Some comments from delegates to the 26th Congress of The Struggle

After the congress of the Pakistani Marxists, various delegates from all regions in Pakistan were asked to give some impressions about the congress. Here we produce a first selection of these messages.

Sajjad Ali Yousof Zai, from Malakand Pukhtoonkhwa (Formerly known as NWFP)

This was my second national congress. The first one was a very good experience, but this congress I enjoyed even more, along with the comrades who brought and motivated me. All the speeches were outstanding.

I am an active member of the Pakistan People's Party and I am in charge of the PYO (People's Youth Organisation) of the Malarkand district. I am currently working with a lot of youth in my area. The whole organisation is under the control of our comrades and we organise the BNT (Unemployed Youth Campaign) and the People's Youth Conference.

I am in charge of the distribution of The Struggle paper in my region. As for the future, the future is bright and I have high hopes. I want to improve the quantity and quality of the forces of socialism in all fields.

Nawsherwan Adil, from Pukhtoonkhwa

The congress was a very timely and successful event. It strengthened our confidence in our ideas and our work. I liked comrade Alan Woods' and the Indian comrade Ram Mohan Roy's speeches the most.

I am working in the field of the teachers and youth. Our work in the youth has grown rapidly. We have won many young students and have set up a strong organisation in the district of Mardan.

Keeping in view the mood of the congress, I am hopeful that very soon we will be able to build a strong organisation in Pakistan.

Hina Zain, from Lahore

Hina Zain Six years ago, in 2001, I was recruited through the congress. For me the congress is not only an event, it is what I am waiting for throughout the year. These days have given me strength to stay firmly.

I am working in the office in Lahore, where I coordinate the work on a national level.

The objective conditions are moving very rapidly. That is why the next year is very important for us. There can be a movement and we are the only alternative that can play a role in it.

I am feeling the responsibility for this and I know that we are able to do this next year. We have to do more work in all departments. We will try to strengthen all fields of our organisation because it is the problem of life and death.

Mian Stusnulmaab Salarzai, from the Mardan district

This congress has really increased my knowledge. All speeches were very impressive. However, if I were to choose one speech, that would be the one given by Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas.

This was my first congress and I want to play a key role for this organisation in all departments.

The future looks very bright and I am confident that the socialist revolution is very near in the future, provided we built the tools to achieve that goal.

Adam Pal, from Lahore

Adam Pal This was truly a marvellous congress. It was a turning point in the building of a revolutionary party. I especially liked Lal Khan's speech on Pakistani perspectives.

I am doing youth work along with the publishing of the paper. I am also in charge of providing international reports and maintaining our websites. Furthermore, I also distribute revolutionary movies and speeches of comrades.

The future is ours, the future belongs to Marxism, Leninism and Trotskyism. The future is one of socialism and communism. We will try to achieve our goal: the socialist revolution. Contributing to that goal will be my achievement.

Habib Nawab, from Pukhtoonkwa (North)

I think the days of this congress were the most important days in my life. I met with different people from different countries who have different cultures and languages - all calling themselves COMRADES. I now understand what SOCIALISM is. It is very difficult to choose the best speech but the speech of Alan Woods was very simple and explanatory.

I am a student and therefore I try to convince my fellow university students. I am doing this with the full support and encouragement of comrade Anwer Zet. With him I am discussing socialism with students and teachers who were hesitant before to discuss the ideas of socialism. Now we really discuss these as a science and we discuss the benefits socialism would bring to the different communities of Pakistan.

If the revolutionary work is done constantly and with the same speed and enthusiasm, I think that in the future even a simple illiterate person will be discussing socialism. And once they see the benefits, they will definitely come on board and make sacrifices to make the dream a reality. My six senses foresee that a socialist revolution is not far off now in Pakistan. My plan is to struggle up to the end of my life. We are exhausted and cannot wait any more.

Afaq Mazhar, from Baluchistan

The entire congress was really beautiful. I liked the speech on international perspectives the most, together with the one on Pakistan perspectives.

I am active in students' work. I am spreading the message of Marxism as much as I can throughout my province. At present I am the acting organiser of the Baluchistan People's Student Federation.

The working class throughout the world is coming out rapidly against imperialist barbarism. The future for Marxism looks very favourable. We will do it.

Hamid Khan, from Quetta

This was a very tremendous congress and every speech and contribution was marvellous. Lal Khan explained the perspective, the objective conditions and our responsibilities very well.

I belong to a trade union and have the responsibility to organise it. I try to put the union on a firm ideological basis.

The future is so bright for the Marxist tendency. We will build a strong organisation to change the world and answer the needs of the masses.

Shujaat Kazmi, from Muzaffarabad (Kashmir region)

It was a great congress. We are going to become a left opposition in the PPP. Our open work in the shape of the BNT, PTUDC and JKNSF is excellent. I enjoyed all the speeches, but in particular the ones by comrades Alan Woods, Lal Khan and Manzoor Ahmed.

I am working amongst the youth as an organiser for the BNT in the Kashmir region. I was the central president of the JKNSF between 2001 and 2003. I tried to play a key organisational role after the earthquake and after that in the movement against the cruel role of the government of Kashmir and the one in Islamabad. I participated in a historical general strike in Muzaffarabad.

We have a lot of energetic youth. We have a strong ideology and it has been proven that our strategy leads us in the right way. I have only one political plan and that is to build a revolutionary organisation for the Revolution. Revolution is the aim.

Izhar Hussain, from Pukhtoonkhwa

This was my second congress in Lahore. As a whole, the congress and their participants were good for us and we learnt many new ideas and some ambiguities were clarified. The speech by comrade Manzoor Ahmed on mass work I enjoyed the most.

Right now, I am passing through a learning period. I try to improve my knowledge and have command over the thoughts and perspectives. I have regular discussions with friends on the concept of revolution, socialism, etc. Being a teacher, I get a good response from my students.

To me, the future of Revolution and Socialism in our area looks bright but there is still a lot of work to be done for providing a base to the thoughts breeding in the minds of the people. Long live socialism!