Lal Khan
Encyclopedia
Lal Khan, M.D., is a political activist and Trotskyist political theorist. He is the leading figure and main theorist in the International Marxist Tendency
, alongside Alan Woods. He is a doctor of Medicine, although he no longer practices this profession for the sake of his revolutionary activities. In response to the coup attempt of 2002 in Venezuela
, he helped found the Hands Off Venezuela
campaign. He is currently the leader of the Pakistani Marxist organization The Struggle
, and editor of its newspaper.
government, and subsequently hanged the country's first democratically elected prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In the aftermath of this event, many PPP workers and activists begun a struggle against General Zia's regime. As a consequence, many of them faced arrests, persecution, torture, and exile. Khan was arrested in 1980 on the charges of leading a student wing which was involved in organizing mass rallies against General Zia's government. He was sentenced to one year in prison, fifteen lashes, and a 20,000 rupee fine. He was imprisoned for a year, then went to university in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad
.
He was in the university for four months, and then, due to his involvement in anti-government political activities and the struggle for the overthrow of the Zia's dictatorship, he was sentenced to death, to be shot on sight. As a result of this, he was forced to leave Pakistan, moving to live in exile in 1980 in the Netherlands
. During his time in exile, he graduated from the Vrije Universiteit
in Amsterdam, and continued to reside in the Netherlands for eight more years. In his years of exile, he became acquainted with the works of Alan Woods, a Trotskyist political theorist in the British Labour Party. In the 1988, he returned to his country and quit his profession as a doctor, and has been working full time in revolutionary politics ever since.
Woods and Khan lead the International Marxist Tendency
(IMT), an organization for the promotion of socialist and Marxist ideas. In recent years Lal Khan has received media attention for some of his work.
(IMT) is an international Trotskyist organization which is based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky.
The late Ted Grant
was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organization. Currently, Alan Woods along with Lal Khan are its main leaders and theoreticians. The Pakistani section, The Struggle
, is the largest section of the International Marxist Tendency. Lal Khan heads The Struggle in Pakistan and organizes many activities under the banner of the organization.
The Struggle advocates a socialist transformation of Pakistan. It demands the nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under workers control, an end to religious extremism and radicalism, the eradication of unemployment and free accessible education for all Pakistani citizens. On March 12-13, 2011 the largest congress of The Struggle
was held in Lahore . These annual congresses are held to analyse the performance of the International Marxist Tendency and to formulate new strategies for social change and revolution.
International Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
, alongside Alan Woods. He is a doctor of Medicine, although he no longer practices this profession for the sake of his revolutionary activities. In response to the coup attempt of 2002 in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, he helped found the Hands Off Venezuela
Hands Off Venezuela
Hands Off Venezuela is a political lobby group based in the United Kingdom and with branches in many other countries. The campaign was established in December 2002, following the Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002, with the aim of increasing public and political awareness in the UK and elsewhere of...
campaign. He is currently the leader of the Pakistani Marxist organization The Struggle
The Struggle (political organisation)
The Struggle is a Trotskyist organisation in Pakistan, affiliated to the International Marxist Tendency . Its leader and best known theoretician is Lal Khan, and it constitutes the largest section of the IMT...
, and editor of its newspaper.
Early life
In the 1970s, Khan was a student of medicine in college and a political activist in Pakistan when the military coup of General Zia ul Haq toppled the Pakistan Peoples PartyPakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
government, and subsequently hanged the country's first democratically elected prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In the aftermath of this event, many PPP workers and activists begun a struggle against General Zia's regime. As a consequence, many of them faced arrests, persecution, torture, and exile. Khan was arrested in 1980 on the charges of leading a student wing which was involved in organizing mass rallies against General Zia's government. He was sentenced to one year in prison, fifteen lashes, and a 20,000 rupee fine. He was imprisoned for a year, then went to university in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
.
He was in the university for four months, and then, due to his involvement in anti-government political activities and the struggle for the overthrow of the Zia's dictatorship, he was sentenced to death, to be shot on sight. As a result of this, he was forced to leave Pakistan, moving to live in exile in 1980 in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. During his time in exile, he graduated from the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
in Amsterdam, and continued to reside in the Netherlands for eight more years. In his years of exile, he became acquainted with the works of Alan Woods, a Trotskyist political theorist in the British Labour Party. In the 1988, he returned to his country and quit his profession as a doctor, and has been working full time in revolutionary politics ever since.
Woods and Khan lead the International Marxist Tendency
International Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
(IMT), an organization for the promotion of socialist and Marxist ideas. In recent years Lal Khan has received media attention for some of his work.
Work for The Struggle
The International Marxist TendencyInternational Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
(IMT) is an international Trotskyist organization which is based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky.
The late Ted Grant
Ted Grant
Edward "Ted" Grant , 9 July 1913 in Germiston, South Africa – 20 July 2006 in London) was a South African Trotskyist who spent most of his adult life in Britain...
was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organization. Currently, Alan Woods along with Lal Khan are its main leaders and theoreticians. The Pakistani section, The Struggle
The Struggle (political organisation)
The Struggle is a Trotskyist organisation in Pakistan, affiliated to the International Marxist Tendency . Its leader and best known theoretician is Lal Khan, and it constitutes the largest section of the IMT...
, is the largest section of the International Marxist Tendency. Lal Khan heads The Struggle in Pakistan and organizes many activities under the banner of the organization.
The Struggle advocates a socialist transformation of Pakistan. It demands the nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under workers control, an end to religious extremism and radicalism, the eradication of unemployment and free accessible education for all Pakistani citizens. On March 12-13, 2011 the largest congress of The Struggle
The Struggle (political organisation)
The Struggle is a Trotskyist organisation in Pakistan, affiliated to the International Marxist Tendency . Its leader and best known theoretician is Lal Khan, and it constitutes the largest section of the IMT...
was held in Lahore . These annual congresses are held to analyse the performance of the International Marxist Tendency and to formulate new strategies for social change and revolution.
Books written by Lal Khan
Khan is the author of several books:- Partition - Can it be undone? This book examines the historical background of partition of the Indian subcontinent, and the formation of Pakistan and India.
- Lebanon-Israel War. Written in 2009, this book discusses not only the current conflict between Lebanon and Israel in detail, but also looks at the history of wars and revolutions in the whole region. The changing role of Iran in the region and the possibility of an invasion of Iran are also discussed in detail.
- Pakistan’s Other Story - The Revolution of 1968-69. This book examines the student and political activism of the late 1960s which gave birth to a revolution. Khan argues that due to lack of leadership courage, the opportunity to establish a worker's state was lost.
- Kashmir, A revolutionary way out. This book examines the possibility of the liberation of Kashmir under a united South Asian socialist federation.
See also
- MarxismMarxismMarxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
- TrotskyismTrotskyismTrotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
- International Marxist TendencyInternational Marxist TendencyThe International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
- The StruggleThe Struggle (political organisation)The Struggle is a Trotskyist organisation in Pakistan, affiliated to the International Marxist Tendency . Its leader and best known theoretician is Lal Khan, and it constitutes the largest section of the IMT...
- Ted GrantTed GrantEdward "Ted" Grant , 9 July 1913 in Germiston, South Africa – 20 July 2006 in London) was a South African Trotskyist who spent most of his adult life in Britain...
- Alan Woods