Few personalities have the power to shape the destiny of their people and leave an everlasting legacy. Ghulam Murtaza Syed was one such visionary whose life and work continue to resonate deeply within the hearts of Sindhis. Syed, popularly known as GM Syed, who was born on 17 January 1904, in the small village of Sann, Sindh. He spent his entire life fighting for the preservation of Sindhi culture, identity and the land itself. On his birthday anniversary, it would be appropriate for us to look back on a person who was an example for both his vision and his sacrifices.
Syed’s educational background was very different from other Pakistani leaders. He made his educational efforts on his own, because his father had died, and his family took measures to protect him from family conflict. Afterward, his family decided to home-school him to ensure his safety. During this period, he got primary education in Sindhi, and he was taught Persian and English at home. Despite the lack of formal schooling, Syed was a diligent self-learner. He mastered Sindhi and English and was also conversant in Arabic and Persian. His favourite subjects included history, philosophy and political science. This self-taught education laid the foundation for his intellectual pursuits and his later contributions as a thinker and writer.
Syed started his political career at the age of sixteen, transitioning from a pan-Islamic Indian nationalist to a Pakistani nationalist, and ultimately to a Sindhi nationalist. Syed’s early politics began in the 1930s, when he was established the Sindh Hari Committee for advocating Sindhi peasants’ rights. During the early days of his political journey, he actively participated in the Khilafat Movement, organizing a conference in his hometown Sann and protesting British policies. At the same time, he also fought for Sindh’s separation from the Bomby Presidency. After the separation of Sindh from Bombay in 1937, he joined the All-India Muslim League in 1938 and was elected as an executive member of the League from Sindh. He devoted his efforts to the creation of a new state for Indian Muslims and was a strong supporter of the Pakistan Movement from Sindh. In 1943, he became the president of the Sindh Muslim League and was the first to present the Pakistan Resolution in the Sindh Assembly on 3 March 1943.
However, due to differences with Jinnah over the nomination of candidates and provincial autonomy, Syed left the Muslim League on 4 January 1946. Ayesha Jalal noted that Syed’s support for the Pakistan Resolution in 1940 showed his early commitment to independence. However, once Pakistan was established, he became disillusioned with the federal government’s treatment of Sindh, feeling that its resources and territory were being exploited. In addition, he was first man who rise the slogan against the one-unit scheme in Sindh Assembly in 1953. Through his protest and writing, speeches he fought for the Sindh land, he challenged every obstacle which created problem in Sindh. As a result, he was arrested by the authorities at various times.
All these injustices led him to launch the Sindhudesh movement in 1973, advocating for Sindh’s cultural, territory and political rights. His message was simple but powerful: Sindh must have autonomy to preserve its unique identity. He wasn’t just raising political slogans; he was giving voice to the aspirations of his people. After the creation of Pakistan, Syed stood out as a unique voice in Sindh, opposing the concept of a nation-state based on religious identities. Syed believed that politics should be separate from politics because according to his perspective, religion is a personal matter in life, and not the business of the state. This point of view led him being labelled as anti-state and anti-Islam by the government and Islamic orthodoxy. He also highlighted how the federal government did injustice to the Sindhi people in various ways. As a result, he spent more than 30 years in imprisonment due to continued differences with the federal government. Despite all these difficulties in his life, he never compromised on his principles for Sindh.
While debates on provincial autonomy and federalism are often overshadowed by political power games, Syed’s advocacy for peaceful resistance and cultural pride provides a meaningful pathway to addressing Sindh’s challenges
Moreover, Syed was not only a Sindhi nationalist politician but also a thinker and an intellectual, who wrote almost sixty books on various topics, such as history, Sufism, politics and philosophy. From his work we can see that one of his greatest inspirations personalities was Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, who was a highly revered Sindhi poet and Sufi saint. Syed thought that Bhittai’s verses call for the action against unjust dominations and a fight for fundamental rights. Also, he believed that Sufism is a great spiritual guide for Sindh’s struggle, emphasizing peace, tolerance and justice.
Today, Sindh faces various pressing issues, from water disputes to the exploitation of its natural resources, along with the marginalization of its language and culture. Syed’s legacy holds significant relevance in the present day, not just in writing but also in advocating for fundamental rights for the Sindhi people and in inspiring them to protect the essence of Sindh’s culture, land and heritage. Syed’s legacy for Sindh still continues to resonate through his political legacy, the Jeay Sindh Movement.
While debates on provincial autonomy and federalism are often overshadowed by political power games, Syed’s advocacy for peaceful resistance and cultural pride provides a meaningful pathway to addressing Sindh’s challenges. Moreover, Syed’s doctrines of Sufism and human dignity serve as an extraordinary counterweight to the rising tide of intolerance and extremism in Sindh. Besides, Syed’s vision was not limited to political autonomy alone. It extends to the notion of a harmonious, inclusive society where the rights and dignity of every individual are upheld.
On his birth anniversary, we pay tribute to a towering Sindhi figure. His unwavering commitment to the cause of justice and self-determination for Sindh remains a beacon of light for Sindhis to this day. Today, let us pause to reflect on the enduring contributions he bestowed upon us and reaffirm our commitment to the principles he held dear: justice, social equality, and a deep sense of pride in his heritage, traditions, and language. Syed’s spirit lives on in the hearts of all Sindhis who seek a brighter and more inclusive future for our beloved native country. As we commemorate Syed on this important day, it is incumbent upon us to revisit his ideals and align them with the realities of the present day. He taught the Sindhi community that culture and heritage are the essence of a nation. To abandon them is tantamount to destroying one’s identity.
In short, GM Syed was not only a leader, but he also was the soul of Sindh. Many authors consider him as a prominent figure in the political history of the South Asian Subcontinent during the pre- and post-partition period. His significant role in the establishment of Pakistan cannot be forgotten. In the last days of his life, due to his anti-government statements, he was placed under house arrest in his ancestral home in Sann, and his house was also declared a sub-jail, where he died on 25 April 1995.