Baloch, Balochistan and a tale of pain and love of a sarmachar
Author: Dostain Baloch
Spokesman of Baloch Republican Guards
Baloch:
his name might be so familiar, and people add certain adjectives with it to describe us: valiant, warrior, compassionate, hospitable etc. The Baloch have reasons for all them: reasons which force us to fight for our nation, reasons which teach us to stand for our rights, reasons which make us brave, and a history filled with black summons, inked in the blood of martyrs.
The Baloch have understood their rights and fought for them. If they were not granted to us honourably, with a pen, we have taken up the sword. For that we have been abused and marginalized. We have fought for not just our rights, but for also for our land, our identity, and our culture. They fought against great kings, from the time of the Great Seljuks to the time of the Mughals, and then the British Raj. Now we’re fighting against Pakistan. Past uprisings have been suppressed, mutual ground was met between the tribal lords and the state. But now with a new generation, a new century, a new demand has emerged. Now the Baloch have a single slogan: freedom
History also testifies that on 11th august 1947 Balochistan gained its independence, but on March 27th, 1948, it was occupied by Pakistan.
Balochistan:
Balochistan: the unruly province, with harsh terrain, under occupation, and enveloped in the flames of civil war.
This country has been a war zone for over a century now. Pakistan’s forceful occupation of this country, the lives we lost, the leaders which we laid to rest, are inked as the darkest incident’s of Balochistan’s history. But this chaste land is still not tired of giving birth to sons who will sacrifice themselves for it, and it will never be.
Dada Noroz Khan was killed with his 14 young sons, even after the forces swore on the Quran, that they won’t kill him if he leaves the mountains. But after his surrendered, he was sent to the gallows.
We had fought five wars for an independent Balochistan, the 5th one began with murder of Nawab Bugti. The army, weak under needed a massive military operation with fighter jets, and army commandos to get rid of an 80-year old tribal lord, and a handful of his men.
In 2009, the Pakistani Miltary also kidnapped Gullam Mohammad and two other leaders Lala Munner and Sher Mohammad. The list of events marring our land, and our history continue.
To remind ourselves of what we lost, these events are more than enough to make us wipe our tears and and hold onto our weapons with a resolve greater than ever.
The pain and love of a Sarmachar:
He was a very close friend of mine. He wasn’t just my friend, he had won everyone’s heart. Although he was my junior at camp, his thoughts were beyond his years. In his eyes was compassion, and pain, which he felt for people. For the poor, the farmers struggling due to the lack of rainfall, the families who have lost their loved ones, and those who have been left disabled amongst other consequences of war.
He was even kind towards the enemy. He saved the Levies force from coming under attack. When asked why he did so, he said why does it matter if they aren’t Baloch? They’re still humans, they have families like we do. Who wants to see a coffin on Eid? Let these couple of days pass, let Eid go by, after that we are the hunters, and they are our prey, we shall hunt them down.
Even in the midst of war, where we don’t have enough water to drink on the mountains, he took care to plant a tree. It was his pet, and he cared for it like a baby. The pain consumes him, the pain and the misery brought about by seeing death, mutilated dead bodies, lost loved one’s, and a family so far away, he begins to doubt their existence and their love. The pain of fifteen years in a battleground, in a never ending war. Fifteen years of no place to call home, missing his mother, and struggling to control his nicotine addiction. But how in the world were cigarettes going to cure his pain? What was going to treat his insomnia? When was he going to get time to cook himself a decent meal, with his mind at peace? Could he ever get over his past, or will the pain get the better of him someday? Is it his love for his nation which gives him enough courage to keep going?
People say about us that we’re Sarmachars, warriors, and warriors don’t have hearts. Our feelings, our love, our pain, is multiplied by zero. The love we hold in our hearts for our people is greater than that of a parent for their child, a spouse for their partner, or one’s love for their beloved. We have sacrificed our entire lives. Dying isn’t the hard part, giving up on life, while being alive is. We don’t have the right to education, to dream, to sleep, to wish, to rest, to love, or to marry. We gave up on it all to come to these mountains. We did it out of love for our people, and because our top priority is our homeland, a better future for our nation, equal rights, and freedom for Baloch, and for Balochistan.
For hope of free Balochistan.
Independent nation.
Balochistan Zandabad.
Long live Baloch nation.
Free Balochistan.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.