Author: Muhammad Khan
What happens when you don’t act on time? Regrets. Everyone has “ifs” and “buts” going on in their minds. We don’t know about the future, but we can learn from the past and prepare ourselves for the present, enhancing predictability for the future. The least we can do is prepare for it with all our resources, time, and energy to face those outcomes.
Many of us can see that we are going downward into a pit of frustration, but we lack the will and commitment to struggle against this situation. Some of us are only spectators of our slow-paced destruction. The sad thing is that we know we can save ourselves from such a horrifying situation. Had we acted upon the warnings, the situation still could be modified by identifying the causes and acting on them, putting them on the correct trajectory.
To prevent times of hopelessness, the wise take their time learning, reviewing the current dilemma, looking for various outcomes, identifying certain ones, gathering their resources, building the tools, and planning. Investing their energy in preparing themselves individually and organizationally. First, take them out of the current predicament and prepare them for the forthcoming calamity, showing them a path and a guideline for the welcoming of situations unknown and unprecedented.
We were in such a quagmire for a period between 2012 and 2018. During those times, the state used all its might against the Baloch freedom movement, crushing the insurgency with a kill-and-dump policy. It targeted Baloch leaders, political activists, intellectuals, journalists, and anyone sympathetic to the Baloch cause, abducting them through its military and locally created death squads. The state burned villages, displacing people from their homes, killing and abducting to show its ruthlessness.
On the other hand, the crisis within the Baloch freedom movement deepened with rifts between organizations and individuals. All against all. Had the whole nation thought of the earlier periods, conversations and debates were about the failures of previous movements. Speculations of demographical changes in Balochistan and columns on who to blame if the foreseen revolution doesn’t arrive.
Aslam Baloch emerged as a guiding force during this tumultuous period. Recognizing the importance of unity, he steered the movement away from internal discord. His foresight, determination to sacrifice, patience, and willingness to compromise propelled the movement to new heights.
Aslam Baloch, possessing a keen awareness of time, orchestrated decisions that not only redirected his organization but elevated the entire Baloch liberation movement. He illuminated a path for an oppressed nation, inspiring resistance and fostering a philosophy that empowers the weak against formidable adversaries.
Aslam was the one who had the cognizance of time. He acted upon unification, welcoming and working for unity, having the will and determination to sacrifice, the forbearance to leave, and the willingness to compromise for the greater good. He could see the fruits of his efforts in the future. His decisions fueled the movement to new heights with tremendous enthusiasm. The whole scenario changed once again.
The general acted upon his ideas and timed his decisions not only to give his organization the right course but the whole Baloch liberation movement to new altitudes, letting the region and the whole world know that a nation suppressed for decades is still alive, keeping their dignity alive against all odds, resisting oppression. A whole nation that has been treated like third-class citizens for decades and has been suppressed with such severity that basic human rights are alien to them, lives and fights for the ultimate right of self-determination.
But once again the time is changing. Again the time is demanding decisions, demanding to leave something behind, to go forward, to prepare, to strategize, to act, and to sacrifice. Only time will tell if we have fulfilled the requirements, if we have answered the times imminent questions. For now, unfortunately, the Baloch nation doesn’t have General Aslam Baloch, but his philosophy remains for the Baloch Movement. His strategy for emancipation from this blood-hungry state will always be our guide. If we follow his principles, perpetuate his ideas, and act upon his mission, then we shall overcome this obstacle as a nation. Then we shall be victorious because that is our destiny.
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.