By Droshom Baloch
June, the month of unwavering resolve. A month that marked history with glorious figures whose names shine on the noble pages of history. June witnessed the struggle and unrelenting courage embodied by figures such as Saba Dashtiyari, Hameed Baloch and Salman Hammal. Through their commitment and sacrifices, these figures left a lasting mark on Baloch history.
Saba, whose real name was Ghulam Hussain, spent his whole life working for the development of the Balochi language, literature and culture. He worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk. He wrote more than twenty-four books on Balochi literature, history, poetry and translation. One of his most notable contributions was the establishment of the Syed Zahoor Shah Hashumi Reference Library, a library dedicated to Balochi literature in the Malir area of Karachi. The prominent Baloch scholar and intellectual, Saba was shot dead on 1 June 2011 on Saryab Road, Quetta. He was the man who said, “Never kneel down to your enemy.”
Similarly, Hameed Baloch, who was a student leader, political activist and nationalist figure, holds a prominent place in the political history of Balochistan. His commitment to his political convictions and the liberation of the Baloch nation remains an enduring part of that history. He was active in the BSO and later emerged as an articulate advocate for Baloch national rights. Hameed Baloch was one of the most vocal opponents of the policy of the Sultanate of Oman recruiting young Baloch men into its armed forces. On 9 December 1979, he was arrested in Turbat following an attack on an Omani military officer involved in recruitment. Hameed Baloch was sentenced to death on 11 June 1981. He was martyred by hanging in Mach Central Jail at the age of twenty-three. He remained courageous until his final moments and called upon the Baloch nation to continue the struggle and upon the youth to contribute to the political cause. His activism had a profound impact on students and their political consciousness.
June has witnessed countless other sacrifices. On 29 June, I was shaken by alarming headlines reporting that the attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange had been carried out by the Majeed Brigade. The news dominated the headlines that night. Abba was sitting beside me, watching video clips highlighting their martyrdom and bravery. The clips were widely circulated across news channels and social media platforms. He said, “Look, one of them is Abdul Rab’s son.” The moment Amma heard this, she started crying and said, “Hao, Salman is also there.”
Amma spent the whole night crying, while I sat with countless questions in my mind, my heart aching as I watched her grieve. She was stamping her feet on the ground in agony, so I went to her and asked, “Amma, what is happening?” And she said words that I still remember: “Allah, how handsome he was. He was just a kid, yet it feels as if he is still my little student, little Salman.” I wondered, who is Salman? What does the word ‘fidayee’ mean? What is the Karachi Stock Exchange? The whole night I stayed awake with Amma, who kept crying and repeating the same words until sunrise. With the first light of dawn, she went to his home to honour Lumma Jameela, to whom I pay tribute. Her upbringing and sacrifice raised such a conscious and committed Sarmachar.
Salman Hammal is one of those brave souls who made the pages of history shine through his courageous character. He wrote the story of resistance with his own blood, unwavering determination and heroic sacrifice, ultimately embracing martyrdom on 29 June 2020.
It was the night that awakened my political consciousness. Amma, that night I wanted to ask a lot of questions, but I could not. I wanted to tell you that your little Salman had now grown into Nuti, who made his teacher and his nation proud. Amma, I should have reassured you and made you feel proud that Nuti had chosen a path driven more by his love for his motherland than by personal concerns. Amma, Nuti placed Balochistan above personal attachments. He chose liberty over colonialism. His everlasting love for Balochistan made him forever alive in our hearts. As a child, I did not fully understand these things. I remember the day when everybody was talking about the arrival of the body of the venerated Nuti in Mand.
I rushed to the main street leading to the martyr’s home and stood there until the ambulance passed through. Like many children of Balochistan, I grew up witnessing the ongoing struggle, seeing countless martyrdoms, sacrifices, enforced disappearances and acts of oppression. Fidayee is not merely a word but an idea that strengthens the struggle by placing the collective cause above individual interests.
It is an ideology that enriched Baloch history with names like Nuti and many others. Nuti was not merely a name but a man of character, a nationalist, a freedom fighter and a poet, with a strong capacity for conscious leadership. At a very young age, he dedicated himself to the struggle for liberty in the lap of Siyaji. At the same time, he contributed to Balochi literature, praising the land, its defenders and the struggle, while also writing about other critical causes. Nuti, in this same month, on 11 June, you were praising and writing about the final words of martyr Hameed Baloch and his call to continue the struggle, while searching for Waja Saba in your empty room.
Today, in this same month and in every passing year, you continue to be praised and celebrated in the same way. You live on in the history of bravery. Today, your words continue to be used in praise of the motherland. Nuti, you wished for your writings and every story to be told to each and every child of Balochistan. So it is only right to tell you that every child of your land knows you as Nuti, not simply as Salman Hammal, but as Fidayee Salman Hammal.
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.