Demons devoured the sunlight
Banul Baloch
I sometimes just wonder that how many flowers could have been plucked just for fragrance. History has always remained witness that whenever the flowers were plucked their fragrance spread multi-fold, but the fragrance couldn’t be finished, because the fragrance of the flowers is immortal.
Such most useful flowers have always been at the risk of being plucked from their roots, because their fragrance is intolerable for some people. In fact, such flowers give very fresh oxygen to society to live long a very pleasant life, and the long and prosperous life of the society is the death for a section of that society.
Many of us might have heard about Martin Luther King, the leading role of the protestant movement; the movement of the reformation, in Medieval Era. He started a protestant movement against the Catholics who were taking bribe from innocent people in the name of Christianity, and Christianity was on its extreme level. People mixed the religion with politics as well. Martin Luther King led this movement and succeeded in his mission.
People like Luther King have always been a threat for the states in world. Such persons have been shot dead and executed because they lived their lives for the general interests of the society, but in history, they are always alive and have a huge place.
There is also a man in the Baloch history whose name is Prof. Saba Dashtyari—the Baloch people call him Ustad Saba Dashtyari as well — who lived a life like of Martin Luther King. Prof. Dashtyari has a respected place among the entire Baloch nation, and I call him the Martin Luther King of Balochistan.
Today is the 7th death anniversary of Prof. Saba Dashtyari. He was assassinated by the state backed death squads on June 1, 2011 in Quetta, Balochistan. He served the Baloch nation with his soul and heart, then eventually with his blood. His martyrdom was like losing a very important asset of the nation.
Prof. Dashtyari’s contributions for the Baloch national independence movement are irreplaceable. He was a great Baloch intellectual who contributed his intellectual works for the enlightenment of the entire nation. Ustad Saba was not just an individual entity, but he was an institute in himself.
Once, he was addressing a public gathering in Karachi where he was speaking about the brutal atrocities of Pakistan Army over Baloch nation, a woman sitting in the gathering got angry and tried to humiliate Prof. Dashtyari, to which the professor replied, “Are you scared of truth? We shouldn’t be afraid of truth, we should face the truth.”
A man with the theme of reality facts and figures was not only a lecturer of Islamic Education, but also a litterateur of Balochi language, and the best example of his work is the establishment of Syad Shah Reference Hashmi Library (SHRL) in Malir area of Karachi where you can get those books which are rare to be found on Balochi literature, history, philosophy and on other disciplines of knowledge.
State has always been terrified from people who speak truth and openly support the independence movement of Balochistan. Ustad Saba always participated in BSO Azad’s rallies, and was a great and genuine speakers.
In his last speech, he clearly spoke about the brutalities of Pakistan Army on Baloch nation and issue of the Baloch missing persons which were on its extreme level in 2010. In order to silence Ustad Saba’s voice, the state of Pakistan executed him on June 1, 2011 in broad daylight, but the state has failed to execute his vision and his thoughts which are still alive among the Baloch people.
Prof. Dashtyari was the candle which burnt the whole night just to enlighten his nation. He spread his light among the entire nation through his achievements and patriotism. He was respected and known as a leading Balochi writer and intellectual whose literary works appeared on leading journals and magazines, he authored several books in Balochi language.
Saba left his beautiful vision among us. Therefore, now it is our duty to further spread his vision. We should speak for the truth and struggle for the independence of Balochistan. We should take the pen in our hands and spread the knowledge and awareness for the brighter and prosperous future of Baloch nation and for an independent Baloch state.