Writer Naseebullah Achakzai
C/o writer Muhammad Shoib Khan Khatak
Sher Ali Bacha was a Politician, democrat, poet and human rights activist who was born in Mardan in 1935 and was died in 1998. He served as Secretary of Pashto Adabi Tolana (Pashto litrary Society) during his study in Mardan college. He did his LLB from Karachi University. His writings reflect his inspiration from Marxism and Leninism. He has also written books Bal_ Mashaloona (Shining Lamps) that discusses miseries of Afghanistan. He also wrote a book of poetry to Milli Pasoon (National Uprising). Politically he joined the NAP (National Awami Part) in 1963 and then formed Mazdor Kisan Party in 1968. In 1989 he merged it with the PKMAP (Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party).
The under revived book what is called Philosophy is written in Pashto. This book was published by Kitab Kor publisher Peshawer in 2022. It is a conscise book that is comprised of different topics of philosophy and its relations with other discipline of science. The topics written in the book are very small and include just one page of the book each with exception to some topics which cover 4 to 5 pages.
These topics are comprised of titles such as the defination of philosophy, difference between philosopher and a common man, relationship between philosophy and other sciences, Philosophy and classes, Philosophy and impartiality, Imagination and materialism and their differences, types of imagination
Imagination and superstition, duties of socialists, etc.
He observes that philosophy answers the questions as what is universe, stones, happiness, saddness, rivers, crops and hills? what is human being, its meaning and messege? He also says that philosophy tells about the relations of human with other humans and universe. Sher Ali Bacha defines philosophy by quoting a Greek quote about philosophy which says that Philosophy means knowledge or love for seeking knowledge.
Sher Ali Bacha asserts about the difference between philosopher and a common man that the common person thinks that world is mortal. It is a place of sorrows and those who face difficulties should be patient. These type of people say that they should always do good deeds and abstain from bad. While, the other group of philosophy says that this world is a place of progress and that every one should do their best by struggling hard so that human should live happily. At the end the writer accepts that all the views and ideas of a philosophical thoughts are not necessary to be true.
The relationship between different disciplines has been a hot dabate. The Greek has labled Philosophy as the mother of all subjects while some call Mathematics as the mother of all sciences. Sher Ali Bacha has also shed light on the relationship between philosophy and other sciences. He writes that philosophy has relationship with other sciences and that philosophy gives a baseline for those subjects. As it provides different theories about universe.
Sher Ali Bacha has also talked about Philosophy and classes. He observes that every Philosophical concept belongs to a class in the world as the world is the combination of different classes and groups that struggle for power. He further says that every philosophical concept has relations with classes and their thoughts. There are classes of have, have nots, oppressed, tyrants, etc. classes in the world. Sher Ali Bacha advises oppresed to oppose the tyrants and stand up shoulder by shoulder with their fellow class through philosophical writings. After writhing their thoughts they should take the support of the people, policy makers and other segments of the society. For which the working class should form a party and start political struggle against feudalists based upon the ideology of Socialism.
Another area that the writer has shed light is Philosophy and impartiality. Here the thoughts of the writer are ambiguous.
He says that philosophy should be impartial and on the other side he supports the working class. He has not mentioned how should this ideology be? How could it be impartial? He syas that the philosophy and struggle of working class is the real philosophy and call the rest of the ideologies as looters and tyrant. He observes that though these classes have revolutionized the world and brought easness but on the other side they have looted the common people by exploiting them. Owing to his concept of slavery Sher Ali Bacha calls Aristotle as a Satanic mind.
Sher Ali Bacha who looks inspired from socialism has described the duties of socialists. He suggests that for the unification of working class, they should stand up and start struggle and resistance against tyrants, feudalist and aristocrates. Here, he has not pinpointed whether that struggle should be peaceful or armed struggle?
Sher Ali Bacha was inspired from Marxiam along with Leninism and is in fevour of a classless society. This book is although named on philosophical grounds but most of the inner ideas are political where he vehemently favours Socialism by calling it the real philosophical ideology and opposes tyranny and feudalism. He talks of a socialist revolution but has not talked of its ways and means. Although it is a small book of conscise explanation, still it deserves appreciation as being a local language writing philosophical thoughst are rare.