Dissident intellectuals are those who raise their voice against injustice and tyranny. They are not concerned about the popularity of their views and they suffer for their ideas and thoughts, not only at the hands of the state but also the society. They are often imprisoned, tortured; even punished by death. They endure all hardships because of their commitment to their principles and reject all temptations of wealth and high offices.

Often such people are not given due recognition in their own time and many disappear into oblivion. However, they leave a rich legacy of their views and thoughts and their courage to speak the truth continues to inspire others. One such great dissident was Socrates who was condemned to death by the Athenian jury, consisting of more than two hundred men, on the charges of corrupting the Athenian youth and denying its gods.

Plato recorded his defence speech under the title of “Apologia”. After hearing the verdict, he addressed the citizens of the city and the jury. He warned his accusers that they would be condemned by future generations for their judgment. He chose to die rather than to go into exile or pay a fine to save his life. His prophecy came true: in the annals of history, Socrates (d.399 BCE) is vindicated while his accusers are condemned. He lives on as a great source of inspiration to dissident intellectuals to follow in his footsteps.

When Philip of Macedon occupied the city of Athens, there was nobody who could raise a voice against the victor. At this critical juncture Demosthenes (d 322 BCE), the great orator, challenged the foreign occupation and spoke against Philip. When Philip’s army pursued him he took refuge in a temple; unable to follow him inside, the army laid siege outside. Rather than be taken prisoner, Demosthenes committed suicide and joined the ranks of those who choose death rather than compromise on their principles.

Another example is that of Cicero (d December 18, 43BCE), a great Roman writer who influenced the humanists of the Renaissance. He was also elected Consul of the Roman Republic. After the assassination of Caesar, Octavian and Antony gained great power. Cicero disapproved of Antony’s abuse of power and bravely spoke against him in the Senate. Anthony did not tolerate this criticism and ordered that Cicero be executed. After his death, his hands, which had penned the criticism against Antony, were cut off along with his head and were nailed to the rostrum in the Senate.

Persecution of dissident intellectuals continued throughout history. In our time dictators and democratic despots have victimised all those who criticised their acts of violence. Muhammad Raza Shah, the king of Iran, was notorious for his barbarity towards his opponents; a number of intellectuals were tortured and put to death during his reign. One of the most tragic cases is that of Samad Behrangi (d.1967), the author of the famous short story ‘Mahi siyah kocholo’ or ‘Small black fish.’ He was kidnapped by Sawak, the secret agency of the Shah. He was tortured and killed and his dead body was found in the river. However, the Sawak failed to kill his story. It is such a popular story that every Iranian has read it and been inspired by it.

Even in Pakistan there are some dissident intellectuals who are condemned and forgotten. One of them is Khalid Alig, a radical and revolutionary poet who strictly followed the classical traditions of Urdu poetry. He remained independent throughout his life and refused to accept any honour or title from the state. He also did not accept any financial help in spite of his poverty. He lived and died on his own terms. As he was not part of the literary mafia, he is also forgotten.

But men such as Alig are few and far between in our country; the majority of the men of letters are opportunistic and clever enough to adjust under dictatorship as well as democratic governments to gain benefits and privileges. People respect and honour them in spite of their opportunism and intellectual bankruptcy; they are invited to every book launch and literary seminar or conference because they please everyone with their writings. The result of this intellectual bankruptcy is that since Partition, our intellectuals have failed to produce any inspiring literature. They just fulfil the demands of a backward society.

They kept their silence when army action was taken in Bangladesh. They are still not speaking while Balochistan suffers and bleeds. Instead of raising their voice against the persecution of minorities they compose romantic poetry and write symbolic short stories. As they represent the popular feelings of society, they are invited abroad to entertain the expatriates and earn lots of money; as they pose no challenge to the state, they are awarded titles. In such a society and under these circumstances, there is no space to produce new ideas and thoughts. Such a society will remain backward for a long time.