Taimur Rahman

Taimur Rahman (Urdu/Punjabi: تیمور رحمان) is a Pakistani college professor, political activist and musician who is the Secretary-General of the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP), formerly Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He is the lead guitarist and spokesperson for the progressive music band Laal. He has taught political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) since 2002. He also taught economics at the Lahore School of Economics from 1998 to 2003.

Taimur Rahman
تیمور رحمان
Born (1975-05-27) 27 May 1975
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma materGrinnell College
University of Sussex
SOAS University of London
Occupations
Employer(s)Lahore University of Management Sciences
Lahore School of Economics
TitleSecretary-General of the Mazdoor Kisan Party (formerly Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party)
Musical career
GenresPopular rock
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
LabelsFire Records (Pakistan)

He is known for his socialist ideologies has been outspoken in his criticism of capitalist exploitation and religious fundamentalism. He is the author of the book The Class Structure of Pakistan published by Oxford University Press. The book argues that Pakistan's framework is based on materialism, and won the Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Award for the "best book on Social Sciences" about Pakistan in 2012.[1]

Early life and education

Rahman comes from a "bourgeois" family, but he says his parents were engaged with the left movement since before he was born.[2] He spent his childhood in military-ruled Pakistan under the Zia ul Haq government of the late 1970s-80s, which also influenced him politically.[3] In his teenage years, he was involved with the theater as an actor, director and producer. He completed his schooling from Aitchison College, graduated from Grinnell College, obtained a master's degree from Sussex University and holds a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Political career

During Rahman's college life in the USA, he got involved in Trade Union politics. He worked with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and various leftist parties.[2] After returning to Pakistan in 1998, he joined the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He has been elected to district-level and state-level leadership positions in the party and was also elected as the General Secretary of CMKP. In 2015, the CMKP united with the Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party and People's National Congress to form Mazdoor Kissan Party (MKP).[4] He is the current General Secretary of the MKP. He identifies as a Marxist–Leninist.[3]

Musical career

Taimur was interested in music from a young age and started playing the guitar when he was 17. He is the lead guitarist and spokesperson of the band Laal. His band is known for singing socialist and progressive political songs.[5] The band has released several albums and has toured India, USA, England, etc.

Bibliography
  • Taimur Rahman (27 September 2012). The Class Structure of Pakistan. OUP Pakistan. ISBN 978-0-19-906507-3.

References
  1. "AHK Award :: COSS :: Council of Social Sciences, Pakistan". www.cosspak.org. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. "The Poverty of Pakistani Ideology". jacobinmag.com. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. Radhakrishnan, Mukulika (11 September 2020). "Class Solidarity Not Identity Politics: Talking to Taimur Rahman". Student Struggle. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  4. "Mazdoor Kissan Party". Economic and Political Weekly. 51 (5): 7–8. 5 June 2015.
  5. "BBC Asian Network - Weekend Mirpuri, Laal Band". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
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