Eric Rahim remembered as ‘inspiring, warm, accepting, pragmatic teacher’

The Irtiqa Institute of Social Sciences held a session in remembrance of Marxist, economist and academic Eric Rahim on Saturday. Rahim had died last year in the United Kingdom at the age of 94.

The speakers at the event spoke about Rahim’s work through which he uplifted the lives of the poor and the vulnerable, offering the socialist world view, and stressing its urgency and relevance in the current times.

Economist Khalid Aftab said Rahim had left an intellectual legacy behind. He said that when Rahim used to teach his economic theory, he lectured in a profound voice that helped his students understand economic concepts and theories. “He was an inspiring, warm, accepting and pragmatic teacher.”

Aftab said that over the years, Rahim’s interest in art, literature, history and politics catalysed his students’ intellectual growth, inspiring them to delve deeper into these subjects. He said Rahim was always ready to share his thoughts on the recurring socioeconomic challenges of South Asian countries.

He pointed out that what worried Rahim was the resistance to change in the politics of Pakistan. He used to claim that the military establishment and the bureaucracy were standing in the way of the country’s progress. Aftab said Rahim remained dedicated to Karl Marx all his life.

Rahim’s son John said that when his father was sick, he was concerned that his friends were going to forget about him, so he used to tell his father that that would not be the case.

He said that it was lovely to see the memorial taking place in his father’s honour. “He would have been extremely touched that everyone recalled him,” said John, who participated in the event through videoconferencing.

He also said his father would have been quite a different person had his mother not been in his life. They were married for 54 years before she passed away in 2017, he added.

He said his mother came from a musical family and was into travelling. “They travelled everywhere, from Syria to Afghanistan, and it was a time before the internet.”

He also said his father was very supportive, kind and thoughtful, adding that he was never judgemental if you were to go to him with a problem. Rahim passed away very peacefully, in a manner he would have wanted to, concluded John.

Journalist Beena Sarwar said Rahim joined a Yahoo! group soon after the nuclear blasts in Pakistan and India, which is how they formed an email relationship.

Beena said he was a couple of years older than her father and also mentored her father. Rahim was a mentor and adviser to the National Students Federation, she pointed out.

She said books from the Soviet Union were not allowed in jail when he was incarcerated in the 1950s for his student union movement, but books from London were allowed.

She also said Rahim had wanted to be remembered back in Pakistan, and that was very important to him. She added that he sent her his non-academic essays, and wanted her to circulate them online in Pakistan.

Dr Alina Mirza from the UK said she knew Rahim because of her father Dr Ayub Mirza. She said they were comrades from the 1950s’ student movement.

She pointed out that they were all in jail for a year for being part of the movement. She said that all of these people were legends. It is pretty hard to live up to that, she added.

She also said her father and Rahim strived for a better Pakistan, with fewer economic disparities, but their work remains a

beacon and a seed for the future.

Dr Alina said they both worked towards improving the economy and public health. The history of how these comrades interacted with each other, and how their long-term friendship witnessed ups and downs is essential, she added.