Lal Khan

{{Infobox person

| name = Lal Khan

| image =

| birth_name = Tanveer Gondal{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/419212/blacked-out|title=Blacked out|date=12 August 2012|website=The Express Tribune}}

| birth_date = {{Birth year|1956}}

| birth_place = Bhaun, Punjab, Pakistan

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|2|21|1956|6|df=y}} {{Cite web|url=http://www.struggle.pk/?p=31075|title = یہ سفر رائیگاں نہ جائے گا!| date=21 February 2020 }}{{cite news |title=In memory of Tanvir Gondal (Lal Khan) June 1956 – February 2020 |url=https://www.marxist.com/in-memory-of-tanvir-gondal-lal-khan-june-1956-february-2020.htm |accessdate=21 February 2020 |work=In Defenxe of Marxism |date=21 February 2020}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Pakistani

| alma_mater = Nishtar Medical College
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

| occupation = Political theorist, activist, writer

| organization = The Struggle Pakistan

| notable_works = Pakistan's Other Story; The 1968-9 Revolution

| website = {{URL|www.struggle.pk}}

| signature =

| spouse =

}}

Lal Khan{{Efn|{{langx|ur|{{nastaliq|لال خان}}}}}} (born Tanveer Gondal; June 1956 – 21 February 2020) was a Pakistani political activist and Marxist political theorist.

He was a physician by profession but ceased practicing medicine in order to devote his time to political activity. Adopting the name Lal Khan, he was the leader of the Pakistani Marxist organization The Struggle, and editor of its newspaper.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jun2012/paks-j30.shtml |title=New Pakistani prime minister appointed |author=Sampath Perera |date=30 June 2012 |work=World Socialist Web Site |publisher=International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) |accessdate=24 July 2012}} He also wrote regular articles for Daily Times{{Cite web|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/search/test/483/Lal%20Khan/|title=You searched for test/ /483/Lal Khan|website=Daily Times}} and the Dunya.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dunya.com.pk/index.php/columnist/dr-lal-khan/53|title = Dr lal khan - Columns – Jado Jehd - Dunya Columns - Urdu Columns – Roznama Dunya}} He died on 21 February 2020 after being ill with cancer for more than a year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/617642-leftist-leader-dr-lal-khan-passes-away|title=Leftist leader Dr Lal Khan passes away|website=www.thenews.com.pk}}

Early life

In the 1970s, Khan was a student of medicine in Nishtar Medical College Multan and a political activist in Pakistan when the military coup of General Zia ul Haq toppled the Pakistan Peoples Party government, and subsequently hanged the country's first democratically elected prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.{{cite web |url=http://www.newyouth.com/archives/interviews/interview_with_lal_khan_from_pak.html |title=Interview with Lal Khan from Pakistan |publisher=Newyouth.com |date=8 June 1999 |accessdate=19 March 2012 |archive-date=17 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217012652/http://www.newyouth.com/archives/interviews/interview_with_lal_khan_from_pak.html |url-status=dead }} He was imprisoned for a year, then went to university in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad.{{cite episode |title=Lal Khan |series=Meri Jedojehad |network=AAJ TV |location=Karachi |airdate=7 November 2010 |language=Urdu |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xT-kRuCoRc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/_xT-kRuCoRc |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} He moved to The Netherlands in 1980 to escape by fearing the death sentence in Pakistan.{{cite news |title=Blacked out |author=Sher Khan |author2=Hashim Bin Rashid |newspaper=The Express Tribune |date=21 October 2007 |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/419212/blacked-out/ |accessdate=11 August 2012}} During his time in exile, he graduated from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, and continued to reside in the Netherlands for eight more years. In 1988, he returned to his country and quit his profession as a doctor, in order to work full-time in revolutionary politics.

Career

File:Lal Khan.jpg in Lahore (2008).]]

He was the leading member of The Struggle which is based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky and advocates a socialist transformation of Pakistan. It demands the nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under workers control, an end to religious extremism and radicalism, the eradication of unemployment and free accessible education for all Pakistani citizens. He was the editor of Asian Marxist Review and International Secretary of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign.

Lal Khan criticized the partition of India and advocated for Indian reunification, which he stated would heal continuing wounds and solve the Kashmir conflict.{{cite web |last1=Samaddar |first1=Ranabir |title=Indian review of 'Partition - can it be undone?' |url=https://www.marxist.com/indian-review-of-partition.htm |publisher=In Defence of Marxism |accessdate=29 June 2020 |language=English |date=27 February 2008}} Advocating for a common revolution, Khan declared that "Five thousand years of common history, culture and society is too strong to be cleavaged by this partition."{{cite web |last1=Khan |first1=Lal |last2=Ghosh |first2=Paramita |title=Can Partition be Undone? – An Interview with Lal Khan |url=https://radicalnotes.org/2007/10/24/can-partition-be-undone-an-interview-with-lal-khan/ |publisher=Radical Notes |accessdate=29 June 2020 |language=English |date=24 October 2007}} His views are described his book "Crisis in the Indian Subcontinent, Partition: Can it be Undone?" in which Khan states that "revolutionary transformation of the economies and societies is an essential prerequisite for the reunification of the subcontinent."{{cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Lal |title=Crisis in the Indian Subcontinent, Partition: Can it be Undone? |date=2005 |publisher=The Struggle Publications |pages=127, 128 |language=English}}

{{quotation|Reunification cannot be imposed on any nationality, community, religion or ethnic group. It must be a voluntary socialist federation. The main dynamic will be the programme and perspective of the revolutionary party, leading the insurrection. The programme must be based on the principles of scientific socialism. The eradication of misery, poverty, disease, ignorance, exploitation, national oppression and the subjugation of women and minorities in society is only possible through the overthrow of capitalism. The annihilation of the existing decaying and repressive states will be linked to the creation of a greater proletarian state based on a workers’ democracy. —Lal Khan}}

On 12–13 March 2011 the largest congress of The Struggle was held in Lahore. These annual congresses are held to analyse the performance of The Struggle and to formulate new strategies for social change and revolution.{{cite web |url=http://www.marxist.com/pakistan-congress-2009.htm |title=The Struggle congress 2009 – Pakistan Marxists on the move! |date=27 March 2009 |publisher=In Defence of Marxism |accessdate=12 March 2011}}{{cite web|last=Anonymous|title=Historic 32nd congress of Pakistani section of IMT – First Day|date=10 March 2013 |url=http://www.marxist.com/historic-32nd-congress-of-pakistani-imt-1.htm|publisher=In Defense of Marxism|accessdate=21 October 2013}}

In October 2013, Khan accused Malala Yousafzai's supporters in the West of appropriating her and concealing her socialist background.{{cite web|last=Lal Khan|title=Malala's ordeal|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\10\13\story_13-10-2013_pg3_4|publisher=Daily Times|accessdate=21 October 2013}}

In a joint statement in August 2016, Khan and CPI(M) Jammu and Kashmir general secretary Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami called for revolutionary unity between the working classes of India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir conflict and overthrow capitalism in the subcontinent.{{cite web|last1=Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami|last2=Lal Khan|title=Kashmir: Repression, Obstacles and Resilience of the Mass Struggle|url=http://www.marxistreview.asia/kashmir-repression-obstacles-and-resilience-of-the-mass-struggle/|date=30 August 2016|publisher=Asian Marxist Review|accessdate=1 September 2016}}

Publications

Partition – Can it be undone? This book examines the historical background of partition of the Indian subcontinent, and the formation of Pakistan and India.{{cite news |title=View from the left |author=R. L. Singal |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070812/spectrum/book5.htm |newspaper=The Tribune |date=12 August 2007 |accessdate=29 July 2012}}
Lebanon-Israel War. Written in 2009, this book discusses not only the current conflict between Lebanon and Israel in detail, but also looks at the history of wars and revolutions in the whole region. The changing role of Iran in the region and the possibility of an invasion of Iran are also discussed in detail.
Pakistan's Other Story – The Revolution of 1968–69. This book examines the student and political activism of the late 1960s which gave birth to a revolution. Khan argues that due to lack of leadership courage, the opportunity to establish a worker's state was lost.{{cite news |title=Review: Pakistan's Other Story: The Revolution of 1968–1969 by Lal Khan |author=Mamoon Chaudhry |newspaper=Dawn |date=18 August 2012 |url=http://dawn.com/2012/08/18/review-pakistans-other-story-the-revolution-of-1968-1969-by-lal-khan/ |accessdate=18 August 2012}}{{cite news |title=Dr Lal Khan's book launched |author=Mahtab Bashir |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C12%5C30%5Cstory_30-12-2008_pg11_9 |newspaper=Daily Times (Pakistan) |date=30 December 2008 |accessdate=24 July 2012}}
Kashmir, A revolutionary way out. This book examines the possibility of the liberation of Kashmir under a united South Asian socialist federation.{{cite web |url=http://www.struggle.com.pk/kashmir-ordeal-a-revolutionary-way-out-by-lal-khan/ |title="Kashmir, A revolutionary way out" by Lal Khan |date=18 April 2012 |work=The Struggle |accessdate=11 August 2012 |language=Urdu |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919012131/http://www.struggle.com.pk/kashmir-ordeal-a-revolutionary-way-out-by-lal-khan/ |url-status=dead }}

Death

On 21 February 2020, he died after suffering from cancer for more than a year{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1537008|title=Tributes paid to Dr Lal Khan|last=Dhakku|first=Nabeel Anwar|date=2020-02-28|website=DAWN.COM|language=en|access-date=2020-03-05}} at a local hospital in Lahore.