By: Fayyaz Baqir

Year 1970 was a milestone in the electoral politics of Pakistan. This was the first time that free and fair general elections based on adult franchise were held and a military government fulfilled its promise of holding elections in time. The stage was set for a showdown between religious and secular/socialist parties. Pakistan’s ruling elite started beating the drum of religion to prevent their defeat and generously funded religious parties to declare their secular opponents ‘enemies of Islam’ and seek votes in the name of ‘saving Islam’. Jamiat Ulema eIslam (JUI) was the only exception. JUI sided with progressive forces and opposed reactionary interpretation of Islam. Many prominent events built up public opinion in favour of a progressive, democratic Pakostan.Secular parties won a stunning victory in 1970 elections. Religious and conservative parties and traditional religious leaders were routed. Awami League won majority in East Pakistan; People’s Party in Punjab and Sindh and National Awami Party in NWFP and Balochistan. People of Pakistan gave a clear mandate to secularism, democracy and a welfare state. The war won by people was lost by their leaders. We still keep reminding people Quaid’s August 11 speech to score a point for secularism; but never care to analyze how secular leadership itself strangulated the politics of secularism. How Mr. Bhutto unleashed army on Bengalis and Balochis and how PPP laid the foundation of Mujahideen and Taliban outfits.

In the days leading to the election big mass rallies, demonstrations and marches were held. One of the historical events was Kissan Conference held in Toba Tek Singh. The Conference was organized by NAP Bhashani group. Speakers included Molana Bhashani, Matiurrehman, Meraj Mohammad Khan, Tariq Aziz and many others. There were many poets in attendance also. It was perhaps Ghiasuddin Janbaz who said

In dinoon Peking se barh kar hey Toba Tek Singh

JI and other right wing parties started full throttle propaganda campaign against socialist ideas. They called socialists harbingers of imported ideology. Molana Bhashani was called Mao Lana Bhashani ( meaning the one who wants to bring Mao, unlike the traditional meaning our leader and guide) by one right wing journal. Hundreds of thousands of jubilant political workers, labourers, peasants and students attended the conference. People travelled in trains, buses, bikes and on foot to the venue of the Conference. NAP and PPP flags and red flags with hammer and sickle were fluttering everywhere. A big contingent of NSO members and Bengali students boarded a train from Lahore to Toba Tek Singh. There were slogans on the walls saying Chalo Chalo Toba Chalo ( Let us go to Toba). NSO members included Khwaja Tariq Masood, Tariq Latif, Zaman Khan, Jahangir, Fayyaz Baqir and many others. Bengali students kept raising the slogans Shangram, Shangram, Chol Bey, Chol Bey (Struggle, Struggle will continue, continue), Amar Naita, Tumar Naita , Molana Bhashani (Our leader, your leader, Molana Bhashani) and Molana Bhashani Lal Salam, Lal Salam (Red Salute). We met Shahid Nadeem and many other progressive friends on arrival at Toba. Many other student and trade union delegations came from other parts of Punjab. As we got off the train and moved towards the big tent we saw a big crowd of PPP workers dancing in circle on drum beat around their flag. I noticed a tall, young, handsome man in the middle. I asked someone, who this guy was: Ahmad Rea Kasuri, was the reply. Many other PPP leaders and groups joined.

Meeting started with big fanfare. There were many fiery speeches and poems. I specially noted three speeches. Tariq Aziz, who was a close comrade of Meraj Mohammad Khan at that time, and a follower of Maoist thought said, “ Punjab needs to break Ranjha’s flute and pick up Mirza’s arrow” to fight against tyranny and exploitation. It was time to rise in arms against the decadent and exploitative system which has sucked the blood of working classes for many generations. There was a big round of applause as it reflected public sentiment. It seemed that inspiration of all the speakers was “revolution rises of a barrel of gun”. Then came NAP’s General Secretary Matiurrehman (or Masihurrehman), who in a roaring voice said, “Yahya Khan tum Ghaddar hey Ghaddar Hey” (Yahya Khan you are a traitor, a traitor). Such a display of defiance and courage was mind boggling. These speeches took the level of popular emotions to the seventh sky. Matiurrehman was later on arrested on charges of treason. His defence was very simple. He said he did not have full command over Urdu language and did not understand the meaning of word Ghaddar. So he picked a wrong word. Case dismissed. Molana Bhasahani made a very fiery speech and told Yahya Khan that NAP had 42000 guerillas in East Pakistan and if army did not accept his party’s demands, he will launch guerilla warfare. It warmed the blood of everyone in the audience. There were marches and dances and celebrations in the evening. Small town of Toba Tek Singh ran out of booze due to heavy attendance of men of cozy hearts. Something similar happened later in Lahore at the Time of Islamic Conference.

Kissan Conference was a unique show of Left unity and solidarity in Punjab and a display of its mass power. Something like this never happened before or after this event. Proceedings of Toba Tek Singh Conference got good press coverage and generated discussion on class politics all over Pakistan. NAP Bhashani Group had no leader with the stature of Bhashani in West Pakistan so this event did not help NAP Bhashani gain any electoral benefits from this Conference but I brought the issues of peasants’ exploitation to the centre stage of Pakistan’s politics. Molana Bhashani was perhaps the only national level leader who dressed like peasants and had peasant origin with remarkable leadership qualities. This was perhaps his last public speech in united Pakistan.

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