History often has a way of challenging our biases towards our present. Perhaps the one thing common to humans of all generations is our steadfast belief that our own time, unlike any other time in the past, is the most developed, the most inspiring. A dip into the archives, into memories and oral histories is an exercise in humility they remind us of the fact that all that remains to be done can only be achieved with a clear-sighted knowledge of the events of the past.
Faiz Ahmed (born in 1902), who passed away on March 2, 1974, was one such figure in the history of divided Pakistan s labour rights movement whose contributions, over the passage of time, have slipped through the cracks of collective memory. With passion and sharp farsightedness, Faiz Ahmed had begun advocating against capitalist British forces for the rights of the Pakistani working classes from early in his career in law. Between 1950 and 1965, he was the only Bengali Muslim to be elected as a representative of Paki