G. M. Syed

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Ghulam Murtaza Syed
File:Syed Ghulam Murtaza Shah.jpg


G.M Syed in ceremony program

Office Minister of Education of Sind





Term start 18 March 1940
Term end 7 March 1941[1][2]







Born 1904-01-17
Born Sann, than Karachi District (Sind) Bombay Presidency, British India
Template:Small
Died Template:Death date (age 91)
Place of death Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan





Children Syed Amir Hyder Shah
Syed Imdad Muhammad Shah
Zarin Taj
Shama Aimen
Dr. Durreshahwar




Ghulam Murtaza SyedTemplate:Efn (17 January 1904 – 25 April 1995),[3] known as G. M. Syed was a Sindhi nationalist and politician, who is known for his scholarly work,[4] later proposing ideological groundwork for separate Sindhi identity and laying the foundations of Sindhudesh movement.[5] He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Sindhi nationalism.[6] He was known as "Saeen" by his supporters.

G.M Syed started his political career at the age of 16, when he organised Khilafat Conference at his hometown, Sann, on 17 March 1920.[7] Syed was one of the earliest Sindhi politician who sought the creation of Islamic Pakistan, and became a vocal supporter of the Two-Nation Theory, advocated by the Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah; Syed's political propaganda for a purely 'Muslim-dominated state' is witnessed after the Manzilgah incident,[8] However, once the independent nation was formed, he became a political prisoner of the state in 1948, due to differences with the country's leadership.[9][2] He restated his political propaganda of ideologies which advocated for Islamic principles, secularism, Sindhi nationalism and laid the basis for Sindhudesh Movement.[10] He spent approximately thirty years of his life in imprisonment and house arrests for his political views.[11] He was entitled as the prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International in 1995.[12] He died during his house arrest in Karachi on 26 April 1995.[13]

After his father's death, he grew up with his father's best family friend Rais Faqir Bux Khan Kaachhi, whom at that time, was the chief of the Kaachhi tribe, Rais Faqir Bux Khan Kaachhi was GM Syed's Ustaad and a uncle like figure to him and protected him from the enemies of GM. Syed's father. Gm syed had also mentioned Rais Faqir Bux Khan Kaachhi in his books.

Early life

Childhood: 1904–15

G. M. Syed was born to the Sadat family of Sindh in the town of Sann on 17 January 1904. He was an infant when his father, Syed Mohammed Shah Kazmi, was killed in a family feud on 1 November 1905. After the death of his father, Syed was the only male infant in the family, so in 1906 the British Government took temporary custody of the family property through the Court of Wards, giving the family a monthly pension. He had five years of primary education, in the Sindhi, from the age of six, ending in 1915. The female elders of his family and Mother Haneefa Bibi decided to home-school him thereafter in order to safeguard him from feuding as he was the only male heir in the family. He was taught Persian and English at home.[14][15][16]

Teenage: 1920–24

Syed became politically active through participation in the Khilafat Movement. He first attended Khilafat Conference held on 7th, 8th, and 9 February 1920 in Larkana. He was inspired by the speeches of Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Bari Firangi Mahali, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi. He himself called upon the next Khilafat Conference on 17 March 1920 in his hometown Sann.[16][15][17] Two days after this conference, his native town Sann observed a shutter-down strike in protest against the injustices of the Allied Powers against the Ottoman Caliphate on 20 March 1920. He remained active throughout the entire Khilafat Movement afterward.[15] He addressed the Khilafat Conference held on 26 March 1920, in Makhdoom Bilawal's Mausoleum as the youngest speaker. He was of a short-height and stood upon a wooden chair to be visible to the audience during his speech.[16] He met Mahatma Gandhi on 27 April 1921 at the Sann railway station while Mr. Gandhi was traveling from Dadu to Hyderabad. Gandhi instructed him to wear Khadi.[18][19] Syed visited the office of the Collector in Karachi on 23 June 1921 to free his lands from the custody of Court of Wards but he was refused. He filed a complaint against the Collector and Mukhtiarkar on 4 December 1922, for hurdling the delivery of his lands from custody.[16][15] Finally, he was awarded his lands back from the custody of Court of Wards in the year 1924, after two years of legal prosecution.[20]

Political activism

G.M Syed was the founder of Sindh Awami Mahaz, which went on to join the National Awami Party (National Peoples Party). Like Ibrahim Joyo, Syed blended Sindhi nationalism with Communism and Sufism through the ideas of Gandhi and Marx.

Syed Sindhi's position brought him ample opportunity to have free income through tributes, cash offerings and landed property. This lifestyle was rejected by him, subsequently he plunged into politics with enthusiasm. Politically, he evolved and traveled from Pan-Islamist to Indian nationalist and then Pakistani nationalist, having joined Muslim League; and ended with being a Sindhi nationalist.[21]

AV School

In the early 1920s, Syed opened Anglo-Vernacular (AV) school in his village Sann, where education for certain language classes was free of cost. AV School offered combo of Sindhi education with English language. The school also offered options of Arabic, French and Persian languages. Prominent Sindhi educationist Ibrahim Joyo was also schooled at AV.[22]

Timeline

  • At the early age of fourteen years, Syed started his career as an activist.[2]
  • In 1919, became Chairman of the School Board of his own tehsil. He later became its president.
  • In 1929, was elected as a President of Karachi District Local Board.[2]
  • In 1930, organized the Sindh Hari (Peasants) Conference and became its Secretary.[23]
  • In 1937, was for the first time elected a member of Sindh Legislative Assembly.[2]
  • In 1938, joined the All-India Muslim League. In 1940, he became Minister of Education in Sindh.[2]
  • In 1941, became one of the members of the Central Committee of the Muslim League.
  • In 1943, became President of the Sindh Muslim League.[2]
  • In 1946, conditions compelled him to dissociate from the Muslim League, and formed a new party named the Progressive Muslim League. The same year, he was elected as leader of the Coalition Party in the Sindh Assembly.
  • In 1954, acted as Chairman of Sindhi Adabi Board.
  • In 1966, founded Bazm-e-Soofia-e Sindh.
  • In 1969, formed the Sindh United Front.
  • In 1972, formed Jeay Sindh Mahaz.

Jeay Sindh movement

File:GM Syed.jpg
Final resting place of sain G.M Syed

Syed was the architect of "Jeay-Sindh" movement, aimed at achieving Sindhudesh. He is also the author of more than 60 books, (with) subjects ranging from politics, religion, culture, literature and commentaries on famous poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. For his part as a political thinker, literary figure and mystic, he dominated the political arena of pre and post-partition era for decades, while he remained in jail for 30 years.[21]

On 19 January 1992, Syed was put under house arrest, his house was declared a sub-jail. He died on 25 April 1995.[21]

Books

Syed was the author of more than sixty books, written mainly in Sindhi, but also English and Urdu.[24] His works are on numerous subjects, ranging from literature to politics, religion and culture. Due to his breath of knowledge, he has been described by the Dutch scholar of Islam Oskar Verkaaik as "in many ways a remarkably productive, original, and largely autodidact intellectual, creating his own personal interpretation of Islam out of a range of intellectual influences such as 19th-century Islamic reform, Darwinian evolution theory, theosophy, 18th century Sindhi poetry, Marxism, classical Sufism, German idealism, and probably more."[25]

Some of his well-known books are:

  • Janam Guzarium Jin Sein (In Sindhi language)
  • Dayar Dil Dastan-e- Muhabt (In Sindhi language)
  • Sindh Ja Soorma (In Sindhi language)
  • Sindh Speaks (English)
  • Struggle for New Sindh (English)
  • Religion and Reality (English)
  • Shah Latif's Message (Template:Langx) is a 1992 book written by GM Syed about the life of Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and his teachings. The book was originally published in Sindhi. It received an English translation by Egnert Azariah.[26] Syed depicts Latif "as a nationalist and patriotic poet because of his immense love and commitment to Sindh and its people."[27]
  • A Nation in Chains (English)

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Provinces of British India. worldstatesmen.org. WORLD STATESMEN.org. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 G.M. Syed remembered. dawn.com. dawn(20 January 2009). Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  3. ↑ G M Syed (Sindhi): Remembering a visionary. tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune(19 January 2015). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  4. ↑ KARACHI 1943: A PROCESSION IN TRIUMPH. dawn.com. Dawn(24 June 2017). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  5. ↑ 'No China, Go China' slogans reverberate at JSMM rally in Sindh. aninews.in. Asian News International(19 January 2018). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  6. ↑ The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi and Mohajir Ethnic Movements{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Routledge(2012). ISBN 978-1-136-33697-3
  7. ↑ The burden of refuge: the Sindhi Hindus of Gujarat{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Orient Longman(2007). ISBN 978-81-250-3157-4
  8. ↑ The Burden of Refuge: The Sindhi Hindus of Gujarat{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Orient Longman(2007). ISBN 9788125031574
  9. ↑ Statement by Dr. Haleem Uddin Bhatti, Information Secretary, World Sindhi Congress. worldsindhicongress.org. World Sindhi Congress. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Making of the Sindhi identity: From Shah Latif to GM Syed (Sindhi) to Bhutto. dawn.com. Dawn(10 September 2015). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Relevance of GM Syed today. tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune(17 January 2013). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Amnesty International: The 1995 Report on Human Rights Around the World{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Hunter House(1995). ISBN 978-0-89793-183-0
  13. ↑ Kashmir and Sindh: Nation-building, Ethnicity and Regional Politics in South Asia{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Anthem Press(2001). ISBN 978-1-898855-69-9
  14. ↑ G.M Syed. storyofpakistan.com. Story of Pakistan(4 January 2008). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 The Case of Sindh: G.M. Sayed's Deposition for the Court{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Naeen Sindh Academy(1995)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 The Path Not Taken: G.M. Sayed : Vision and Valour in Politics{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sain Publishers(2004)
  17. ↑ G.M. Syed: An Analysis of His Political Perspectives{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press(2000). ISBN 978-0-19-579273-7
  18. ↑ Popular Intellectuals and Social Movements: Framing Protest in Asia, Africa, and Latin America{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Cambridge University Press(2004). ISBN 978-0-521-61348-4
  19. ↑ Political Struggle of G. M. Syed 1934-1947: A Journey from Indian National Congress to Progressive Sindh Muslim League. Lyallpur Historical & Cultural Research Journal({Template:Date).
  20. ↑ Janab Guzaryam Jin Seen{{#if:Ghulam|, Ghulam}. Sindhi Adabi Board(1967)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Biography of GM Syed. Story of Pakistan. ETeam(4 January 2008). Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  22. ↑ Learning education from Joyo | TNS - The News on Sunday. Tns.thenews.com.pk(2016-03-27). Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  23. ↑ Zulfikarabad: An Israel in the making. Nation.com.pk(2012-07-02). Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  24. ↑ Muhammad Soaleh Korejo, G.M. Syed: An Analysis of His Political Perspectives, Oxford University Press (2000), p. 2
  25. ↑ Column: G.M. Syed: the controversial mystic of modern times. Dawn News(2013-07-28). Retrieved 2017-06-18.
  26. ↑ Islam, Sufism and Everyday Politics of Belonging in South Asia{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Routledge(2016-09-13). ISBN 978-1-317-43596-9
  27. ↑ Popular Literature and Pre-Modern Societies in South Asia{{#if:Memon|, Memon}. Longman(2008). ISBN 978-81-317-1358-7

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