Veteran Pakistani peace activist B M Kutty no more

Veteran Pakistani peace activist B M Kutty passed away in Karachi in the wee hours of Sunday. He was 89 years old and had been fighting age-related issues since the past few years.

A Malayali from Tirur who had migrated from Kerala to Pakistan at the age of 19, Biyyathil Mohyuddin Kutty, popular as B M Kutty or just Kutty Saab, was a committed trade unionist, peace activist, journalist, and a Leftist political worker and an intellectual. He had served as the political secretary to legendary Baloch leader Ghaus Bizenjo.

"Heartbroken about the passing away of veteran Leftist legend, comrade B M Kutty. He has as many contributions in Baloch politics as any Baloch leader. He was a close aide to my father Mir Ghous Buksh Bizenjo; also wrote his autobiography. He was more of a family than a friend," Hasil Bizenjo said in a tweet.

"It's a terrible loss for the peace movement. He was an inspiration. He was a fighter. He stood for peace between India and Pakistan. He was a dear friend and one of the finest human beings I have ever seen," said Mumbai-based activist and journalist Jatin Desai.

Kutty and Desai had played a major role when it comes to interactions between journalists of the two countries and always called for the continuation of people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan. Kutty used to regularly used to visit his home state.

He has served as the Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, popularly known as PILER, in Karachi, and also as the Secretary-General of the Pakistan Peace Coalition.

His memoir -- 'Sixty Years in Self Exile: No Regrets' -- is quite popular and has also been translated to Marathi.