Dear Friends: It is with heavy heart I read that Hari Sharma has passed away.
Personally, I had a great admiration for Hari as an author, professor, activist and a great human being. His book (co-edited with Kathleen Gough), Imperialism and Revolution in South Asia, opened many facets of political understanding for me as a young student from Pakistan in the USA around early 1970s. I remember having heated discussions with him and many other associates during the formation of IPANA. He was an avid supporter and contributor to Pakistan Progressive which was published for many years. When I lived in Vancouver BC, during the mid 1980s, I had a chance to see him occasionally and enjoyed his company and got exposed to his relentless activism. Until recently, he was active in many causes and kept up with his struggles for human rights and equality for all. It is through some of his ideas that personally I got inspired to work for the Los Angeles based South Asian Network (SAN) and with other communities.
He will certainly be missed by all, especially those who care about human struggle towards creating a decent society regardless of age, gender, religion, or caste and class. Hari Sharma’s loss for us is only highlighted when we get to know him what he was and when he is not amongst us.
I hope that some one from the new generation will pick up his books and his thoughts to carry on the much needed struggle.
In Solidarity,
Asad Zaidi