Earlier this month, 80 young, enthusiastic Marxists and members of YFIS from all across Pakistan participated in a three-day youth summer school in Rawlakot, a city in Pakistani held Kashmir. Many of the comrades travelled long distances to get to the city high up in the mountains in order to participate in the school.

Earlier this month, 80 young, enthusiastic Marxists and members of YFIS from all across Pakistan participated in a three-day youth summer school in Rawlakot, a city in Pakistani held Kashmir. Many of the comrades travelled long distances to get to the city high up in the mountains in order to participate in the school. Some young comrades from the south began their journeys four days before the start of summer school, meeting up with other comrades along their way to the north. There were comrades present from Sindh, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sadaqabad, Rahimyar Khan, Bhawalpur, Multan, Kot Addu, Lahore, Gujaranwala, Kasur, Quetta, Pindi, Wah, Kalat, as well as a large number of comrades from Kashmir.

The summer school began on August 12 in the middle of the green mountains and pleasant weather of Kashmir. The three-day school was divided into four sessions, which were to be followed by the meeting of the National Executive Committee of YFIS.

Comrade Harish opened the school with a session on “World Perspectives”, where he covered all the major developments in the world from the Marxist perspective. This was followed by a discussion on Venezuela, the Middle East and the subcontinent. The contributors analysed the political, economic, and sociological situation of each of these regions and concluded that the only solution to the wretchedness and misery of the whole world lies with the socialist transformation of society. Comrade Yasir Khaliq summed up by answering some of the questions raised during the session. He also spent some time discussing the conditions in Pakistan today and explained that the turbulence in Pakistani society today could provide the basis for socialist revolution.

The topic of the second session of the school was “The History of the Internationals”. Comrade Yasir Irshad explained the unfolding of events in the 19th and 20th Centuries that led to the development of the First, Second, and Third Internationals. Comrade Wasif covered the intriguing history of the Fourth International in detail. Comrade Yasir Irshad answered some of the questions raised during the session and explained the importance of the role of the individual in history, explaining how people such as Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky kept the torch of the International burning and passed it on to the next generation.

The second day of the school began with the session on “The Theory of Surplus Value”. Comrade Hina led an excellent discussion on the basics of surplus value and Marxist economics. She clearly explained that surplus value was a tool of exploitation in the hands of the bourgeoisie. Various contributors explored the different aspects of surplus value and Marxist economic theory, and concluded that the only way to save humanity from capitalist exploitation was socialist revolution.

Last but not the least was the session on “Marxism and the National Question”, which is an important question in Kashmir. Comrade Shujaat Kazmi from Kashmir gave an educated lead off on the national question in history. He discussed the questions of Ireland, Poland as well as Palestine and Kashmir. Comrades from Sindh, Balochistan and the Saraiki Belt discussed the national question in relation to their local areas, explaining that the only way to overcome national and religious prejudice and hatred was through the class struggle and the unity of the working class.

The meeting of the National Executive Committee of YFIS was held on the last day of the school. This session was opened up with a lead off by Comrade Aadil on the importance of youth work. His speech was energetic and emotional, and inspired the members of the audience to continue and develop our revolutionary youth work. The discussion on youth was followed by regional reports from across Pakistan. Towards the end of the session Comrade Hina proposed that YFIS launch a quarterly magazine for the education of youth in the ideas of Marxism. The meeting unanimously agreed to this idea. The Marxist summer school in Kashmir was concluded with the singing of the Internationale.

Report by Adam Pal