General. Ghulam
Murtaza Syed (GM Syed) born on 17 Jan 1904 at Sann, District Dadu. His father’s
name was Syed Muhammad Shah Kazmi. He was a prominent politician, who is known
for his educated work passing only legitimate decision in favor of establishment
of Pakistan from Britain Sindh Assembly (Present Sindh Assembly) during 1943.
He is well known for offering movement for separate Sindhi identity and laying
the basics of Sindhudesh movement. He is counted as one of the founding persons
of modern Sindhism. G.M Syed started his politics during 16 year age; with the
organization of Khilafat Conference at his hometown. He is first political
prisoner after independence during 1948. GM Syed reiterated political
implementation of Sufism suggesting peaceful religious coexistence, secularism,
nationalism and founded basis of Sindhudesh Movement.
His father got killed due to family dispute on 1 Nov 1905. After his
father’s death, GM Syed was only male infant in family, since British
Government took his property in custody and his family was given monthly
pension by Court of Wards from 1906. He completed his primary education at the age
of six years in Sindhi during 1915. Then her mother Haneefa Bibi decided for home-schooling
to prevent him from family disputes and taught him Persian and English at home.
He started politics after participating in Khilafat Movement. His first
attendance in Khilafat Conference held on 7, 8 and 9 Feb 1920 at Larkana was
inspired by prominent leaders i.e Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Bari Firangi Mahali,
Maulana Shaukat Ali and Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi. GM Syed himself organized
and called upon next Khilafat Conference on 17 Mar 1920 at his hometown, Sann. Later,
Sann was also closed in a shutter-down strike in protest against injustices of Allied
Powers against Ottoman Caliphate on 20 Mar 1920 after two days of conference. On
26 Mar 1920, he addressed Khilafat Conference held at Makhdoom Bilawal's Shrine
as youngest speaker. GM Syed had short-height so he stood over a chair to be
visible during his address.
On 27 Apr 1921, GM Syed met Mahatma Gandhi at Sann Railway Station where
Mr. Gandhi was traveling from Dadu to Hyderabad, During his meeting, Gandhi
instructed him to wear Khadi. On 23 Jun 1921, GM Syed visited Collector Office Karachi
to get lands from custody of Court of Wards but he was refused, then he filed application
against Collector and Mukhtiarkar on 4 Dec 1922, for imposing impediments in transfer
of his lands. During 1924, he was returned back his lands back by Court of
Wards, after legal prosecution two years.
GM Syed founded Sindh Awami Mahaz which was later affiliated with National
Awami Party (National Peoples Party). GM Syed integrated nationalism with
Communism and Sufism with ideas of Gandhi and Marx.
He opened
Anglo-Vernacular (AV) School in his village, Sann during early 1920s. Here education
for some of the language classes was also free. His School also offered combo
of Sindhi education with English. This school also gave options of Arabic,
French and Persian languages. An Important Sindhi educationist Ibrahim Joyo also
got admitted in this school. GM Syed had written more than 60 books mainly in
Sindhi but also in English and Urdu, on politics, religion, culture, literature
and annotations on famous poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.
He spent his thirty years prisons or house arrests due to disparate
anti-Sindh procedures. Therefore, GM Syed was entitled as “prisoner of
conscience” by Amnesty International during 1995. GM Syed was put under house
arrest at Karachi on 19 January 1992 and later his house was declared a
sub-jail where he died on 25 April 1995.
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