May Day must be a platform for national liberation: JSMM Chairman

On International Workers' Day, JSMM Chairman Shafi Burfat called to redefine May Day as a platform for national liberation, urging the working class to lead sovereignty movements, particularly in regions like Sindh which he termed a 'colony'.

A statement issued on International Workers' Day has called for redefining May Day as a global platform for what it describes as "revolutionary struggle for national liberation and human dignity", arguing that the day should not be limited to traditional labour rights such as wages and employment.

In a detailed political message, Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Germany, said the working class has a "historical, moral, and revolutionary responsibility" to engage not only in class-based struggles but also in what he termed national liberation movements.

"The working class does not emerge in a vacuum; it belongs to a nation, a land, a language, a history, and a social existence," Burfat stated, adding that in situations where nations are "colonised or subjugated", workers have a "primary responsibility" to lead liberation movements.

The 'National Question' in Sindh

Referring specifically to Sindh, he alleged that the province has been treated as a "colony" within the current state structure of Pakistan, claiming that control over resources, culture, and political systems has been concentrated in the hands of dominant elites.

He further argued that communist and labour movements that do not address what he called the "national question" risk becoming "politically irrelevant".

According to Burfat, "any labour organisation or progressive force that supports the unity and centralisation of an artificial state structure is, in reality, sustaining colonial domination."

Call for Unambiguous Self-Determination

The statement also rejected what it described as "ambiguous interpretations" of self-determination, asserting that every nation inherently possesses the right to independence and statehood.

"Every nation possesses the right of self-determination inherently, historically, politically, and naturally," Burfat said, adding that this right should be exercised through full sovereignty rather than symbolic recognition.

Rethinking Socialism with National Freedom

He also called for rethinking socialism in the context of national identity, arguing that economic justice must be combined with "national freedom, democratic rights, and ownership of resources by indigenous peoples."

Concluding his message on International Workers' Day, Burfat said labour movements must expand their focus beyond economic issues to include political and national struggles. He warned that without addressing these questions, revolutionary movements would "lose their historical significance".

The statement ended with a call for the recognition of Sindhi national aspirations and broader criticism of the existing state structure, reiterating his organisation's long-standing position on Sindh's political status.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)