G. M. Syed

Ghulam Murtaza Syed, popularly known as G. M. Syed, was a Pakistani politician and independence activist from Sindh. He transitioned from being a proponent of the Pakistan Movement to becoming the founder of modern Sindhi nationalism. Throughout his life, he established the ideological groundwork for the Sindhudesh movement.

Early life and education

Syed was born in the town of Sann on 17 January 1904 to a Sadat family. His father, Syed Mohammed Shah Kazmi, died in a family feud on 1 November 1905. Because Syed was the only male infant left in the family, the British Government took temporary custody of his family property through the Court of Wards in 1906. This arrangement provided his family with a monthly pension.

He completed five years of primary education in the Sindhi language between 1911 and 1915. After this period, his mother Haneefa Bibi and other female elders decided to home-school him. They chose this method to protect him from feuds since he was the sole male heir. During these years at home, he studied English and Persian.

In the early 1920s, Syed opened an Anglo-Vernacular school in Sann. This institution offered free education for certain language classes. The school provided a combination of Sindhi education and the English language, while also offering options for French, Arabic, and Persian. The prominent Sindhi educationist Ibrahim Joyo attended this school.

Career

Syed began his political career at age 16 by organizing a Khilafat Conference in Sann on 17 March 1920. He was the youngest speaker at the Khilafat Conference held on 26 March 1920 in the Mausoleum of Makhdoom Bilawal. To be visible to his audience during this speech, he stood upon a wooden chair due to his short height.

His political evolution saw him move from Pan-Islamism to Indian nationalism and eventually to Pakistani nationalism. He joined the All-India Muslim League in 1938 and served as the Minister of Education in Sindh in 1940. By 1943, he had become the President of the Sindh Muslim League. However, he dissociated from the league in 1946 to form the Progressive Muslim League.

He held several significant leadership roles throughout his life:

• Chairman of the School Board of his tehsil in 1919
• President of the Karachi District Local Board in 1929
• Secretary of the Sindh Hari Conference in 1930
• Member of the Sindh Legislative Assembly in 1937

After the formation of the independent nation, Syed became a political prisoner in 1948 due to disagreements with the state leadership. He eventually founded the Jeay Sindh Mahaz in 1972 to promote his vision for Sindhudesh. He also established the Sindh Awami Mahaz and the Sindh United Front during his career.

As a writer, he authored more than 60 books on subjects including religion, culture, and politics. His works were written in English, Urdu, and primarily Sindhi. One notable book is "Shah Latif's Message," which explores the teachings of the Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Personal life

Following the death of his father, Syed grew up with Rais Faqir Bux Khan Kaachhi. Kaachhi was a close family friend and the chief of the Kaachhi tribe. He acted as an uncle-like figure and an Ustaad who protected Syed from enemies of his father. Syed later mentioned Kaachhi in his own books.

Syed rejected a lifestyle of free income from tributes and landed property to pursue politics. He spent approximately 30 years under house arrest or in imprisonment because of his political views. On 19 January 1992, authorities placed him under house arrest and declared his home a sub-jail. He died during this house arrest in Karachi on 26 April 1995.

Awards and recognition

Amnesty International entitled Syed as a prisoner of conscience in 1995. His supporters frequently used the prefix "Saeen" to refer to him.