On 13 November 1960, Today is the 61 death anniversary of Comrades Hassan Nasir. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Pakistan. He left a life of privilege in India to join the workers and peasants movement in Pakistan. He later joined the National Awami Party to bring together the working classes and oppressed nationalities of Pakistan. Comrade Hassan was arrested by Ayub Khan's military junta. He was tortured to death at the infamous Lahore Fort and his body was buried hastily in the city. The regime tried to depict Hassan's murder as suicide and exhumed his body to prove their stance. His mother arrived from Hyderabad (India) to identify and receive his body, but she refused to take possession since the mutilated body could not be recognized. His remains were buried in an unmarked grave. Comrade Hassan's arrest, the theft of his dead body, and lack of references to his name in official history are part of the state's attempt to suppress the memory of revolt and courage that he represented. Tortured bodies are always the dirty secrets of the state through which it stamps its authority, secrets that it must perpetually deny.
For too long we have failed to remember the brave souls who dreamed of a better world at the expense of incredible personal suffering. We must keep Comrades, Hassan's Nasir memory alive, for it contains innumerable lessons for us in courage, steadfastness, and sacrifice.
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