RSF Pakhtunkhwa
A three-day Marxist Summer School was conducted in Swat Valley from August 23 to 25, 2024, organized by the Revolutionary Students Front (RSF) and the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF). In the face of recent and ongoing imperialist efforts to obscure the region’s rich heritage of resistance and revolutionary traditions with fundamentalism, the resolute collective effort of hundreds of revolutionary youth in the valley signifies a revolutionary commitment to a promising future.
Hundreds of participants from across the country and its administered areas arrived in Malam Jabba on the evening of August 22 to attend the Marxist Summer School, despite facing challenging political and economic conditions. They were greeted by the host committee from RSF Pakhtunkhwa. Over 350 revolutionary youth, including 50 women participated in the historic school. Delegations from other organizations, including the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) and the Progressive Students Collective (PSC), also attended the school. The three-day school included not only discussions on four core topics but also a range of cultural and literary activities.
On the morning of Friday, August 23, following breakfast, all participants gathered in the hall for the inaugural session of the Marxist Summer School. Advocate Ghufran Ahad, former elected Mayor of Malakand District and Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC), addressed the participants. In his opening remarks, Comrade Ghufran Ahad extended a warm welcome to the young revolutionaries from across the country and provided an overview of the school’s organization and disciplinary guidelines.
On the morning of Friday, August 23, 2024, the first session of the Marxist Summer School began following the opening remarks. The session was chaired by Khakla Bacha, with Mujeeb Khan, Chairman of the JKNSF District Poonch, delivering a comprehensive lead off on “The World in Turmoil: The Polycrisis of Capitalism and the Revolutionary Way Out.” Mujeeb Khan provided an extensive analysis of the nature of the economic crisis of capitalism, an overview of the global economy, the crisis of Western capitalism and the downfall of US imperialism, China’s rise and the nature of its economy and state, sharpening geo-political inter-imperialist rivalries, the war in Ukraine and Gaza, environmental crisis and global warming, polarization and emerging currents of left and right populism, the rise of far-right, new forms of religious fundamentalism, immigration crisis, strikes, mass movements, and popular rebellions in the contemporary world, national question and the movements of national emancipation, recent military coups in Africa, elections in France, UK, India and Venezuela, the movements in Bangladesh and Pakistani held Kashmir, the existential crisis of Pakistani capitalism and the general analysis of recent developments in South Asia.
Following the lead-off, an extensive discussion took place. Participants, including Urooj Amjad, Advocate Yasir Rasool, Mumtaz Arisar, Sana-i Muhammad, Aman Habib, Islam Shafiq, Ali Raza, Jiand Baloch, and Imran Kamyana, contributed to the discussion by exploring various future possibilities and providing additional insights. The session concluded with Mujeeb Khan summarizing the key points and formally closing the discussion.
After lunch, the second session of the school commenced. This session focused on the topic “A Socio-cultural Analysis of Contemporary Capitalism from a Marxist Standpoint” and was chaired by Advocate Ayaz Tipu. In his lead off, Awais Qarni addressed Marx’s philosophy of alienation, commodity fetishism, consumerism, market competition, the crisis of the bourgeois family, the social crisis of societies with uneven and combined patterns of development, racism, religious fundamentalism and terrorism, crime, drug abuse and addiction, sexual violence, social media and the psychology of virality. Following this, Khakla Bacha, Sasha Javed, Abid Buzdar, Anam Akhtar, Altamash Tassaduq, Saima Batool, Faizan Tariq, and Sana-i-Muhammad continued the discussion. The session concluded with Imran Kamyana summarizing the key points and closing the discussion.
On the morning of August 24, the second day of the school began with the third session. The session, chaired by Mumtaz Arisar, was dedicated to the topic “History and Lessons of Post-War Mass Uprisings and Revolutionary Overthrows.” Imran Kamyana comprehensively led the discussion on the topic covering key subjects such as proletarian Bonapartism, degenerated and deformed workers’ states, revolutions in China, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., worldwide protests and revolutionary movements of 1968, Ba’athism and left nationalism in Arab world as well as future prospects in context with these historical events. Following the lead off, the session progressed with questions from participants and a series of contributions, including Asif Rasheed, Sajid Ayub, Dr. Bashir Ahmed, Aliza Aslam, Danish Fida, and Saeed Ahmed. The session concluded with Imran Kamyana providing a summary of the discussion and addressing the questions raised.
After lunch, participants engaged in trekking and sports activities organized in the adjacent green fields. They also explored local tourist spots, including Green Valley and Malam Jabba Top.
On the final day, August 25, the school commenced with its last session after breakfast. Chaired by Yasir Rasool, the session focused on the topic “Tasks of Revolutionary Youth Today.” Omar Abdullah delivered an in-depth discussion on youth and student rebellions at both national and international levels, addressing contemporary challenges such as the crisis of student politics, unemployment, alienation, and the crisis of the education system. He also explored the role of the youth in advancing revolutionary movements and parties. Following Abdullah’s lead off, comrades from various regions provided detailed reports on the current situation and plans and organizational targets for their areas.
The session then moved to an open discussion where Ghufran Ahad from the host region shared his reflections, including the financial report of the school, and extended congratulations to all the participants on a historic school. Other contributors included former Central President of the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) Rashid Sheikh, Raheel, Suqrat Baloch, Asma Batool, Central Chairman of BSO Jiand Baloch, and Imran Kamyana. In his closing remarks Central Organizer RSF, Awais Qarni, emphasized that the summer school would serve as a significant milestone in the challenging path of the socialist revolution and the building of revolutionary party and international. He expressed his confidence that the participants would advance the revolutionary work with renewed energy and commitment. The school was officially closed with the workers’ Intertionale, after which participants chanted revolutionary slogans and expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine.