effectively.

This was demanded by speakers at a seminar on Hamza Alavi's Personality, Thought, and Present Situation organized by the Labour Party Pakistan at Rafia Chaudhry Auditorium here on Sunday.

They said that once the masses, particularly the younger generation, became enlightened and equipped with Dr Alavi's thoughts, they could understand and neutralize the effects of the tactics used by imperialist and capitalist forces to exploit the poor.

The speakers said that at a time when Marxist and progressive thoughts were being criticised, Prof Alavi appeared one of the few leading scholars who not only defended the teachings and ideologies successfully, but also explained the phenomenon in clear and simple terms easily understandable to the masses.

They said that the late professor who, after retirement from Manchester University, had returned to the country, had always been a leading figure in protests by progressive forces against the suppressive establishments. A democrat to the core, he was among the first few intellectuals who had raised their voice of dissent against the Martial Law regime of Ayub Khan.

They said that though he had written only a few books, a large number of his research papers and writings were so diverse that it is difficult to identify his area of specialization.

Some of the subjects of his papers were the class structure; nature of colonial and post colonial economies; relations between colonial, post-colonial and metropolitan elites; role of military and bureaucracy; changing production relations; mode of production and kinship in the political economy; etc.

They said it was necessary that all his work be published together so that the future researchers could have the information trove as a single collection. The speakers said that most of Prof Alavi's research papers were regarded by a large number of scholars and researchers on issues in South Asia, as authentic information.

The late professor's research papers on class structure of farmers, and the revolutionary role that they had played in their struggle, were a proof of his in-depth and close study of rural society.

Prof Alavi, during his last period of life, was conducting research on the ideology of Pakistan. He believed that with Marxist ideology, workers, farmers and middle-class people could launch a revolutionary struggle and could succeed in achieving their goals, the speakers said.

They recalled that he had established a revolutionary organization, 'Socialist Forum', and tried to mobilize people. He also did a deep research and evolved a new form of Marxism that was comparatively more relevant to the present times.

The seminar was told that his thesis Alavi-Wolf thesis (as was reiterated by Eric Wolf four years later) was still intact, as he had, through it, made a distinction between the Marxist theory and the practical Mao.

The speakers observed that in the present circumstances where the imperialist and capitalist powers were now forcibly grabbing the resources of the Third World nations, it was high time that the suppressed classes sought guidance from the teachings of Hamza Alavi so that they could effectively counter the tyranny of the oppressive forces.

One of the speakers announced that all progressive forces would organize nationwide demonstrations against imperialist and capitalist forces on March 20. Labour Party leader Farooq Tariq, Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, National Trade Union Federation leader Saleem Raza, S. Nawaz Jadoon, Salahuddin Gandapur, Nisar Shah and Zubair-ur-Rehman were among those who spoke at the seminar conducted by William Sadiq.