Larkana students pay homage to forgotten freedom fighter

Seventy-seven years ago, Hemu Kalani was hanged in Sukkur Jail under the British Raj

KARACHI: Few schools in Sindh remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives decades ago for the future of the nation. Ghulam Bhutto Elementary School is one of them, making sure that a forgotten freedom fighter lives on.

Commemorating the death of Hemu Kalani on January 21, students at the government school in Larkana paid homage to the freedom fighter. Shouting slogans in praise of his sacrifice and courage, the young children, draped in ajrak, garlanded and showered rose petals on his picture.

Seventy-seven years ago, Kalani was hanged in Sukkur Jail under the British Raj. Originally from Sukkur, Kalani was given the option of relaxing his sentence for a mere written apology - but he refused to apologise for trying to save his motherland.

Just 18 years old at the time, Kalani was imprisoned and tortured for attempting to loosen the fixtures of the railway track in his hometown, in a bid to derail a train carrying European soldiers.

The young man had been informed that the train was loaded with weapons that would be used against his fellow freedom fighters in Sindh. He and his friends decided that the train would not be allowed to proceed.

According to historical sources, he told his friends to escape before he was caught, and despite being tortured, did not reveal their names.

Today, though his resilience is celebrated in India, few here are aware of Kalani’s sacrifice, except a handful of nationalist parties - and the students at this school.

“People like Kalani, Ruplo Kohli and Pir Pagaro are our heroes. They built the society we live in now,” asserted Ghulam Mujtaba Bhutto, the school’s headmaster, while speaking to The Express Tribune. “The new generation must be told about their sacrifices, their courage and the bold stances they took.”

The school, located near Sabzi Mandi, celebrates national heroes as a regular occurrence, according to Bhutto.

Innovative schooling

Built in 1941 by a local Hindu businessman, this is a government school that impresses. It draws students from as far away as Naudero, 22 kilometres from Larkana.

The headmaster said that there were less than 200 students enrolled when he took charge in 2017. Today, there are 1,079 students, most of whom attend school regularly, as well as 17 teachers.

“Our students don’t avoid classes because we keep them engaged through healthy activities such as sports, drama, speech competitions and even model courts,” Bhutto explained. Adding that they followed a Japanese schooling method, he said that children learned more successfully through activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2020.