The students, poets, workers and trade unionists from all over the country participated in a youth convention held under the banner of Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) on Saturday in Lahore.
They organised a public meeting in open air theater of Bagh-e-Jinnah and marched towards the Punjab Assembly in the form of procession. The participants were chanting slogans against the privatisation and capitalistic system prevailing in the country.
Earlier in the day at Bagh-e-Jinnah, the artists from different parts of the country presented the traditional performances of their native areas graciously. A special prayer was organised for the martyrs of Army Public School (APS) as the anniversary of the tragic incident is also approaching. The participants were wearing the shirts decorated with the photographs of greatest revolutionary Che Guevara who is still regarded as a source of inspiration for the youngsters all over the world.
Mian Niaz Hunzai, a disabled artist who was riding on a wheel-chair and hails from Hunza Valley, told this scribe that his ideology matches with the ideology of the PYA and he has been associated with this organisation for last five years. Niaz is a flute player and a music teacher at Lahore Grammar School (LGS). He was of the view that the state has not done anything for him and he earned his current stature only with his own effort. “The revolution is inevitable for this country and I am striving hard to make it possible through my music,” he concluded.
Idris Babur from Gujranwala, the poet who was also among the participants, told Pakistan Today that all the political parties are making people fool by advocating the slogan of revolution as no one is serious in this regard. He was of the view that the biggest ever capitalist Bill Gates has once said that the socialism is the best system to run the affairs of a country.
Bilawal Baloch, a student of gender study at University of Balochistan told this scribe that all the progressive student unions have gathered here to spread the message of equality. “The solution of the miseries of Balochistan does not lie in the current system as the ground situation of his province is deteriorating with every passing day”, Baloch maintained. He was of the view that that the fee is being increased in universities and the PYA is against of fee hikes; therefore, he has joined this alliance.
Akhtar Munir, a student of MPhil in University of Agriculture Faisalabad told this scribe that the capitalistic system has ruined the structure of this country as only 1 percent is ruling over the remaining 99 percent. He quoted saying of Che Guevara: “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”
Tahir Hussain from Islamabad said, “The solution to our problems lie in the equal education system and PYA advocates this approach vehemently. The PYA is a sympathiser of marginalised people and it is his inspiration to join this alliance,” he concluded.