Hyder Bux Jatoi

Hyder Bux Jatoi (1901-1970) was a revolutionary, leftist, peasant leader in Sindh, Pakistan.^[1] He is known by his supporters as "Baba-e-Sindh" (Father of Sindh). He was also a Sindhi writer and poet. He was for many years the president of the Sindh Hari Committee (Sindh Peasants Committee), a constituent member of the National Awami Party.^[2] The singer & revolutionary activist of Sindh Jiji Zareena Baloch was always quoted Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi before singing his "Jeay Sindh aen jeay Sindh, Jam-e-Muhabat pieay Sindh" and "Paan Kkay haan aazad ghurjay watan" poetry.

Early life

Hyder Bakhsh Jatoi was born on October 7, 1901 in Bakhodero village near Mohenjo-daro in Larkana District. Deprived in infancy of motherly care and love, as his mother, Sahib Khatoon died soon after his birth, he was brought up by his father and aunts. Soon after, on completing his primary school, the young lad joined the Sindh Madarsah School at Larkana, where he topped the list of successful examinees every year. He topped the Sindh vernacular final examination in 1918 among candidates from all over Sindh and then won his first position in Sindh at the matriculation examination from the Bombay University in 1923.^[3]

He studied at the D. J. Science College, Karachi, and remained a resident boarder in Metharam Hostel attached to the college. He graduated in 1927 with honours in literature and won distinction in Persian from the Bombay University. He served as editor of the college miscellany and won the annual award for writing a poem called "college kabootar" (the college pigeon). Throughout his student life at Larkana and Karachi, he was a scholarship holder.^[4]

He wrote the poem:

The path to Allah I perceived with difficulty,

Not in mosque, temple or church No place for thinking or logic anywhere

I saw him truly in my own heart.

Hyder Bux Jatoi resigned from the post as deputy collector in the British colonial government in 1945 to lead the Sindh peasants’ rights movement Hyder Bux Jatoi translation of the Quran in English.^[2]

He married his cousin Sammul at the age of 27. He called her by his endearing name "Mumtaz" (translating to excellent). They had five sons, Mustafa, Mazhar Ali, Dadan, Hatim and Murtaza.^[4]

Sindh Hari Committee

The subhuman conditions of harees (farmers) and tillers of the land led him to resign from his job in 1945 and to join the Sindh Hari Party.^[4]

He began his career in social service and politics as a member of the Indian National Congress.^[4]

"We are now passing through the same stage in the history of our economic life through which the leading nations of Europe passed more than 400 years ago, this showed how backward we were, and have been kept where we are."^[4]

Death

He died on the 21st May 1970 at Hyder Manzil, Hyder chowk, Hyderabad. He had written his epitaph before his death, which was read at his funeral^[4]:

"O death you have cooled every vein and vessel of mine, Be happy O friend without you rest in life is not possible."

His wife Mumtaz Hyder died five months later and was buried beside him.^[4]

Reference