Freedom! That's no longer merely a word. It's a cry against the Punjabi imperialism. Punjabi military atrocities on the Baloch people know no limit. The infamous intelligence agencies of Pakistan pick up Baloch men and return them as dead bodies. Even the Baloch women and children have not been spared. Pakistani has even used gunship helicopters to crush a legitimate freedom struggle against oppression. Besides this, the Pakistani state has been exploiting the natural resources of Balochistan without giving much in return to the people.
-
Balochistan is located in the eastern end of the Indian subcontinent. One of the earliest settlements in the South Asia is found here. The Mehergarh culture is perhaps the oldest of the old in the subcontinent. All students of Ancient Indian History study about it. The region was an integral part of the Harappan civilization. Indians relate to the Harappans as their ancestors and on that basis proudly claim that their civilization is 5000 years old. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic of Pakistani has never happily accepted its pre-8th century past. For most Pakistanis the history begins with the Arab invasions of their country. They take pride in the victory of Muhammad bin Qasim over the native Hindu ruler of Sindh. In this process, they negate the ancient history of Sindh and Balochistan.
-
The Indian government history books also do give importance to the medieval and modern history of Balochistan. They focus on the empires that ruled from Delhi, thus diminishing the value of histories of different regions of the subcontinent, especially Balochistan. Though Sindh is given some mention in the establishment of the British rule in India, Balochistan is virtually forgotten. As a result very few Indian history students know about the past of the Baloch tribes. It is deliberately left for the amateur history enthusiasts.
-
But things are changing today, not in respect of Indian Government's ignorant attitude towards Balochistan but in the interests of individual Indians concerned about their neighbourhood. The credit for this change goes to the Internet in general and social networking sites, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, in particular. Many Indians now know what's going on in Balochistan. The Balochs probably would be the most pro-India people living in Pakistan. They see the Pakistani state as a ruthless oppressor. As a colonialist who is sucking their land dry and in return giving back the bullet-ridden bodies of their loved ones. There is an intense hatred in the hearts of Balochs for the Punjabi military establishment. The Balochs, who have been secular and tolerant in their approach towards the Hindu minority, see Islamabad as the headquarter of terror which is not only repressing the Baloch nationalism but also bringing a bad name to Islam by giving direct and indirect support to the Afghan Taliban to achieve its goal of "strategic depth" in the region against India.
-
Baloch nationalist leader Brahamdagh Bugti has said that he is ready to take help from anybody, even from the Devil, for his struggle for independence. No surprise that the Pakistani secret agencies want him dead. Allah Nazar Baloch is another nationalist leader who is waging a guerrilla war against the Pakistani forces in the mountains of Balochistan. The Baloch freedom struggle is not an Islamist one. We cannot compare it with the Islamist movement of Kashmir where the goal is to establish Nizam-e-Mustapha or the Islamic rule. The Balochs have shown no hostility towards Hindus and other minorities living in Balochistan.
-
Indians have to give serious thought to the genuine demands of the Baloch people. We have to raise the issue of human rights violations of the Baloch people. Indian media, which makes a lot of hue and cry for the civil rights of poor Indian Muslims, is almost blind on this issue.
-
The love and admiration of the Balochs for India was seen on the India-Pakistan cricket semi-final of the Asia Cup in Bagladesh a few days ago. There was a huge cheering for Team India from the Baloch nationalists on the Internet. In conclusion, Indians have always supported the suppressed people be it Tibetis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, or Afghans. Then why are we turning a blind eye on the Balochs?