Lal Khan
Lal Khan is an internationally renowned revolutionary political activist and Trotskyist political theorist. He is the leading figure and main theorist in international Marxist Tendency along with Alan Woods. He is generally known in Pakistan as Doctor Lal Khan, as he is a doctor of Medicine, although he has quit this profession for the sake of his revolutionary activities.
He is one of the founder of Progressive movement particularly trade union movement in Pakistan. In response to the United States-backed coup attempt of 2002 in Venezuela, he was an important figure in founding the Hands Off Venezuela campaign.
In 1970s he was a student of medicine and political activist in Pakistan when the military coup of General Zia ul Haq toppled the Pakistan Peoples Party government and subsequently hanged the country's first democratically elected prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
In the aftermaths of this tragic event, many of PPP workers and activists started a struggle against Genaral Zia's dictatorial regime. Many of them were persecuted, jailed, or exiled.
Lal khan was arrested in 1980 on the charges of leading a student wing which was involved in leading mass rallies against the General Zia's government. He was sentenced to one year in prison, fifteen lashes, and a 20,000 rupees fine. He was in prison for one year, and then he was released, then sent to university in the north in the Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
He was in the university for four months, and then, due to his involvement in anti government political activities and the struggle for the overthrow of the dictatorship, He was sentenced to death, to be shot on sight. So he had to leave pakistan and came to exile in 1980.
While he was exile he graduated from the University of Amsterdam, and then after that he had to stay in Netherlands for eight more years. This was the time when he came aquainted with Alan Woods, the Trotskyist political theorist in the British Labour Party. In 1990s he came back to his country and quit his profession as a doctor, and have been working full time ever since in revolutionary politics. Alan Woods and Lal khan are now close friends and heading the International Marxist tendency, an organization for the promotion of socialist ideas and for safeguarding the workers rights along the globe.
In March 2009, a book have been written by the famous pakistani writer Muhammad Nazir Tabassum with the title Comrade Lal Khan. This book take into account the life long struggle and hardships Lal khan went through under the oppression of dictatorships and political turmoil.
Books written by Lal Khan
Lal khan is the author of many books:
- PARTITION (can it be undone?) this book examines the historical background of partition of subcontinent and formation of two nation i.e Pakistan and India.
- In 2009 "the struggle publications" in Pakistan have released Lal Khan's new book titled Lebanon Israel War This book discusses not only the current conflict between Lebanon and Israel in detail but also looks at the history of wars and revolutions in the whole region. The changing role of Iran in the region and the spectre of an imperialist attack on Iran are also discussed in detail.
- PAKISTAN’S OTHER STORY (The Revolution of 1968-69) is another notable book of Lal khan, this book examines the student and political activism of late 60s which gave birth to a socialist revolution, but due to lack of leadership courage that opportunity was lost, and chance of changing the fate of Pakistan's destiny was lost.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Marxist_Tendency http://www.newyouth.com/archives/interviews/interview_with_lal_khan_from_pak.html http://www.marxist.com/hindustan-times-lal-khan-social-revolution.htm http://www.sapfonline.org/gpage11a.html