The recent most appalling crackdown on the peaceful protests are hidden to none, resulting in the detention of key leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Lala Wahab, Sammi Deen Baloch, Sibgat Ullah Shahjee and others. To brief, such heinous clampdown is continued for decades from Shaal (Quetta) to Dera Ghazi Khan and the indigenous people – the Baloch particularly – are suffering the most from the state-sponsored brutalities. Apparently, it is a systematic attempt to crush the dissents.
Nevertheless, the status quo has always claimed something different—one sees a total paradox—between the rhetoric and realities it practices. As the ground realities suggest, observing the recent violent attacks on the Baloch protesters, we can argue the threats the dissents have in the present. We are witnessing the two-faceted standards of the current administrative system, claiming to award scholarships of Oxford and Cambridge universities, while on the other hand, the same system is egregiously subjecting the students to dark torture cells for no rhyme or reason.
The forced disappearances of a prominent Baloch poet and a recent graduate in BS Balochi from University of Balochistan, Nabeel Nodh, from Gwadar and Naveed Baloch, a 3rd-year student of MBBS student (along with his elderly father) – followed by earlier illegal arrests of Naveed’s cousins, and students, Faheem Baloch and Khadim – are evidents that the government and the notorious state institutions have different plans for the students in Balochistan.
Apart from the mentioned brutalities, we have observed the suspension of fundamental human rights when the Baloch are arrested – whether legally or illegal as enforced disappearances. Those caged in secret torture cells are never considered as humans, however, the others, who are produced on surface, are facing a similar fate. For instance, Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch and Bebarg Baloch, who are imprisoned under 3MPO (Article 3 of Maintenance of Public Order), are denied access to their families despite High Court orders. The superior court, either, is not even empowered to check on the violation of its order. Besides access to families, they are reportedly facing harassment inside the prisons.
As a reaction, Balochistan is protesting on roads to demand the safe release of the Baloch captives under the banner of BYC – as was observed on the occasion of Eid as well – where people are fearlessly and courageously participating escaping the Eid.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief, Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal had also called for a long march from Wadh to Shaal under the slogan of “honor and dignity of Baloch women” demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the BYC leadership. After several hindrances, they have homed in Mastung where the Quetta Tunnel (entry to the city) has been blocked with containers by the district administration under the orders of the provincial government, or their bosses, perhaps. The caravan at the other end of the tunnel, waiting to welcome the long march, faced baton-charge, tear gas shelling and arrests, but failed to spoil their long march and the only demand. In fact, a suicide attempt was also made to cease the marchers, but of no use.
Earlier, we witnessed a massive manhunt on the Baloch protesters, prior to the arrest of the central organizer of BYC, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, which resulted in the death of at least three people and injuring dozens of others.
However, a strong voice upheld the right to protest peacefully and resist the clampdown despite the worst violence inflicted upon them. Above all, they were all resilient in their very struggle for seeking an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, and against all those bogus charges on them. We have also noted the international outcry for the safe release of the BYC captives which shows that they have gained momentum in raising their voices before the world at large.
Out of all the situations, the war beneficiaries have benefited more than enough to step closer to their mere agenda of receiving personal advantages. In their attempt to political-mimicking, or let’s say military approach, they adopted the “direct-hardline method”, emulating an authoritarian regime, and subjected the Baloch activists behind the bars, legitimizing “state violence” on record in the assembly session – the means to becoming the favorite of their masters for larger and greater favors.
Such war beneficiaries are well-aware that the indigenous people know their faces and intentions very well, hence, they receive no or little attention. What they do is to please the outsiders and, thus, serve their interests and represent them as their collaborators, totally ignoring the indigenous people and their interests. Therefore, they maliciously treat the natives as “subhuman” – a term used by Albert Memmi, a French-Tunisian writer and analyst. If they do not do so, they will lose their worth.
Anywhere across the world, the war beneficiaries try to maintain their status as two-faceted to play the game of interests and work collaboratedly to exploit the natives. But they forget to believe that the foreigners look at everyone with the same identity as same – whether they are in support of them or against them. Despite the fact that they know well that what they are doing is wrong, but they make their temporary interests higher than their people and the land.
In fact, they shamelessly attack their people and justify it by arguing that they are upholding the law and order situation and restoring the peace. They call it a group of some individuals who, with malicious intentions, wish to destroy the peace and stability of the society. They forget to know that the indigenous people are parts of the long-running national movement for survival which categorically opposes the national genocide, being made in forms of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and dumping of mutilated bodies of the persons who are having a political dissent.
Of all the circumstances, Baloch will continue to resist oppression and fight for what belongs to them. The war beneficiaries, on the other hand, will have their timely benefits, but will cease to exist once the tensions are turned into glorification – the national glorification.
