Blackwell Reference Online

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Hassan Nasir is an icon of the student movement in Pakistan who is remembered for his struggle, sacrifice, and bravery. Born on August 2, 1928, Hassan Nasir hailed from Hyderabad, a princely state during the British raj (rule). His well-off family was famous for its commitment to nationalist politics. After his Senior Cambridge at Grammar School, he moved to Aligarh, a famous seat of learning for the Muslim elite during those days. As Hassan began college in Aligarh, India was rocked with mutinies, strikes, and student unrest. Hassan participated in the student movement launched for the release of Indian National Army (INA) leaders, but it was the communist-led revolutionary peasant uprising in Hyderabad state in 1947 that radicalized him. He joined the communist movement and moved to Pakistan in December 1947. The left-wing People's Publishing House in Karachi became his abode and he dedicated himself to organizing the workers in unions. Nasir gained attention and established himself as a student leader when he played a key role in founding the All Pakistan Students Organization. In 1951 he was arrested in connection with the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case, launched by the Pakistan government in order to suppress the emerging Communist Party, and was released in 1952. His release proved short-lived, as he was arrested again in 1954 and was exiled. He returned to Hyderabad, and in ... log in or subscribe to read full text