We lost an iconic son of Larkana on 15 December 2025. His death ended a long era of a nationalist and ideological trajectory of over eight decades. He remained loyal to his political and ideological beliefs until his last breath. I came to know him in 1972 when I joined the Larkana Municipal Corporation. He was in charge of the library and archives of the Municipal Corporation. The Municipal Library was well stocked with books by well-known authors in English, Urdu, and Sindhi.
Surprisingly, a large number of English classics adorned the shelves of the library. I read most of the classics during my stay in this city of learners and learning. While sitting in the library, Comrade Gul Gaad radiated knowledge and enlightenment. The following is how I have reminisced about my Larkana days:
“I was living and growing with a well-read circle of nationalists and friends in the town. This was bound to motivate me with a desire to strive and stand on par with them in terms of reading and learning. This sense of competition proved to be the stepping stone for my subsequent success in the federal and provincial competitive examinations. It is true: the company you keep makes or breaks you. It would be pertinent to mention a few of the friends who played some role in shaping my life in Larkana. To me, a person who helps set a few souls on the right path of education and learning is more worthy than a half-lettered Minister or legislator.
Mr Gul Mohammad Gaad was an employee of the Municipal Committee and an avid reader. He was somewhat an institution in himself—academic in his manners, conversation, and discussions, and professorial in his appearance and gestures. He had taken a good number of youngsters under his wings and acted as a kind of guide and mentor to them, advising them about their studies, literature, and student politics. I came into contact with this scion of the literary circles of Larkana.
Among his circle of disciples was Mohammad Punhal Qadri from the small village of Panju Dero, located a few kilometres from Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. Punhal was also a prolific reader. He ardently followed the veteran Sindhi nationalist and leader of the Qaumi Awami Tehrik, Rasool Bakhsh Palejo. It was sometime in 1975 that Rasool Bakhsh Palejo visited Larkana and was invited by them to my house for a private session with a small circle of his admirers. Though it was a very brief session, he left a lasting impression with his knowledge and political intellect, scientifically analysing political parties and movements in the province and the country.”
He had followers from every class of people, including the Municipal sanitary workers and peons, and persons of extremely humble backgrounds from his neighbourhood, whom he gave a voice by founding the first-ever Union of the Municipal Employees
My friendship with Gul Mohammad Gaad flourished throughout all these decades with the same camaraderie, affection, and ideological affinity. With the passage of time, our circle of friendship shrank to four only—Gul Gaad, Punhal Qadri, Dr Mir Muhammad Shaikh, and myself. I considered him my political and ideological guide, and always sought his guidance. He was genuinely proud of my development into a knowledge seeker with relentless hard work for a good profession. He was so happy to see my first book, A Voice in the Wilderness: Reflections and Memoirs, which was published in 2017. I gifted him many copies. All his friends who, like me, had picked up the habit of reading from him took these copies from him. His own collection of books was also accessible to his friends and visitors.
Gul Mohammad Gaad was a man of a different nature. He was always worried more for his friends than his own family. He would never mince his words in telling the truth. His conversation with frank friends would always be laced with unprintable phrases, though directed at no one. He was very sincere, truthful, emphatic, kind, and helpful. He knew all the comrades (leftists) of the town, including Sobho Gianchandani.
He had followers from every class of people, including the Municipal sanitary workers and peons, and persons of extremely humble backgrounds from his neighbourhood, whom he gave a voice by founding the first-ever Union of the Municipal Employees and convincing the Municipal authorities to earmark land for the first-ever housing scheme for the low-paid Municipal employees. The scheme was very successful, resolving the acute housing problem of many employees.
He was a restless soul, always looking for books and knowledge. He met and encouraged budding writers. His likes and dislikes reflected his affection for Sindh. He adored G.M. Syed for his love for Sindh and Sindhis, and the power of his pen and intellect; admired Rasool Bux Palejo for his literary and political struggle and for carrying forward the message of peasant leader Fazal Rahu; respected the Rashdi brothers for their legacy of political literature in Sindhi; and highly valued Hyder Bux Jatoi as the true leader of the underprivileged, particularly the landless peasants. He knew closely a bevvy of nationalist student leaders—a few names coming to mind include the Shaikh brothers, Aminullah and Inamullah Shaikh, Jagdesh Ahuja, Dodo Maheri, Syed Ghulam Shah, and Jam Saqi. He also knew all the well-known stars of the political, literary, and social constellation that illuminated the horizon of his town.
He collected a few colleagues and embarked upon the compilation of a compendium on Larkana, covering chronologically and in an encyclopaedic way all spheres of life of the town, including its history and contributions to the evolution of national and provincial political, economic, educational, literary, social, and cultural institutions that contributed to its world fame. The voluminous book Larkana Saah Seebano took years of hard labour, search, and pursuit to complete.
Gul Mohammad had to literally run after people from various backgrounds to obtain articles and write-ups for the book. For the past two years, his son Abdul Latif Gaad has been endeavouring to get it reprinted by the Sindhi Adabi Board, with updated information about the vibrant life of the town. Gul personally persuaded me to contribute a detailed write-up on the Bhuttos for the new edition. I am glad I never disappointed him. He liked the write-up for the new edition.
On 16 December, this iconic son of Larkana embraced the mother earth of his native town, from where he had sprung, to render small services to his native town. I regret that I could not participate in his last journey, being bedridden due to a viral infection. Goodbye, dear Gul Gaad.