Today, on March 2, as we celebrate Baloch Culture Day, it is a day to remember the strength, struggle, and resistance of the Baloch people. It is a day to celebrate their proud culture, history, and freedom. But the Baloch people, who have always been pushed aside, face huge issues. Their culture has been exploited and controlled by powerful foreign rulers.
Long ago, British and Persian rulers drew artificial lines on the map. These lines divided Balochistan into parts among Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. This split tore apart tribes, families, and cultures. It broke the connections between Baloch communities. The ancestral practices of life, which kept people united, were replaced by foreign rules. These foreign systems undermined Baloch traditions and eroded shared cultural practices.
Baloch people have a rich tradition of sharing oral stories, songs, and poems. These carry their history, emotions, and wisdom. But colonial rulers mutilated these traditions, and replaced them with colonial practices and ways of life. Moreover, they forced schools to teach Persian, English, and Urdu, ignoring the Baloch mother tongues. Over time, fewer young people learned their mother languages. Our culture is in a process to be colonized in one or another ways. Youths have started listening to colonial imposed music and stories instead. The old Baloch songs and poems began to disappear.
Foreign rulers also took Baloch resources and land. They forced people to leave their homes. They built roads and infrastructure that helped their own power, not the Baloch people. The Baloch had their own fair laws to solve problems and keep peace, but these were replaced by colonial laws. This broke the unity of Baloch society.
Today, even as the Baloch celebrate Culture Day, their culture is still in danger. In Iran, Balochi language, clothes, and festivals were banned under Reza Shah, it still threatens Baloch’s identity. Some groups try to force Arabic culture exploited by colonial powers on the Baloch, as a result, religious extremism is growing. The Baloch, who always lived peacefully with other communities, now face rewritten history. On the other hand, their symbols and heroes are erased. Foreign rulers called Balochistan “backward”, ignoring its rich history and contributions.
Frantz Fanon, a revolutionary writer and psychiatrist, said, “Colonialism erases indigenous cultures and replaces them with the coloniser’s values, celebrate pre-colonial history, languages, and customs. Decolonisation isn’t about going back to the past but building a future free from colonial influences.”
So, to be free from colonialism, you must first understand how it works. The Baloch cannot truly celebrate their culture until they overthrow foreign rules and systems.
Today, Baloch women protest on the streets. Elders are disrespected. Lives of the children have been made scary. Youths are forcibly disappeared, while the colonial powers continue to exploit Baloch culture, land and living styles. But the Baloch keep resisting. Their culture stays strong because of their courage and love for their identity.
For centuries, the Baloch fought powerful empires and colonial rulers. Today, they face new challenges, but they stand firm like the mountains of Balochistan. Their culture is their weapon. Every song sung, every story told, and every traditional dress worn is an act of resistance.
Baloch Culture Day is not just a celebration. It is a promise to never forget their roots. The world must see Balochistan’s true history—not as a “backward” land, but as a place of brave people with a rich culture.
The Baloch people refuse to forget their roots. They keep their language alive. They teach their children the old stories. They fight until they truly celebrate their culture, their true culture. Their culture, as beautiful and resilient as their mountains, remains unbroken and steadfast.
