Exit of a ‘Darwaish’: tribute to Manzar Hasan

Dr Sarwar’s letter to the Editor – an obituary for Manzarul Hasan, Editor of The Leader eveninger, his older brother Akhtar’s friend.

Karachi communists in the early 1950s: a contribution to the ‘Sarwar Reference’ by Eric Rahim

Eric Rahim re-visits the 1950, as a contribution to the Sarwar Reference. Broadly speaking, his recollections deal with two related issues that have received only marginal attention in the contributions made so far – the presence of the Communist Party in Karachi, and the causes of the inability of the student movement to sustain itself beyond the early 50s

Sarwar, DSF and the ‘Students’ Herald’ – S.M. Naseem

Our resources were extremely limited – the paper sold for two annas per copy, slightly more than the cost of a cup of tea in those days. Our editorial office moved from one Irani tea shop to another between Burns Road and Bunder Road where most of the colleges were clustered and we were constantly shadowed by the CID inspector who was assigned to find out what we were bringing out in the next issue.

‘This wonderful Doc’ (2) – by Beena Sarwar

Sarwar practiced as a general physician for nearly fifty years from his modest clinic in a low-income area, consciously charging low fees and treating struggling workers, journalists, artists and writers for free. He was contemptuous of doctors who charged high fees, prescribing costly tests and medicines where less expensive ones would do

‘Greatness, humanity, inspiration’ – S.M. Naseem

His laid back style and taking things in a stride put one at ease and made on forget one’s own troubles. He encouraged me to write, both in my student days and later when I started writing for the newspapers and occasionally took me to task for writing what he did not agree with.