[Reader-list] "A Home-grown Conflict" (Re: Balochistan)

[Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi]

Dear all,   we in this continent are experts in blame game, game of passing
the buck, all are equally responsible, let us start to live like civilised
humans with humane approach to life, after all faith came in to our life
after birth, life came first.

Regards,

Rajen.

On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Dear Asad
>
> Agree with you. Malik Siraj has confined himself to "Pakistan to blame"
> points without highlighting the responsibility of the Balochis themselves.
>
> The feudal strangleholds exercised by Baloch 'Sardars' are to a large
> degree responsible for the current depravations faced by the Balochis. In
> this (as you have mentioned) they were aided and abetted by Federal Pakistan
> perhaps with the idea that governance routed through the "Sardars" would be
> easier. It is quite likely that judgements were made that disturbing the
> existing feudal structures would prove to be quite a challenge and perhaps
> an unaffordable headache so  continuation of status-quo of "Sardars"
> could/should be projected as 'respecting traditions'.
>
> The manner in which the "Sardars" equipped themselves with Arms, fought
> battles amongst their own tribes, excommunicated and displaced significant
> numbers of their own Balochis, brutally imposed their diktats, created
> private prisons and most of all  treated as Private Income the Royalties
> (against extracted resources) and other fundings provided by Federal
> Pakistan cannot be ignored.
>
> I personally do not think that the dissatisfaction amongst the Balochis is
> going to translate into any significant separatist movement other than to
> the extent that the tribal areas of Pakistan are in some way or the other
> and for one reason or the other constantly 'at war' with Federal Pakistan.
>
> What Malik Siraj has ignored is the great likelihood that
> Balochi greviances could be addressed by a much more reasonable allocation
> of Federal Funds that takes into account not only the 'people numbers' but
> also the geographical expanse of Balochistan. It would have to be done by
> much bolder restructuring than what Musharraf attempted.
>
> But certainly, any such increased infusion of Federal Funds for Development
> or re-working of "Gas Royalties" or "Gwadar Royalties" would be meaningful
> only if they put aside the feudal structures.
>
> And of course, the refrain, 'hamaara Gas, hamaaray hee gharon mein nahi'
> would have to be appropiately dealt with
>
> Kshmendra
>
>
>
> --- On Thu, 8/13/09, asad abbasi <asad_abbasi at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: asad abbasi <asad_abbasi at hotmail.com>
> Subject: RE: [Reader-list] "A Home-grown Conflict" (Re: Balochistan)
> To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com, reader-list at sarai.net
> Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 4:51 AM
>
>
>
>
> #yiv384453437 .hmmessage P
> {
> margin:0px;padding:0px;}
> #yiv384453437 {
> font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;}
>
> Dear Kshmendra and All,
> This article rightly points out about the attrocities committed to Balouch
> people. However, i believe that Balouch leaders are as much responsible for
> current situation of Balochistan as are Pakistani leaders for the problems
> in Pakistan. It can be a classic case of Feudalism. Powerful balouch leaders
> were contend when Government was fulfilling their needs. They, at that
> point, did not care for betterment of Balochistan. But when these leaders
> were contested on political and personal  issues they started talking about
> Nationalism and history of Balouch people.
> Balouch people have been denied facilities and utilities that most of urban
> civilians in Pakistan enjoy. As i see it,  Balouch leaders at times (how
> small that period may be) had ability and power to change the fortunes
> of Balouchies but they didnt. It seems it was in their personal interest. To
> remain in power they kept Balouch people illeterate and uneducated.
> Nevertheless, Pakistan is responsible for all her citizens equally. To Keep
> some Feudal lords Pakistan wrongly makes policies that allows those feudal
> lords to form their own laws and states.
> No doubt situation is Balouchistan is home grown but Baloch leaders may
> have a role to play in it. Pakistan has to treat Balouchies as her
> responsibility because they are as much Pakistani as others living in that
> region. For that, Pakistan may have to make sure that regional interest of
> Balochistan are seen in national interest of Pakistan.
>
> Regards,
> Asad
>
>
>
> > Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:37:31 -0700
> > From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
> > To: reader-list at sarai.net
> > Subject: [Reader-list] "A Home-grown Conflict" (Re: Balochistan)
> >
> > "Top Article: A Home-grown Conflict"
> >
> > Malik Siraj Akbar11 August 2009
> >
> > When the first Baloch insurgency broke out in 1948 to resist the illegal
> and forceful annexation of the Baloch-populated autonomous Kalat state with
> Pakistan, Manmohan Singh - today Indian prime minister - was barely a
> teenager while his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani had not even
> been born to witness the rebellion's magnitude. Yet, last month, both
> leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh discussed for the first time the indefatigable
> Baloch insurgency.
> >
> > Pakistan has been blaming India for causing trouble in its resource-rich
> province. Gilani broached the issue with India at a time disgruntled Baloch
> youth have removed the Pakistani flag from schools and colleges and stopped
> playing the national anthem. Punjabi officers refuse to serve in
> Balochistan, fearing they would be target-killed. Islamabad attributes the
> unrest to 'foreign involvement'. India is not the first to be blamed.
> Similar allegations were levelled in the past against the now defunct Soviet
> Union, Afghanistan and Iraq to discredit the indigenous movement for
> retaining a distinct Baloch identity. Indian assistance sounds ridiculous
> given that the Baloch do not share a border, common language, religion or
> history with India. Hardly has 1 per cent of Balochs have visited India.
> >
> > The idea of Pakistan never attracted the secular Baloch. Ghose Baksh
> Bizanjo, a Baloch leader, said in 1947: "It is not necessary that by virtue
> of our being Muslims we should lose our freedom... If the mere fact that we
> are Muslims requires us to join Pakistan, then Afghanistan and Iran...
> should also amalgamate with Pakistan."
> >
> > Over the years, Islamabad has applied a multi-pronged approach to deal
> with Balochista Apart from military operations launched in 1948, 1958, 1962,
> 1973 and 2002 to quash the rebellion, Islamabad adopted other tactics.
> First, it kept the province economically backward by denying it good
> infrastructure, mainly in education and health. Natural gas was discovered
> in Balochistan in 1951 and supplied to Punjab's industrial units. The
> Balochs hardly benefit from their own gas.
> >
> > Second, Balochs, whom the state views as traitors, were denied
> representation in the army, foreign services, federal departments,
> profitable corporations, Pakistan International Airlines, customs, railways
> and other key institutions. Third, Balochistan has historically been
> remote-controlled from Islamabad. A Pakistan army corps commander, often a
> Punjabi or a Pathan, and the inspector general of the Frontier Corps, a
> federal paramilitary force with less than 2 per cent Baloch representation,
> exert more power than the province's elected chief minister. The
> intelligence agencies devise election plans and decide who has to come to
> the provincial parliament and who should be ousted.
> >
> > Fourth, Islamabad has created a state of terror inside Balochistan.
> Hundreds of check posts have been established to harass people and restrict
> their movement. Forces and tanks are stationed even on campuses of
> universities. Fifth, national and international media are denied access to
> conflict zones in Balochistan. Several foreign journalists were beaten up
> supposedly by intelligence agencies personnel or deported when they
> endeavoured to report the actual situation. Sixth, international human
> rights organisations are denied access to trace the whereabouts of some
> 5,000 'missing persons'. Pakistan is also in a state of denial about the
> existence of around 2,00,000 internally displaced persons in Balochistan.
> >
> > Seventh, Islamabad has been engaged in systematic target killing of key
> Baloch democratic leaders. Ex-governor and chief minister of Balochistan,
> Nawab Akbar Bugti, 79, became a victim once he demanded Baloch rights.
> Balach Marri, a Balochistan Assembly member, was killed to undermine the
> movement. In April this year, three other prominent leaders were whisked
> away by security forces and subsequently killed.
> >
> > Eighth, Pakistan has pitted radical Taliban against secular and
> democratic Baloch forces. The state is brazenly funding thousands of
> religious schools across the province with the help of Arab countries to
> promote religious radicalisation. Elements supportive of Taliban were
> covertly helped by state institutions to contest and win general elections.
> They now enjoy sizeable representation in the Balochistan Assembly to
> legislate against the nationalists and secular forces.
> >
> > Ninth, Islamabad has been using sophisticated American weapons, provided
> to crush Taliban, against the Baloch people. This has provided breathing
> space to Taliban hidden in Quetta and weeded out progressive elements.
> Finally, Afghan refugees are being patronised to create a demographic
> imbalance in the Baloch-dominated province.
> >
> > Baloch leaders are critical of many democratic countries for not doing
> 'enough' to safeguard a democratic, secular Baloch people. I asked Bramdagh
> Bugti, a Baloch commander, about the India link. He laughed and said, "Would
> our people live amid such miserable conditions if we enjoyed support from
> India? We are an oppressed people... seeking help from India, the United
> States, the United Nations and the European Union to come for our rescue."
> >
> > The Baloch movement is rapidly trickling down from tribal chiefs to
> educated middle-class youth aggressively propagating their cause on Facebook
> and YouTube. This generation would understandably welcome foreign assistance
> but will not give up even if denied help from countries like India. The
> Baloch insist their struggle was not interrupted even at times when India
> and Pakistan enjoyed cordial relations.
> >
> > The writer is Balochistan bureau chief of Daily Times .
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
>
>
> Internet Explorer 8 - accelerate your Hotmail. Download Internet Explorer 8
>
>
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>



-- 
Rajen.