Pio Gama Pinto

Shiraz Durrani

Description

Pio Gama Pinto was born in Kenya on March 31, 1927. He was assassinated in Nairobi on February 24, 1965. In his short life, he became a symbol of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles in Kenya and India. He was actively involved in Goa's struggle against Portuguese colonialism and in Mau Mau during Kenya's war of independence. For this, he was detained by the British colonial authorities in Kenya from 1954-59. His contribution to the struggle for liberation for working people spanned two continents - Africa and Asia. And it covered two phases of imperialism - colonialism in Kenya and Goa and neo-colonialism in Kenya after independence. His enemies saw no way of stopping the intense, lifelong struggle waged by Pinto - except through an assassin's bullets. But his contribution, his ideas, and his ideals are remembered and upheld even today by people active in liberation struggles. This book does not aim or claim to be a comprehensive record on Pio Gama Pinto, just the beginning of the long journey necessary to record the history of Kenya from an anti-imperialist perspective. It introduces readers to voices of many people who have written about Pinto to build up as clear a picture of Pinto as possible. In that spirit, it seeks to make history available to those whose story it is - people of Kenya, Africa and progressive people around the world.

Sujets

• Colonisation

Informations

• Publié par: Vita Books
• Date de parution: 19 octobre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789966189042
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 82 Mo

Extrait

Pio Gama Pinto was born in Kenya on March 31, 1927. He was assassinated in Nairobi on February 24, 1965. In his short life, he became a symbol of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles in Kenya and India. He was actively involved in Goa's struggle against Portuguese colonialism and in Mau Mau during Kenya's war of independence. For this, he was detained by the British colonial authorities in Kenya from 1954-59. His contribution to the struggle for liberation for working people spanned two continents - Africa and Asia. And it covered two phases of imperialism - colonialism in Kenya and Goa and neo-colonialism in Kenya after independence. His enemies saw no way of stopping the intense, lifelong struggle waged by Pinto - except through an assassin's bullets. But his contribution, his ideas, and his ideals are remembered and upheld even today by people active in liberation struggles.

“It had become increasingly obvious that “constitutional”, “non-violent” methods of ghting for one's rights were absolutely futile in dealing with the settler-colonial administration. Organised violence was the only answer” - Pinto (1963).

“Kenya's Uhuru must not be transformed into freedom to exploit, or freedom to be hungry and live in ignorance. Uhuru must be Uhuru for the masses - Uhuru from exploitation, from ignorance, disease and poverty” - Pinto (1963)

“Pinto was assassinated by the regime on 24 February 1965 and Kenya has yet to replace him” - Donald Barnett (1972).

“Pio Pinto fell on the battleeld in our common war against neo-colonialism. Along with the immortal Patrice Lumumba … he has joined the ranks of our martyrs whose blood must be avenged. In such honourable company, his death will recruit new armies of Pintos to continue the ght in which he died [in] the effort to create a united socialist Africa” - John K. Tettegah. (1966)

“Pio Gama Pinto was one of the most progressive politicians Kenya has ever produced. He committed his life to the pursuit of freedom locally and internationally by building networks in East Africa, Asia, Southern Africa and the United States. Pinto was detained during the Mau Mau struggle for independence and used his life in prison to inspire fellow detainees and keep the spirit of the liberation alive. He was assassinated around the same time as Malcom X by forces opposed to freedom and liberty. This book provides information on Pio Game Pinto from different sources: his personal writings, original material as well as published and archival sources. It is of immense historical and political signicance.” -Prof. Kimani Njogu, Nairobi

PIO GAMA PINTO PIO GAMA PINTO Kenya’s Unsung Martyr 1927 - 1965

Edited by Shiraz Durrani

Edited by Shiraz Durrani

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

1927 - 1965

Edited by Shiraz Durrani

Nairobi

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

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Published in 2018. Vita Books P.O. Box 62501-00200 Nairobi. Kenya http://vitabooks.co.uk [e-mail]; [e-mail]

Distributed Worldwide by: African Books Collective P.O. Box 721 Oxford, OX1 9EN [e-mail] www.africanbookscollective.com

ISBN 978-9966-1890-0-4 (Paper) ISBN 978-9966-1890-4-2 (eBook)

© 2018 Individual authors; photos and illustrations: those who made them available to Vita Books.

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Design and layout by Vincent Uba Cell: [phone] www.vumacoolgraphics.com

Printed in Kenya 2018 By CLC Christian Booklink Kenya LTD P.O Box 26665-00100 Nairobi

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

Message from Emma Gama Pinto

Dear friends and readers of this tribute book about Pio

I am grateful to you for keeping Pio’s work and ideals alive. It is hard to believe that it has been 53 years since Pio’s assassination in 1965. I am now 90, my own memory is failing and my girls, who were so young at the time, have little recollection of their father.

When Pio proposed marriage to me, he informed me that his calling was the freedom and dignity of the Kenyan people. So, it is îtting that Kenya and Kenyans keep his memory, what he worked for and what he gave his life for, ever present.

People have used words like “communist” and “socialist” to describe Pio. I feel at his core he was a humanist. It truly grieved him to see people suffer. He understood that every person’s dignity deserved respect. He also believed that ignorance was just as much an insult to human dignity as poverty. Many of you know the story of how he walked out of Manda barefoot, because he had given his shoes to another detainee; how he taught other detainees to read using my letters. It is also true that I never knew how much money he earned, because he gave much of it away to support the widows of the freedom îghters.

Pio truly lived his values of equality and brotherhood. It is unfortunate that his example was not allowed to light the way for a few more years. Who knows what more he might have achieved for Kenya and its people! I will conclude with the lines that are etched on Pio’s gravestone: “If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the spark I bore.” Thank you, friend and readers, for helping to spread the spark. Emma Gama-Pinto September 2018

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

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Contents

Message from Emma Gama Pinto. 3

List of Illustrations 6

Dedication 10

Acknowledgements 11

Preface - No Easy Journey to Publishing Pinto 12

INTRODUCTION: Pheroze Nowrojee: A Threefold Cord to Independence 21

The Unsung Martyr 30

Shiraz Durrani (2018): Pio Gama Pinto Lived and Died for Revolutionary Change 31

Willy Mutunga (2018): Celebrating Pio Gama Pinto 149

Angelo Faria Remembers Pinto (2018) 151

Rosario Da Gama Pinto (2015): Pio, My Brother 153

Firoze Manji (2015): Tribute to Pio Gama Pinto 162

Pio Gama Pinto, 1926-1965 (2005) - Compiled by Awaaz Magazine 167

Kamoji Wachira (2005): Gama-Pinto, the Linkman 176

Dinesh Singh (1975): Pio - Son of India 183

Malcolm MacDonald (1975): Pio Pinto 185

Lord Fenner Brockway (1974): Pio 188

Makhan Singh (1965): The Assassination of Pio Gama Pinto 190

Joseph Murumbi (2015): Pio Gama Pinto: Nationalist and Freedom Fighter 193

Pinto in his Own Words201

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Pio Gama Pinto (1963): A Detainee’s Life Story 202

Pio Gama Pinto (1963): To All KANU Members of the House 204

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

Pio Gama Pinto (1963): Glimpses of Kenya’s Nationalist Struggle 208

Pinto – A Selection of Quotes 247

Pinto seen through his correspondence 252 Pinto to Brockway: 12-01-1953 252 Pinto to Brockway: 14-01-1953 256 Pinto to Brockway: 18-01-1953 258 Pinto to Murumbi: 07-01-1961 265 Pinto’s handwritten notes, Conference of Afro-Asian Solidarity 274

Selected Points from Pinto’s Correspondence with Lord Fenner Brockway 274

Emma Gama Pinto’s Perspective: Life with and without Pio285

Emma Gama Pinto: Remembering Pio 285 Emma Gama Pinto interviewed by Frederick Noronha (2000) 291 Emma Gama Pinto in Conversation with Benegal Pereira (2012) 298

DOCUMENTATION309

Pio Gama Pinto: Independent Kenya’s First Martyr 309

Pio Gama Pinto: Report of the TJR Commission (2013) 347

Pio Gama Pinto, The Patriotic Journalist (IOJ, 1965) 357

Pinto seen by others - Selected Quotes 361

Pio Gama Pinto: A Timeline 369

Pio Gama Pinto: A Photo Story372

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

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List of Illustrations

Pio Gama Pinto Road, Nairobi 9

Vita Books announces book on Pinto (1987) 12

Panaf Great Lives planned Pinto’s biography (1972) 17

J. D. Kali to June Milne of Panaf Books (15-03-1972) 18

J.D.Kali to June Milne on copyright (30-05-1972) 19

Joseph Murumbi to June Milne (15-05-1972) 19

Zed Books to Vita Books re Panaf book on Pinto (01-12-1987) 20

Awaaz Magazine, No. 1 (2005) 167

Kamoji Wachira’s article in Awaaz magazine (2005) 176

Sir Malcolm MacDonald: Pio Pinto 186

Lord Fenner Brockway: Pio 188

Makhan Singh’s article on Pinto reproduced from Patel, Z (2006) 190

Pinto: A Detainee’s Life Story 201

Pinto’s signature 203

Pinto’s memo to all KANU Members. 1963 204

Pinto: Glimpses of Kenya’s Nationalist Struggle (1963) 208

Pio Gama Pinto to Fenner Brockway (12-01-1953) 252

Pio Gama Pinto to Fenner Brockway (14-01-1953 256

Pio Gama Pinto to Fenner Brockway (18-01-1953) 258

Pinto to Brockway (28-02-1953) 262

Pio Gama Pinto to Joseph Murumbi (07-01-1961) 265

Pinto’s handwritten notes, Conference of Afro-Asian Solidarity. Moshi, 1963 272

Pinto to Brockway (08-04-1952) 278

Emma Gama Pinto 298 6

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

Benegal Pereira, Emma Gama Pinto and Fritz De Souza 307

Ambu Patel to Joseph Murumbi on Pinto booklet (03-01-1966) 310

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Vice President, at the funeral. Mrs. Emma Pinto is on his left. 316

Oscar Kambona, Tanzania’s Foreign Minister pays his last tribute 319

Pinto at a public rally with Bildad Kaggia and Joe Murumbi in 1963. 322

Pinto speaking at a reunion of ex-detainees at the home of Achieng Oneko 327

Members of Parliament rejoice at Pinto’s election to Parliament 330

Pinto with Murumbi, Ferguson, Kenyatta, Tettegah, Oneko and Kubai 333

Emma Pinto at Santiago receives the IOJ’s Award to Pinto (Sept. 1965) 334

The IOJ Award to Pinto, 1965 334

Pinto and De Souza at an anti-imperialism demonstration 339

Pinto visiting Kenyatta in detention at Lodwar 340

Pinto with Kali, Karumba, Ngei and Chokwe 345

Lumumba Institute 356

Pio with parents and siblings 372

Pio Gama Pinto – 3 images 373

Pinto, Jan. 1965 373

Pinto in 1951 with sports(îeld & track,, tennis etc,) trophies. 373

Pinto with two daughters, Linda and Malusha in India (1962) 374

Pinto and Friend, 1962 374

Dr. Yusuf Eraj with Pinto daughters: Linda, Malusha Tereshka Nairobi (1966) 374

Pinto with children 375

Pinto speaking at his wedding (Jan. 1954) 375

Tereshka Pinto, 1966 376

Emma and Pio engagement (Oct. 1953) 376

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

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Kabernet restriction house, 1958 376

Pinto in his Parliament ofîce. 376

Members of Parliament rejoice at Pinto’s election to Parliament 377

Pinto outside Parliament with others 377

Pinto at a public rally with Bildad Kaggia and Joe Murumbi (1063) 377

Pinto speaking at a reunion of ex-detainees at the home of Achieng Oneko 378

Pinto visiting the Koinange family in restriction at Kabernet 378

Pinto visiting Kenyatta when he was in detention in Lodwar 379

Pio Gama Pinto and Fitz de Souza at an “anti-imperialist” demonstration 379

Pinto outside Parliament with Murumbi, Ferguson, Kenyatta, Tettegah, Oneko and Kubai 379

Pinto’s cofîn in the family living room: Linda (left), Malusha (right), Emma 380

Linda, Malusha Emma and her mother lead the cortage 380

Oscar Kambona pays his last tribute at the funeral 381

Odinga consoles Emma at the funeral 382

Oginga Odinga at the funeral 382

Outside Pinto’s house, a few moments after his assassination 383

Drum Magazine: Africa mourns a brother (May 1965) 383

Drum Magazine Article on Pinto 384

Pinto Postal Stamp 384

Special issue of Awaaz on Pinto (2005) 385

Nowrojee (2007): Pio Gama Pinto 385

Ngweno: Pio Gama Pinto (DVD)386

Ngweno: A Political History of Kenya (DVD)386

Pio Gama Pinto: Glimpses of Kenya’s Nationalist Struggle (1963)387

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Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

1. Pio Gama Pinto Road, Nairobi

Photo by Nicholas Mwangi (02-07-2018)

Pio Gama Pinto, Kenya’s Unsung Martyr

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