National Student Federation /IS Pak meeting, Faisalabad

At seven I’m driven to the National Student Federation / IS Pak meeting organised by Ali Sajjad, Twenty five of us there, three women. Mostly young and serious. I’ve been asked to talk about imperialism and working class revolution. As we start load shedding again but candlelight is fine. The discussion is sharp and lively. From Che Guevara to permanent revolution to state capitalism to the nature of socialist transition to women’s liberation which I raise after it is suggested that the women comrades make the tea. I spend the tea break talking to the women. Someone else has made the tea.

Some one raises post modernism which we reasonably quickly agree is rubbish. More importantly, someone argues that workers can't grasp the essentials of Marxism. It isn't too hard to challenge this but there is a need for these students to talk to workers.

It’s gone ten before we finish. Arif, an older worker, member of the reformist National Workers Party, takes me home on the back of his motorbike. A coldish 15 minutes. Arif lends me his scarf to wrap around my face, just to be on the safe side.