Rashid Rehman: The Lone Warrior

Basic Human rights of a particular person are the fundamental rights that he or she can exercise to live in this world. The person who protect and preserve human dignity and basic rights are called human rights defenders or human rights warriors. One of the great human rights defender seen in yesteryears was senior lawyer Shaheed Rashid Rehman. He was the first of a kind who have spent his whole life in the struggle for people’s rights. He devoted his time and resources to protect every class of the society. He was the one who fought for the rights of the oppressed no matter what class they represents. His struggle was to provide a platform to those who had repeatedly failed to get justice. He was the one who stood for the peasants of the Okara Farms, brick and kiln workers and underage convicts. Mr Rehman fought the battle of famous Mukhtara Mai case and remain stood with the victim till the last day. He became the sole voice of the oppressed in the whole south Punjab. Mr Rehman bravery and courage was so remarkable that he never hesitated to move a muscle from his ground. He faced danger without blinking an eye and had a heart of a lion.
Rashid Rehman had also developed a strong bondage with the law. He had a great respect for the constitution and for that he participated in every campaign for its implementation. His contribution in the lawyer’s movement of 2007 was really significant. He personally participated in various rallies and corner meetings and fully led from the front. Mr Rehman even got arrested and remained in jail for a month under the draconian Musharraf Rule. These barriers did not hinder him from his commitments and he pursued to fly high. He was clear about his destination with a mission in mind. His mission was to struggle for the rights of the oppressed which is their born right.
The ideology of human struggle has a deep history. Various personalities have struggled for the oppressed and have gained freedom for their nations. Nelson Mandela struggles for the basic rights of the oppressed in South Africa, Malcolm X fought for the civil rights of the African American in United States of America and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi provided freedom to the oppressed nation of the subcontinent. Their sole objective was to recognize the rights of the weak and provide them the base through which they can achieve their freedom.The same struggle can be compared with the hard fought struggle of Rashid Rehman who stood for the Seraiki people and provided them platform through which even a weak can achieve justice.
Rashid Rehman’s ideology of justice for all have supported the downtrodden in the face of difficult times. He had always pushed for an opportunity of fair trial that had been a fundamental right according to the constitution. Rashid Rehman’s hard fought struggle have convinced various poor households to fight for their rights without any monetary concern. Many poor households belongs to poor peasantry class got encouraged to raise their voices against tyrant feudal class only because of Rashid Rehman’s commitment to their cause.
Rashid Rehman, from the very beginning had developed an understanding of the class differences in the society. He was fully aware about the exploitation of labor and peasant class. He worked tirelessly to support the labor and peasant class through frequent interactions. He developed a strong communication through which he taught them their rights and provided them the direction through which they can earn their freedom.
Rashid Rehman’s ideology of equality and of respecting human dignity have become a beacon of hope in the world of despotism. The struggle to create an environment in which every soul has the right to defend itself and seek justice have given hope for a new world. His ideology of protecting the weak and preserving the basic human rights have shown us the direction to proceed in the new world. He must have left us but his thoughts and ideas will remain with us and will continue to guide us in the times of extreme depression such as today. His struggles have been preserved in a book written by Dr. Tauseef Ahmad Khan. Book launching ceremony will be held on Sunday 5th December 2021. All those who believe in the ideology of righteousness should attend the event with commitment to continue his legacy.