By Jahanzaib Baloch
History is full of struggles where people have given everything they had to protect human dignity, knowledge, and the right to learn. Among these struggles, the fight for education stands out as one of the most powerful. Education is not only a collection of books, lessons, or classrooms — it is the seed of freedom, awareness, and self-respect. Across the world, communities have sacrificed their comfort, their wealth, and even their lives to defend this right. The story of blood being shed for education is not a distant tale; it is a living reality for many nations and oppressed communities even today.
Undoubtedly, blood has been shed for education, for the pen, for knowledge, for future generations, for the dignity of resistance, and for humanity. This is not a poetic exaggeration; it is a bitter truth of our time. There are places where holding a book is seen as an act of rebellion, where a pen is treated as a weapon, and where a classroom is turned into a battlefield of ideas. Yet, despite the bullets and threats, the thirst for education has never been quenched. People continue to learn, teach, and pass on knowledge, even if it costs them their lives.
Education is a universal right, not a privilege for a few. No matter where a child is born — in the streets of Karachi, the mountains of Balochistan, the valleys of Kashmir, the deserts of Africa, or the towns of Latin America — the right to education belongs equally to them. This right is written in international law, but it is etched even more deeply in the hearts of parents who dream of a better life for their children. Denying education is not only a denial of schooling; it is a denial of dignity, identity, and the future itself.
In every generation, there are people who rise above fear and become symbols of resistance. They are not driven by power or wealth but by an unshakable belief in justice. They stand firm when others are silent, and they speak when speaking is dangerous. Such people inspire their communities, and their names become banners of hope. One such leader was a chairman who gave his life on September 24 while defending the principle that education is the birthright of every youth. His death was not an end; it was a beginning. His blood nourished the tree of knowledge and resistance, and his sacrifice reminded the world that education is not free — it has been paid for with courage and lives.
We stand today not only to mourn but to affirm our values. We affirm that education is a right for every youth, no matter where they live in the world. We affirm that pens must never be silenced, books must never be burned, and classrooms must never be turned into prisons. We affirm that no bullet can destroy an idea whose time has come — and the idea of universal education has long arrived.
The martyrdom of September 24 is a moment of pain but also a moment of responsibility. It challenges us to ask: what will we do with the freedom his sacrifice helped secure? Will we continue to fight for schools, libraries, and teachers in places where they are denied? Will we ensure that his vision lives on, not just in speeches but in actions? Every time a child learns to read in a place where education was once forbidden, a piece of his dream survives. Every time a young person writes their first essay, solves a math problem, or opens a book of history, his struggle gains new meaning.
Our tribute to him must be more than flowers or slogans. It must be a living commitment to justice, equality, and knowledge. We must stand in resistance not only against those who pull the trigger but also against the systems of poverty, discrimination, and neglect that make education inaccessible. We must work for a future where no one needs to die for a pen, where no one has to shed blood for a classroom, and where no leader’s life is cut short for defending a simple truth — that education is a human right.
This is why we stand together, across languages, cultures, and continents. We stand for the pen over the sword, for books over bullets, for teachers over tyrants. We stand in resistance and pay tribute to the chairman of September 24, not as a figure of the past but as a guiding light for the future. His spirit lives on in every student who dares to dream, in every teacher who dares to teach, and in every parent who dares to hope. And as long as we continue this struggle, his sacrifice will not be in vain.
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.