Lal Bakhsh Rind Passes Away

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Mir Lal Bakhsh Rind, a prominent Baloch political activist ’70s, passed away after protracted illness. He was 78 and left behind a daughter to mourn his death.

He was laid to rest in Karachi. Thousands of people, mostly political workers and trade union activists, participated in his funeral.

Initially, Lal Bakhsh Rind suffered a bone fracture and was on wheel chair. During this period his health started falling and he became a chronic patient of Asthma, heart patient and high blood pressure. In few days back he was shifted to a local hospital for treatment his condition became precarious. He breathed his last this morning. His funeral took place at his Lyari Home where thousands of people attended his last rites.

He belonged to a middle class family having high respect among the local people in Karachi and major parts of Sindh and Balochistan. His family members were social activists and participated in politics.

Lal Bakhsh Rind devoted his entire life in politics, particularly the progressive politics in Sindh and Balochistan. His students included a large number of Punjabis and Pakhtuns. Rather, the Pakhtun Students Federation and Sindhi Students Federation were formed by the Pakhtuns and Sindhi students at his residence which was considered the political headquarters of National Awami Party and Baloch Students Organization.

Lal Bakhsh Rind was one of the brains who converted the character of BSO from a social and educational organization to a complete political organization taking up the political agenda publicly and openly.

Since his residence was political headquarters, dozens of people, mostly students and political activists, were found discussing political and other issues. He never discriminated any one during the discussion and encouraged all to participate in the debate and form a consensus on political and constitutional issue.

He was a close aide of late Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, Mir Gul Khan Naseer, Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Shaheed Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, late Shero Marri, Mr. Mahmoodul Haq Usmani and dozens of other prominent Bengali, Sindhi and Pakhtun leaders. Most of the leaders were frequent visitors of his residence and met him exchanging views on pressing problems of the country.

He was one of the influential men who discouraged hardliner among the Baloch students and political activists and kept them far away from extremist tactics and ideology. He was a progress worker and remained a member of the Communist Party since his early life.

He was widely respected in Sindh and Balochistan. He was arrested off and on trump up charges and remained in custody for long for his political views. During his custody, he was tortured in an inhuman manner. He was close to death during the police torture during the Bhutto regime. He was personally involved in issuing orders to kill him on sight. The orders were issued only when he was released from Karachi jail following dismemberment of Pakistan.

He remained a member of the high council of the NAP and Baloch National Movement framing policies till late 1980s. He parted ways from Baloch national politics and devoted all his energies on progressive movement. In fact, it proved to be his isolation from Baloch national movement and remained slightly ignored barring his close friends and relatives.

Please interested to offer condolence can call his brother Waja Rafiq Baloch on: 0092-322-2345391