Left unity conference
* Pakistan The left in Pakistan took an important step forward in achieving unity on March 23. More than 230 movement leaders and activists took part in a Left Unity Workers Conference in Lahore Eva Cheng The conference date marked the 70 anniversary of the execution of Bhagat Singh by British colonialists. His last words as he was about to be hanged were "Down, down the Union Jack: Up, up the
This national gathering, unprecedented in its breadth and openness in forging left unity, was organised by the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP).
No less than 20 Pakistan organisations sent delegations, with a significant and uniquely broad representation from the forces in national liberation struggles from all over Pakistan. Key trade unions, political parties, women's rights and human rights groups also attended.'
Glaringly absent were some leaders from the other left parties, i.e. the Awami Jamhoori Party, the Socialist Party, and the Communist Mazdoor Kisan Party, although some activists from these
The central question addressed was how and to what extent the left groups and individuals in Pakistan could step up their collaboration in order to shift the balance of class forces in their favour.
A sense of urgency for left unity 20 International Viewpoint #311 May 1999
In conciuding the conference, LPP th leader Farooq Tariq acknowledged the absence of what he called "the senior tw comrades of the left", but affirmed there th was a need to continue attempting to
CO include them in the process.
While highlighting the need to be of ful absolutely clear the political on clearly emerged from most contributions, limitations of the Non-Government the the rise and increasing
Organisations, Tariq stressed the need to the stressing aggression of fundamentalist forces try and include some of the good activists trying to pose as an alternative to the from their ranks.
thi impotent and corrupt Pakistani ruling
"We can't be reformist"
, said Tarig.
"We're Marxist, socialist.
class. The latter's obedient execution of the imperialist countries' globalisation
Tariq drew special attention to the and anti-people agenda is imposing a clear consensus in involving trade union crushing burden on the working class, and other mass organisations on the peasantry and the unemployed.
ground as an integral part of the unity process. He contrasted it with previous
Agreement on the basics attempts of left groups which involved
No definitive answer emerged on the primarily the top leaders, of which precise forms and shapes of unity, but
'workers never know much about and there was a keen and comradely why they were taking place"
"We want a real unity in Pakistan, but discussion on the basis on which it
O should be built.
it's impossible to achieve unless it's built
Some of the essential principles on on a strong democratic basis", said Tariq.
S which any future unity must be based
"The concept of "left unity' has long been were: a democratic and federal structure, misused by the 'left' leaders."
C respect for the rights for self-determina-
Commenting on the participation of a significant number of veterans as well as tion of various national groups that
A young militants, Tariq commented: : We comprise Pakistan, as well as the hope that the senior comrades who have common goal towards a socialist social come have been inspired by a new ray of order.
hope that the left is still alive"
Few seemed to have the illusion of
Tariq continued: *The LPP is the achieving a full agreement, let alone a concrete blue-print, in the one-day event.
youngest part of the left movement in
But the clear enthusiasm in kicking off
Pakistan, but it's also the fastest growing b party." The LP has many young the process and taking it further in the
Je mass movements was recognised as a big comrades among its ranks, active in
CC various mass organisations.
One significant achievement of the
9
No shame in India links conference lied in its ability to bring a together all key forces in national
All this didn't please the Pakistan y' struggles in Pakistan—Sind, Balochistan, government. It splashed the media with re
Saraiki and Kashmir. Leaders from these fanciful smear accusations of LPP links fr struggles expressed their determination with Indian spies only days before the al to step up their collaboration after the conference. Just hours before the conference police beat up an activist who conference.
was putting up posters about the event.
They also destroyed many posters and red flags related to the conference.
A
Two intelligence agents tried to observe the conference. They were kicked out.
They also refused to grant a visa to a
C( representative of the
CPI-ML
(Liberation) who had been invited to attend the conference.
cl
But the party's new general secretary
Dipankar Bhattacharya sent warm and inspiring the greetings, stressing th importance of socialists in Pakistan and
India joining hands in the struggle for socialism. A revolutionary spirit filled the n the CPI-ML (Liberation)'s air:
description of the conference as an
Is important milestone for the left in
Pakistan and India was impressively st preempted by many participants before
G their message was read out.?
tl
Afghanistan
The representatives of the Watan
Party of Afghanistan were very warmly
welcomed by the participants who gave the party's delegation standing ovation twice. It was the first time in seven years that the Pakistani left had any direct contact with their Afghan counterparts.
Watan's leader Habib-Ullaha spoke of the barbarous atrocities that the fundamentalist forces have inflicted on the Afghan people since 1992, turning the country into virtually a desert.
He expressed great appreciation of this rare chance to meet up with the
Pakistani left and expressed keen interest to step up collaboration with them.
Participants kept responding to appreciated contributions with inspiring slogans such as: "Asia is red. Socialism will be victorious" "Speed up the
"Down with privatisationdown with downsizing", greeted by loud responses from the rest of the audience, with their fists held high in the air. *
610 *Eva Cheng is a journalist for Green Left Weekly. She attended the conference as part of the delegation from the Democratic Socialist Party of Australia. A longer version of this article appeared in Green Left Weekly. Notes 1. Including the Saraiki National Party, Balochistan National Party, Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party, Kashmir Mutahda Muhaz, Saraiki Ingalabi Council Pakistan, Saraikistan Party, Saraiki Party, Peoples Party Pakistan (Shaheed Bhutto Group), Pakistan Workers Confederation Sindh, Itehad Labour Union, Railway Workers Union, Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation, Human Right Focus, ASR Resource Centre's Institute of Women's Studies, Democratic Women's Association and Women's Action Forum. 2. Greetings were also received from the Socialist Party (Netherlands) and from the British writer Tarig All.
On Independence Day (14 August) 1997 the group's rendition of lqbal's famous poem Khudi (self-aware-