Author: Jameel Baloch
The recent martyrdom of two highly educated youth, Shadad alias Dura and Ehsan alias Shadad, left behind several questions for the State of Pakistan, as well as, to the Leadership of current wave of insurgency. It is noticeable that the Baloch has concluded to use not only peaceful protest but also armed resistance as a mean to achieve their political goals. The inevitable involvement of educated class in militancy has negated the State narrative that it is a conflict and discord of Sardar and illiterate. It is very significant for Baloch resistive movement that it is still able to recruit energetic, literate and politically mature people in its ranks even after a lengthy and tiresome war of two decades.
It was really heart wrenching to go through the sad news in social media that Shadad urf Dura and Ihsan urf Shadad were martyred in Lijjay, an area of Kharan, known for the camps of Baloch armed outfits.
It is important to illustrate the background of both martyrs, who are our real heroes. Both Shadad son of Mumtaz and Ehsan son of Mohammed Hassan were from Kech District. They both had graduated from Qaid-e-Azum University Islamabad. Shadad had earned master’s degree in Defence Strategic Studies and Ehsan had a master’s degree Gender Studies. They were active members of Baloch Council Islamabad ant they were keen to mobilize students against state’s oppressive policy in Balochistan.
It appears they joined armed struggle after they realised that the Baloch was treated as a slave and colonized by the country, Pakistan run by Panjabi supremacy. It was worrisome that they were insulted, beaten and injured in educational institutions, because they were Baloch. They were degraded several times. They observed that their culture and civilization was badly mutilated in textbooks and open gatherings by Punjabis. They witnessed that their sisters were harassed in Balochistan University, and their voice was not noticed to punish the perpetrators behind harassment. They might have joined militancy when they witnessed widespread plundering by Pakistani state in Sendak, Sui and Rekodiq. The State policy to convert Baloch into minority might have persuaded them to think of violence. The kidnapping of Baloch women and children must have compelled them to teach the state in the language of violence. Thus, State policy was mainly behind to push them towards violence.
Meanwhile, the recent participation of Baloch youth in armed struggle is an optimistic sign for the Baloch movement. The Baloch liberation army’s Spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch claimed that both Shadad and Ehsan were affiliated with BLA from the last one year. A two decades prolonged movement has still persisted recruitment of member, which is a huge threat for the Pakistani state. The State has been using inhuman violence, carrying out widespread operations, dumping mutilated bodies and burning houses of political workers, but it has failed to bring the Baloch in the sphere of so-called Pakistani patriotism. It has offered greed and bounty to diffuse the flames of insurgency, but all in vain. The State machinery continuously publicised surrender programs to fool the international community that the insurgency has reached to its ends.
However, the Baloch youth continue to join the resistance against State hegemony over Baloch land, which displays that the natives are not willing to forget their identity and the demand for an independent homeland. The countless sacrifices of Baloch youth are a direct threat for State that each Baloch is ready to die instead of being a slave and colonized. It is unambiguous that a Nation cannot be occupied in long run when its natives are not hesitant to render any kind of sacrifices.
The State propaganda that the Baloch insurgency is sponsored by Sardars and illiterate class has been badly exposed by the current martyrdom of Shadad and Ehsan. This notion was increasingly propagated by the Musharraf regime that three Sardars were behind the insurgency, and their targeting would end the backbone of insurgency, but the continuous sacrifices of Baloch youth have totally obliterated the State narrative. The current movement is outright run by highly educated class. The militant members are mostly from top ranked universities of Pakistan. For instance, Noora alias Peerak, who recently embraced martyrdom, was educated from a well-known University of Lahore. The reported head of BLF, Dr Allah Nazar Baloch was also a gold medallist in MBBS from Bolan Medical College, Quetta.
The Government has tried hard to use the Sardars as a counter-insurgency instrument by giving them full impunity. It is palpable that most Sardar are playing the role of spy and produce rented fighters for the State. But the aware youth have defeated both the State hegemony and its Sardars by their courage and consistency. Therefore, it is not wrong to say it is a scientific war run by educated and learned class.
The sacrifices of both comrades left a clear message for Pakistan that its occupation cannot continue forever. The state propaganda finally suffocated that the insurgency is run by tribal class. And, it is a praiseworthy harbinger for Baloch homeland that its natives are still in the battlefield to emancipate their motherland from the occupation of Pakistani State. In conclusion, these comrades added a new chapter in the history of struggle against colonisers.
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.