Lahore, 8 January: Oxford University Press launched its latest publication Surkh Salam: Communist Politics and Class Activism in Pakistan 1947–1972 written by Kamran Asdar Ali. The book presents the first extensive look at the communist and working class movement in Pakistan which played a key role in shaping the country’s politics today. The author critically engages with the history of Pakistan’s early years, paying special attention to the rise and fall of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), from Partition in 1947 to the aftermath of Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. Shedding light on a vital and little-researched aspect of Pakistan’s history, this book shows that military coups, Islamic radicalization, and terrorist activities do not constitute the sum total of Pakistan’s history, that its history includes the activities and contributions of communist intellectuals and activists.
Kamran Asdar Ali is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of South Asia Institute at the University of Texas, Austin, USA. He has conducted ethnographic research in Mexico, Egypt, and Pakistan. His publications are related to the topics of health, gender, sexuality, urban issues, popular culture, and labour history. He is the author of Planning the Family in Egypt: New Bodies, New Selves. Along with Martina Rieker he has guest-edited, Urban Margins: Envisioning the Contemporary Global South, and has also co-edited Gendering Urban Space and Comparing Cities: Middle East and South Asia.
The event held at the OUP bookshop in Lahore featured a stimulating panel discussion with Anis Alam, I. A Rehman, Anushay Malik, Abid Minto, and Salima Hashmi, and the moderator Ammar Jan. The speakers emphasized that it is vital to understand the state’s relationship throughout history with its divergent political and ethnic voices. They underscored that while the history of Pakistan is often viewed through the lens of unified Muslim nationalism, the author explores the history of Pakistan’s often tense relationship among various ethnic groups.
Earlier in his welcome address, Tariq Haq, Regional Sales Director, OUP, said, “The author Kamran Asdar Ali has provided an in-depth analysis of communism in Pakistan, and succeeds in closing a serious gap in our history.”
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