The Che Guevara of KU… who never made it

Labelled ‘Rehnuma’ (leader) among peers for his revolutionary thinking, Muhammad Hussain may have committed suicide but his friends and teachers are sceptical that a person who preached to fight for a cause could take his own life. A student of international relations at the University of Karachi (KU), Hussain – who hurled a shoe at US scholar Clifford May in October 2009 – had jumped off the roof of his residence in Soldier Bazaar. The deceased also owned a leather business and was a member of the Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Hussain Ali, his father, told Pakistan Today that his son was mentally unstable. “A few days ago, we took him to the renowned psychiatrist Dr Anisa’s clinic at Gurumandir for a check up but she refused. After some discussions with Hussain, the doctor confirmed that he was mentally ill.” Ali further said that Hussain refused to take any more appointments from the doctor, claiming he was perfectly alright. However, his alleged suicide has not gone down well with his classmates, who say that Hussain always preached them to fight instead of remaining silent.
On special request of his friends, Pakistan Today visited the KU’s International Relations (IR) Department to look into the sad demise of a youth desperate for change.
Hussain’s closest friend, Ahsan said he had a revolutionary thinking.
“We called him Rehnuma. When he came to attend his classes, the department’s corridors resonated with chants of Rehnuma,” Ahsan recalled.
“He was concerned about the prevailing law and order situation of the country, particularly Karachi, and criticised the government.
“[Hussain] was serious, intelligent and had a revolutionary thinking which differentiated him from others.
“Whenever he criticised the government for its anti-state policies, we teased him by asking him to blow up the National Assembly but he responded that he will fight alone with corrupt politicians to save the country,” said Ahsan.
“A few days before Eidul Fitr, Rehnuma messaged all his close friends that he was distressed over the killing of innocent citizens in Karachi. He also discussed launching a patriotic party and asked if it should be liberal or religious.
“How can an enthusiast like Hussain commit suicide? It is unimaginable,” remarked Ahsan.
Another close friend, Moonis bin Ali, who was usually approached by Hussain for his comments, as he is affiliated with the country’s biggest media group, told Pakistan Today that the deceased had called him some days before Eid to ask about Karachi violence and what was supposed to happen next.
“A few days before his death, he asked me if a political party should be secular or religious. He also approached many other people from different walks of life to take their opinion on the same question.
However, Moonis said that Hussain did not discuss with him anything about launching a party.
“Desperation was not a part of his personality and it is beyond my thinking that how an enthusiast youngster can commit suicide,” he added.
Meanwhile, his senior university colleague, Mesam Jamal, had a very different story to tell.
“[Hussain] was intelligent and knowledgeable and always scored the highest marks in examinations but some of his classmates approached the department teachers and complained of favouring him.
“In the last semester, he did not get the highest marks and decided not to participate in academic activities.
“He came to me and said that he had decided to quit studies due to the discriminatory attitude of some of his classmates. I tried my best to reason with him to carry on. However, he stopped coming to the university regularly and only remained in contact on phone.
“[Hussain] was dejected due to his revolutionary approach. He was also a very good debater and silence was not a part of his personality,” added Jamal.
IR Chairperson Shaista Tabassum had a similar story to tell.
“One day Hussain came to me and complained he was not credited with enough marks in semester examination as per his performance. I asked him to carry on his struggle for improvement but he was upset,” she said.
One of the teachers of Hussain, IR Associate Professor Dr Faheem, told Pakistan Today that the deceased was a real patriot. “He always asked to fight for Muslim unity. He remained busy with studies and had a revolutionary approach. He never looked disappointed and also taught others to struggle for the best and do something meaningful for this country.”