LAHORE - Women’s Action Forum founding member and women rights activist Lala Rukh passed away in Lahore on Friday. She was 69 and she was suffering from cancer.
Her funeral prayers will be offered at her sister's residence at 54-Zahoor Elahi Road, FCC at 5pm. She will be buried at Miani Sahib Graveyard.
The Women’s Action Forum says, “WAF is devastated to report that we lost Lala Rukh this morning. She was not only a founding member of Women’s Action Forum but one of the most resolute members. She is on the extreme left in this iconic dupatta burning picture in Zia's era. She was intrinsic to WAF Lahore.
“She remained a feminist activist and artist throughout her life and had made artistic achievements. She worked as director and founder of the National College of Arts MA Visual Arts Department and cofounder of the All Pakistan Music Conference (1960), Women’s Action Forum 1981 and Vasl Artists Trust (2000).
“My dearest friend Lala Rukh, a dedicated member of Women’s Action Forum and a lifelong crusader for justice, equality, women's rights and minority rights from a feminist perspective, as well as a renowned artist died peacefully this morning after a month long struggle against cancer. Rest in peace, dear Lala - we will miss you so much in WAF, in our lives and you will forever remain alive in our hearts. We love you Lala,” former Country Director at ActionAid, Pakistan Country Programme Rubina Saigol said.
Sehr Jalil Raja is a visual artist and teaching at NCA. She in thread on ‘art now Pakistan’ said, “Defying inequality has been Lala Rukh’s purpose – and so drawing a balance comes in. The visual titled mirror image is a 1997 work where two newsprints, equal images are pasted on graph paper. There’s parallel confrontation. Babri Mosque (destroyed in 1992 by Indian fundamentalists) and a Hindu temple (violently demolished in Pakistan as a response) are somewhere camouflaged in a permanent blackness. This is activism on paper. Defying inequality has been her purpose – and so drawing a balance comes in. This is activism on paper.”
Internet Rights and Women Rights Activist and Founder of digitalrightsPK said that it’s a huge loss to Pakistani women rights movement.
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