Rasool Bux Palijo – The man who is known as an institution of knowledge, whenever one sees the history of oppressed classes and nations, he will be head of the line from Sindh. He was a voracious reader; he read world literature, philosophy, history, science, cultures, and religions. Since his infancy, he was very interested in the solution to the problems of people. He was a keen observer of the time and the situations. The main and rare thing that he had in his personality is that he was as much practical in his life and struggle as his great intellectuality. He saw the conditions of Sindh and Sindhi people with a scientific eye through the glasses of Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism in the perspective of Sindh and added some different ways and strategies of struggle against feudalism and capitalism regarding time and socio-political scenario of Sindh and Pakistan.
Every aspect of his life and struggle is a separate chapter; besides being the legendary leader of the oppressed class, he was a well-known lawyer, great writer, orator, social scientist, literary critic, political theorist, and scholar. He focused on the class struggle. He was very practical in his essence and an artist of portraying the minds of people with a revolutionary spirit and manners of an enlightened and scientific man of the society. He produced a great number of political cadres and a cream of intellects, which was a remarkable step in the history of Sindh.
He, with his friend Fazil Rahoo, marched to the peasants. Fazil Rahoo was a great peasant leader and a symbol of inspiration and struggle; they both were like the supporting hands of the peasants, workers, and suppressed people. When the nation was in a critical situation, everyone was in fear of its shadow; the media was high-jacked, political parties and leaders were high-jacked, and the people were afraid of politics. They both were the power of people, and people were the actual power of them. They stood against the antihuman, anti-people, and anti-Sindh conspiracies made by the powers and state. The strategies and secrets of their struggle are interesting and motivational. They were real heroes of people and interpretations of their dreams.
Rasool Bux Palijo was not only a lawyer of courts but was an advocate of the oppressed people and nation, his assembly was Sindhi people and the court was the Sindh. When Punjab snatched the water of Sindh and sold three rivers to India, he advocated the case of Sindh with strong arguments and detailed discourse in the form of a book, “Sindh-Punjab water dispute”. He marched to the villages, towns, and cities of Sindh to make the people aware of their rights and resources. The four great long marches by Awami Tahreek left profound impacts on society and politics. He was in the first leading row of MRD, One-unit, and against kala Bagh dam, CJLC, Thal canal…etc.
He was a man of multiple qualities and abilities; he advocated enlightened Sindhi literature by writing two great critical works “Andha Ondha Wej” and another “Sandi Zat Hanjan” and broke the barriers of criticism in Sindhi literature. He was a man of letters. For him, literature and art were the tools of resistance. He introduced poets and singers in the programs with enlightened poetry and music.
He initiated his struggle from his family and home, particularly in Sindhi society the women were too suppressed and treated as just householders and has nothing to do with social and political work. It was difficult for women to be part of the struggle and the same for a man to leave his mother or sister in politics. He was a man who sacrificed his family, protested on roads, and was jailed many times. He thought that a woman has a profound role in society and should have equal representation in politics. He made “Sindhyani Tehreek” a sister branch of Awami Tehreek, others are Sujag Bar Tehreek, Sindhi Girls Students Tehreek, Sindhi Shagrid Tehreek, Sindhi Hari Tehreek, Sindhi Mazdoor Tehreek, Awami lawyers forum.
No one can have two thoughts regarding his intellect approach and wisdom with remarkable work and contribution. His foresight and sublime vision predicted the things that became true over time. He tried to remove the usual, uncivilized, customary, and conventional manners of Sindhi society and to introduce an enlightened and scientific culture. He was a professional revolutionary in his nature. He is a golden chapter of history, and his role can never be replaced. His birth was the birth of a new Sindh, and Sindh feels proud on his birthday.
