When the Fifth Separatist Movement was launched in Balochistan two decades ago today, senior political leaders thought that the movement would soon be sabotaged. But that did not happen.
The current movement, predominantly led by the middle class, gained momentum when the senior nationalist leader and former chief minster and governor of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, was killed in a military operation in his ancestral village Dera Bugti in 2007, while General Pervez Musharraf was in power.
Bugti’s killing was brutal. No one was allowed to perform his last rites. Under the leadership of the local administration, the coffin was locked and buried under official patronage.
His killing was a national tragedy. The state infuriated the Baloch people even more. In response to the ‘martyrdom’ of Nawab Bugti, while the whole of Balochistan was in a state of protest, progressive intellectuals across the country expressed concerns that the dictator’s policy would lead to further disturbances in Balochistan, and a new wave of hatred would take shape.
The separatist movement gained momentum after Nawab Bugti was killed. The leadership began to lure Baloch youth to the movement. Anger and resentment spread to Makran and other parts of Balochistan. It was thought that only those who held the reins knew how to wield a gun, and that strategy has become incompatible with the modern-day guerrilla warfare.
The movement further intensified after the tragedy of Margap in Kech, Balochistan, when mutilated bodies of three political leaders were dumped in Pidrak area of Turbat.
“Kill and dump” policy was started in Balochistan and public sympathy for the leaders of this cause began to grow. Across Balochistan, young and old alike continued to contribute directly or indirectly to the movement.
The movement became less popular among the people when armed groups targeted leaders of political parties. The leaders of Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo’s school of thought were mostly targeted, including Mula Baksh Dashti, who was the central leader of the National Party (NP). Dashti was considered a political messiah.
Leaders of other schools of thought were targeted at the regional level. Thereafter, the parties began to split and formed a new group -- that later formed the government in Balochistan. Seeking amnesty, they renounced the war, remained silent and became local and regional facilitators of the state. They became the ‘beneficiaries’ of the conflict. They started accepting rewards from the groups that once targeted them. And, to stay relevant to the politics of Balochistan, they allowed the conflict to continue.
But, the state had other plans for them. More animosity was created among the Baloch leaders and people at large. The state wanted to establish a rein of terror in the region. It adopted a policy of violence to deal with the conflict to escalate it.
The policy of resolving the issue of Balochistan by force has created more hatred in peoples’ hearts -- because the state targeted them only on the basis of ‘Baloch’ understanding which was a very ‘wrong policy’. Due to such misguided strategies and policies adopted by the state, the Balochistan problem is becoming more complicated.
In all these circumstances, the youth, who are the most conscious and settled section of Balochistan, were completely ignored -- and were forced to turn to extremism.
In order to find a solution, it is important to give importance to views of the youth as they are currently playing a leading role on every front in Balochistan. Their representation and opinion should be given adhered to. Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo says, "If we do not listen to today's youth, the voice in Balochistan will not be heard in the future."
The recent incidents of Noshki and Panjgur suddenly changed the situation. The most important aspect of the events of Noshki and Panjgur was that all of them were literate youth. No doubt, it was a very different incident.
The issue of Balochistan is purely a political one. For its political solution, the opinion of the nationalist leadership should be given prominence. The state should reconsider its policies towards Balochistan. The situation in Balochistan will be very different after a decade if the authorities revise and change their attitude. The war should be limited to insurgency.
The other important thing is that the democratic political leadership should be given the opportunity to exercise influence on people and the people should be given the full right to elect their representatives as they wish. People who are elected overnight have no political or social background and their roots are not in the people.
It is necessary to provide a free environment to the nationalist political leadership of Balochistan. The problem cannot be solved without the nationalist political parties of Balochistan. As it is said that during the former Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch tenure, a series of talks started with the separatists but later there was no significant progress.
Starting the process of dialogue with stakeholders was a positive political initiative. According to Malik Baloch, during that time, he had meetings with Nawabzada Brahmadagh Bugti and Khan Sahib.
The solution to the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan can only be found in a political way. Those who talk in whispers do not care about the country and the province; they are only concerned about their survival.
The current movement, predominantly led by the middle class, gained momentum when the senior nationalist leader and former chief minster and governor of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, was killed in a military operation in his ancestral village Dera Bugti in 2007, while General Pervez Musharraf was in power.
Bugti’s killing was brutal. No one was allowed to perform his last rites. Under the leadership of the local administration, the coffin was locked and buried under official patronage.
His killing was a national tragedy. The state infuriated the Baloch people even more. In response to the ‘martyrdom’ of Nawab Bugti, while the whole of Balochistan was in a state of protest, progressive intellectuals across the country expressed concerns that the dictator’s policy would lead to further disturbances in Balochistan, and a new wave of hatred would take shape.
The separatist movement gained momentum after Nawab Bugti was killed. The leadership began to lure Baloch youth to the movement. Anger and resentment spread to Makran and other parts of Balochistan. It was thought that only those who held the reins knew how to wield a gun, and that strategy has become incompatible with the modern-day guerrilla warfare.
The movement further intensified after the tragedy of Margap in Kech, Balochistan, when mutilated bodies of three political leaders were dumped in Pidrak area of Turbat.
“Kill and dump” policy was started in Balochistan and public sympathy for the leaders of this cause began to grow. Across Balochistan, young and old alike continued to contribute directly or indirectly to the movement.
The movement became less popular among the people when armed groups targeted leaders of political parties. The leaders of Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo’s school of thought were mostly targeted, including Mula Baksh Dashti, who was the central leader of the National Party (NP). Dashti was considered a political messiah.
Leaders of other schools of thought were targeted at the regional level. Thereafter, the parties began to split and formed a new group -- that later formed the government in Balochistan. Seeking amnesty, they renounced the war, remained silent and became local and regional facilitators of the state. They became the ‘beneficiaries’ of the conflict. They started accepting rewards from the groups that once targeted them. And, to stay relevant to the politics of Balochistan, they allowed the conflict to continue.
But, the state had other plans for them. More animosity was created among the Baloch leaders and people at large. The state wanted to establish a rein of terror in the region. It adopted a policy of violence to deal with the conflict to escalate it.
The current movement, predominantly led by the middle class, gained momentum when the senior nationalist leader and former chief minster and governor of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, was killed in a military operation in his ancestral village Dera Bugti in 2007, while General Pervez Musharraf was in power.
The policy of resolving the issue of Balochistan by force has created more hatred in peoples’ hearts -- because the state targeted them only on the basis of ‘Baloch’ understanding which was a very ‘wrong policy’. Due to such misguided strategies and policies adopted by the state, the Balochistan problem is becoming more complicated.
In all these circumstances, the youth, who are the most conscious and settled section of Balochistan, were completely ignored -- and were forced to turn to extremism.
In order to find a solution, it is important to give importance to views of the youth as they are currently playing a leading role on every front in Balochistan. Their representation and opinion should be given adhered to. Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo says, "If we do not listen to today's youth, the voice in Balochistan will not be heard in the future."
The recent incidents of Noshki and Panjgur suddenly changed the situation. The most important aspect of the events of Noshki and Panjgur was that all of them were literate youth. No doubt, it was a very different incident.
The issue of Balochistan is purely a political one. For its political solution, the opinion of the nationalist leadership should be given prominence. The state should reconsider its policies towards Balochistan. The situation in Balochistan will be very different after a decade if the authorities revise and change their attitude. The war should be limited to insurgency.
The other important thing is that the democratic political leadership should be given the opportunity to exercise influence on people and the people should be given the full right to elect their representatives as they wish. People who are elected overnight have no political or social background and their roots are not in the people.
It is necessary to provide a free environment to the nationalist political leadership of Balochistan. The problem cannot be solved without the nationalist political parties of Balochistan. As it is said that during the former Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch tenure, a series of talks started with the separatists but later there was no significant progress.
Starting the process of dialogue with stakeholders was a positive political initiative. According to Malik Baloch, during that time, he had meetings with Nawabzada Brahmadagh Bugti and Khan Sahib.
The solution to the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan can only be found in a political way. Those who talk in whispers do not care about the country and the province; they are only concerned about their survival.