Baloch Nationalist Politics

Winning an election is not the end goal - for a politician to be successful, principles must also be upheld.

Baloch Nationalist Politics

At one time, Makran Baloch nationalism used to be the center of politics in the sense that chiefdom and tribal systems were not introduced here. Here, the leaders emerging from the political process were intellectually and principally fighting for the backwardness of Baloch and Balochistan and their survival on a political, democratic and principled basis.

At that time, when our elders made a political decision to fight the cause of Balochistan, various student organizations united on one platform on an organizational basis for greater political interests and gave birth to a great organization like the Baloch Students Organization (BSO). 

This organization was the mother organization of Baloch nationalism politics at that time and even today any leader of Balochistan, regardless of his affiliation with any thought or party, to be seen as legitimate his foundation must have an association with the BSO and he will proudly state this in his gatherings. He will use this to be seen as a cadre of this great organization. The intellectual and ideological associates of BSO practically emerged as a popular student organization across the country including Balochistan.

Everyone used to hold the thought that was "Look at Makran, BSO and look at Sarawan, Jhalavan! Look at BSO, Rakhshan, Bolan Naseerabad, and Koh – Sulaiman.” The BSO was not just about empty slogans but it was an organized and strong intellectual organization from which political organizations of other nations also took BSO as a role model. 

Then the "core founding members of BSO" were inspired by Bhuttoism and became its followers.

From BSO to the National Awami Party (NAP) and then to the formation of Baloch National Youth Movement (BNYM), all of them were middle-class and grassroots political activists who fought the political cause of Balochistan and other oppressed nations with a strong commitment. 

When the Pakistan People's Party made a case of sedition against the leadership of the National Awami Party (NAP), he was sent to jail. NEP was declared null and void; cases of treason were filed against the majority of political workers, and all disappeared.

Then the leaders resigned from BSO and thought that without the Jamaat they could not fight the case of Balochistan in a better way. (BNYM) was mainly formed by those who had recently graduated from BSO. 

It can also be assumed that when Mir Ghos Bizenjo Sahib was participating in the election in Makran, the BSO nominated a political leader of that time from Makran on the platform of the Baloch National Alliance (BNA). There are many such examples of standing against Sahib and Mir Sahib being defeated. Then later he joined Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's Jamaat (Democratic Watan Party) and gradually we started following the philosophy of Mir Ghos Bizenjo and today by adopting his style of politics, Mir Sahib's style of politics of Balochistan. 

Apart from Sarawan Jhalwan, Rukhshan, Nasirabad, Makran also used to be a strong fortress of principled and intellectual politics and one of its bright and unique aspects was that there was no chieftain and tribal system here, the people here believed in bringing change through political process. 

Today the politics of Makran has got a bad look, the political tradition here is being tarnished, it has become a political adventure play, and everything starts from here. A few years ago, this place was known for the politics of nationalism and enlightenment, but now it is becoming a political laboratory.

As we have seen recently, some political players like Makran have come out of ideological, intellectual, and principled politics and social environment and are flying towards "Pakistan People's Party (PPP)". Isn't this a superficial thought? 

Those who are claiming public mandate have now lost faith in the power of the people. They doubt their public mandate. If they call themselves electable, do they not have confidence in their power or do they think that they are a product of time and circumstances in the past, now their political survival is in danger in this environment, not because of the power of the people in the past but because they were not given a chance as “Selected”? 

Political respect comes from the power of the people. If someone is not popular among the people, their participation in any party will not prove beneficial for their people in parliamentary politics. We should feel confident and proud of our people's power. By changing political loyalties in every such year, the principles of Balochistan, which we are proud of, will be tarnished.

The so-called electables will not even believe that the one who has sacrificed for the people is in the streets day and night risking himself with everyone else. It didn't happen in the past and it doesn't feel like it will happen in the future. So far, this is an "excitement." Out of this temporary excitement, the people of the area will regret the decision made in haste.

Now, our political parties have to adopt a strong political strategy, they have to go door to door like in the past and expose the past of such seasonal birds to the public. It is not such a big task to bring their performance before the public, nor have they performed in a way that they have won the hearts of the people for centuries, nor is our society fanatical. The people of Makran have always voted wisely and the same is expected even today. If someone will not be loyal to his province, he will not belong to anyone. 

Former Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr. Abdul Mak Baloch, head of the National Party (NP) included in the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) also emphasized that we should be wary of such political passengers. 

In my opinion, it is too early to say anything about the 2023 elections; the nationalist political parties of Balochistan are not yet that weak.

But reaching the assemblies via politics is not everything. There should be some principles as these will keep a politician alive forever in history and those who carry his legacy will also proudly raise their heads in the society in the future. This is the legacy of those who stick to political principles.

Gohram Aslam Baloch, Balochistan based writer, covering Balochistan Soci-political and its confilict. Tweets: @GohramAslamB