Kathy Newnam, Mumbai
One of the largest contingents to the World Social Forum (WSF) in Mumbai was from the Pakistan Social Forum (PSF). With nearly 400 delegates, it was the largest delegation of Pakistanis that has been to India for a specific event.
PSF spokesperson and Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) secretary Farooq Tariq told Green Left Weekly that the process to form the Pakistan Social Forum began in early 2003 with a meeting of 100 activists from different social movement groups and political parties.
Following this meeting, an organising committee was formed and elections held across Pakistan. Then, on January 12, 10,000 people participated in the first meeting of the PSF. According to Tariq, this "was the largest gathering of progressive forces in recent times in Pakistan". He also explained that the PSF now has a presence in 83 districts in Pakistan and a formal membership of 5400 organisations and individuals.
The PSF became the organising body for the Pakistani delegation to the WSF. Around 1100 Pakistanis applied for visas, but only 400 received visas from the Indian government.
"This was a setback for our movement", said Tariq. However, there are many future activities planned for the PSF. The PSF, he said, 'will become a broad based anti-imperialist globalisation front in Pakistan and also take the lead in the anti-war movement in Pakistan". There are already plans underway for demonstrations against the war on March 20 in every district of Pakistan.
"The forum will also take up class issues like privatisation, the question of land alongside the question of peace and democracy."
The PSF welcomes the open involvement of political parties. This is a notable difference to the WSF, which does not accept political parties in its membership. Tariq explained that the LPP had raised this issue at the beginning of the PSF process, stating that "if we were going to be involved we were going to be involved as a political party, affiliated to the PSF, not as individuals from different mass organisations". He said that there had been some heated debate on the issue, but in the end, the vote to include political parties was unanimous.
Now three main left-wing parties are members of the PSF — the LPP, the National Workers Party and the Awami Tehrik (People's Movement) from Sindh province.
"The Pakistan Social Forum has become a broad based alliance of left wing forces alongside the radical social organisations", observed Tariq.
He told GLW the aim of his party's involvement in the PSF was to build a broad based left-wing movement in Pakistan. He stressed the urgency of this in the face of the threat of religious fundamentalism: "We believe that the movement against religious fundamentalism and against the military dictatorship can be broadened and strengthened through the PSF linked to the WSF."
From Green Left Weekly, February 4, 2004.
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