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Main
Activities
Since its
inception SAPF-UK, in conjuction with other political and cultural
groups, has undertaken a range of political and cultural activities.
These included events to discuss political situation in India and
Pakistan, addressed by Sitaram Yechury, Secretary of International
Affairs and the Parliamentary leader of Communist Party of India
(Marxist), leading Marxist leader, Abid Hassan Minto, President of
Workers Party Pakistan and Choudhry Fateh Mohammed, a veteran peasant
leader from Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan.
SAPF-UK also
took a leading role in the re-launching of the Progressive Writers
Association UK in 2010. The events took place in Bradford, Leicester and
London.
SAPF-UK was
the main force behind the activities to celebrate the Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Centenary years. Faiz Centenary National Organising Committee UK
included leading political and cultural personalities including Tony
Benn, Robert Griffiths, Andrew Murray, Professor Amin Mughal, Raza Ali
Abadi, John Haylett, Professor Nazir Tabassum, Avtar Sadiq, Syed
Badar-ud-Din Beider and Yavar Abbas. During the year well-attended
events were organised in Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle,
London and many other cities. SAPF-UK maintains a most comprehensive
website on Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The president of Progressive Writers
Association, Britain, Gurnam Singh Dhillon, was the National convenor
and the National Co-ordinator of SAPF-UK, Pervez Fateh, was the
Secretary of the National Organising Committee. Salima Hashmi, a leading
artist and daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz launched of the Centenary
publication in London.
SAPF-UK also
played instrumental role to organise events to pay tribute to a number
of political and cultural personalities, including homages to Habib
Jalib (Pakistani revolutionary poet), C.R. Aslam (former President of
Socialist Party Pakistan),
Harkishan Singh Surjeet (former
Secretary General of the Communist Party of India (Marxist),
Javed Akhtar
Bedi (Progressive poet from Bradford), Jyoti Basu (former chief minister
West Bangal and CPIM leader), Prof. Khawaja Masud (veteran Pakistani
Marxist intellectual), Ahmad Faraz (leading Pakistani progressive poet),
Dr Ayub Mirza (Progressive Pakistani writer) and AR Ansari (Literary
figure from Manchester).
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