Author: Fahad Baloch
Colonisation is defined as political, social, cultural and economic dominance over the natives. Its core purpose is to exploit all the resources of an oppressed nation including gold, oil, agriculture etc and to use sea and air routes to fulfill oppressor’s national interests. Colonisers use different tactics to sustain their colonisation as they mainly try to convert or to turn the psyche of the oppressed people and to distort their history and boundaries. They use different ways to have their dominance held over the oppressed, for instance they use literary discourse to convert the psyche of natives in universities, colleges and even in the schools: they try to build up a narrative about the psychology, culture, civilisation and history of the oppressed.
The colonisers try to convince the natives that their language, culture, civilisation and history are conservative and non-progressive and that they must own the colonisers’ culture and civilisation. For this, they use the syllabuses of educational institutions, newspapers, magazines, television, radios, movies, dramas and arrange different programs and workshops for students, job holders and other businessmen.
They resort to mark them as patron and doer of goodness. They also establish different non-governmental organisations to legitimise their presence in the oppressor’s state. The colonisers spread out drugs among the natives, religion and gender as tools to fuel up their oppression.
As Frantz Fanon says, colonisers also convince the natives that they (colonisers) are there to shape or build their (oppressors) thoughts and try to educate them, progress and civilise them which is a lie according to Amilcar Cabral (Our people are our Mountain). For doing all these, the colonisers use physical violence against the oppressed. They discourage the natives about their cultural civilization and try to show them that they are there to uprise them in all fields.
Now a question arises here that why the colonisers do so? The answer is clear and practical that they are to exploit the natural resources and to have their marketing in the Oppressive’s state without any barricade and hurdle. For the very purpose, they use all types of violence against the oppressed.
Frantz Fanon, Edward Said and Albert Memmi, all three of them are agreed upon the fact that all the natives of oppressed will be affected by the colonisers in order to have their survival normal without being tortured by the colonisers. But the Intellectuals of that nation will be mainly affected, and some of them will be affected for only a small period.
Frantz Fanon said, “The effect is different in both ruler and urban.”
Now we see the effects of colonialism over Baloch.
Baloch is basically a nation living for more than 11 thousand years. Mehargarh civilization is a proof, and Farooq Baloch, in his book, said that Baloch were well-cognizant in early centuries about the fact of nationalism and unity, therefore, they united and established their first confederacy named as “Madh confederacy” later ‘Thooran Confederacy’. And Dr Inayat Ullah Baloch, in his research nook ‘The Problem of Greater Balochistan’, said that Baloch made their first confederacy with the “Jalal Khan Confederacy” who established his confederacy by uniting 44 Baloch tribes. There are several historians who have different schools of thought about Baloch by supporting their respective historian
Impacts on the Psyche of Baloch:
Baloch were a hospitable and respectful nation with a psyche of love and affection – not only for their families and other relatives but for the whole nation. They were not corrupt in any system, nor their minds were. They accepted any occasion joyfully and marked any event with zeal and enthusiasm. They were living-hearted at any tough situation. As a British Army Officer, during his services in Balochistan’s Kohlu, who lost a battlefield against Khudad Khan Marri and signed a treaty to leave kohlu without being attacked, in his autobiography, said that, “I found these Balochi (Baloch) very kind and hospitable and they really impressed me.”
But after being colonised, they (Baloch) totally became affected and adapted the colonial mentality and colonial psychology, which can now be observed over any event and occasion. The corrupt mindset is a colonial stratagem. They engaged and involved them in such acts which were not of their considerations, but were put on them from all pivotal acts vis-a-vis genuine issue of Baloch and Baloch cause (which is a threat to our survival, identity and is enslavement of our nation). But we are asleep, and becoming a barricade in front of our own great resistance.
The other effects include suffering from narcissism, fame and heroism and attention-seekers which are the deeds in colonial Regime. But the actual politics of Baloch has overcame it to an extent that where there are still some people who are the real strugglers for Baloch cause and are still pure Baloch organisations and parties, who have sorted out some superficial issues in order to direct or lead the people for a greater cause.
Impacts over the education of Baloch:
As Baloch has been a cognizant nation about its culture, civilisation, history and, most importantly, about their unity. But the colonial psychology and colonial discourse in different syllabuses and literatures has corrupted the Baloch and Baloch students. Now the trends for achieving a particular department is nothing, but a colonial stratagem. Now students are trying to put them at a height above others who have not been or involved in connate course of acts.
Paulo Freire, in his book ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, said that, “The Oppressor negates the education and knowledge as a process of inquiry,” while fitting stressing, “The oppressor uses the education system to put anything in the minds of oppressed nation and to make them just machines who will sustain their regime further.”
The ‘Divide and Rule’ policy of colonisers have been a tool which has shown its impacts due to the corrupt education system. Now the different theories about Baloch or showing them nomadic or showing them as savages and warriors by nature. This is totally affecting our education system from generation to generation.
Impacts over the Culture and Civilisation:
Baloch is the owner of a great culture and civilization which is one of the most unique among the world’s nations. The colonisers have put some irrelevancy into our minds about our culture and civilisation in order to legitimise their illogical presence and cruelty. They sometimes show us as our culture and civilisation is totally conservative or non-progressive, and sometimes portray us that it is too much obscene. Baloch has adopted this colonial psychology about their own thoughts and acts.
Impacts over the Religion:
Baloch have always been a secular society. Farooq Baloch, in his book ‘Baloch aur unka Watan’, clearly said that Baloch had never been religious fanatics.
Dr Inayat Ullah Baloch said alike that Baloch have been a secular nation without any extremist thought. The proof is that Baloch have resisted against Semitics, Turks, Omanis, Arabs and Afghans. Another example is that, when Europe gathered the Muslims on the name of so-called Islamic war against its enemies, Baloch clearly denied to participate. Religion has been a personal sentiment and a personal faith. But as religion has been a colonial tool which has badly affected our society in the name of Muslim or Muslim and Zikri (a minority in Balochistan).
This religion has stopped us doing any of our previous events and occasions. This religion has always been a barrier in our cultural events. Baloch females have led many important wars against the invaders as ‘Gull Bibi led a battlefield against the British General Dyer’ and women have been involved in important decision-making, and have led parties and organisations as Banuk Karima Baloch, Chairperson of BSAC Dr Sabiha Baloch and Sammi Baloch leading the serious issue of Baloch missing persons.
No one can say that our women can do nothing or our culture will not allow this. But the colonial mindset has corrupted us by the name of so-called religious beliefs.
Impacts over the Social Structure:
Baloch is the owner of a great social structure with all types of progressive thoughts, along with a deep love not only with their families but with the nation wholly, without having any personal interests. They were not hypocrites, idle, moron, cynic, skeptic, misanthropist, opportunists, egocentric and egoistics.
But the coloniser completely converts our social structure into a worse form, which badly affects our social relationships. The people now have animosity with their own family members such as father with son, brother with sister and so on conversely. These all types of antagonistic and abomination are because of the colonial mentality. There was a time when a Baloch were ready to sacrifice their life for the other, but now they try to push-down their companion everywhere in the routine.
All in all, this existing and temporary psychology is not ours, and is not for a permanent position, but will soon be eliminated out from the Baloch society with this ongoing struggle. The students must think of this deeply and highly, and engross them in study and cognizance, and must avert them away from cross comments and Statements, which the colonial powers wish to put, are to keep them away from the actual consciousness and struggle for a great cause of need. The recent cross statements and opinions over the dance of a student (either be a transgender or an another one) at Uthal University is nothing, but a disposal of time and energy the result of which is zero, and has no any positive response and end. So Baloch students must avoid such colonial stratagem against own their own Social Structure and Psychology.
We must do our best to continue this great struggle, and in short I have a faith over the Baloch culture and history and a great belief upon this superfine struggle.
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.