A legend of the left

My friendship with Naseer Humayun did much to enrich my leftist leanings. He would never sit still; in fact, taking a rest was out of the question. Unfortunately, not many today are aware of this great man’s legacy. Humayun sahib was the last of the bygone era of left-wing workers and an understudy of Mirza Ibrahim, the famed communist railway unionist whose union challenged several dictatorships.

In this day and age when political activism occupies several platforms, it is important to examine what Naseer Humayun had to offer to the underlying idea of activism. He was one of the last few working-class leaders who were actually committed to emancipatory politics. Humayun said that the philosophy of a leftist, working class leader should always stem from the realisation that he/she was first a worker and then a leader.

I was lucky enough to have done one of the few at-length interviews with Naseer sahib for the publication Viewpoint Online. During our conversations, he explained that he had joined the railways in 1967, as a katcha mulaazim (non-permanent labourer), where he would shovel coals into a cart for several hours of a day. Only eight days after he had joined the railways, he was arrested during a workers’ strike.

His time both as unionist and political activist was marked by hardships which went on to be a constant theme in his life. Indeed, for many workers like him, the question of politics and activism was never a question – it was simply a way of life. Being a workers’ activist was about committing one’s life to transforming the patron-client relationship.

The optimism which marked Humayun sahib’s struggle was a beacon of hope for many. His dedication seemed to persevere, instead of compromise, to uplift himself personally. He led a life of constant struggle whether it was editing the Awami Jamhuriat, the oldest weekly political magazine of Pakistan’s Left or organising events and discussions.

For newbie leftists, he had a lot of lessons and examples to offer. He inspired them to live life with a sense of humanity and never compromise on political struggle and never be depressed about any situation. He said till the very end: “I have never felt letdown by our struggle. Being a worker of the Left and a trade unionist, I will always continue to work for the Left.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2014.