Friday, October 9, 2009

Baluchistan in dark

The provision of fundamental and basic rights of the citizens in any country becomes the factor for individuals to remain within a union. It is also natural that resource rich areas in any country would benefit the locals first and ultimately the entire union. If the above two factors are disturbed then it is quite possible that the people would like to break away from the union so that they may enjoy their natural rights and benefit from resources available on their land. The right to benefit from the resources comes first for the locals and then to the union, and the union can only benefit from that right if they give the due share to the locals.
In the case between Pakistan and Baluchistan it is very alarming situation that people of the resource rich province are living in prehistoric conditions. It is over sixty years of Pakistan's independence and it is a shame that Baloch citizens are deprived from their natural rights, and their resources are plundered for the profit of other regions. I have observed development and improved quality of life in resource rich provinces of different unions in the world. In order to keep it short I would like to explain the Alberta and Canada case. It is absurd for me to think that oil rich Alberta would have worst quality of life in Canada. There is a great infrastructure and quality of life for Albertans in Canada. There is an absence of federal tax as the oil profits are enough for the centre. I do not see any guns, war planes, and canons rolling in Alberta. I do not see Albertans participating in an active insurgency against the federal government. I have found Alberta as an influential and properly represented province within the house of commons. I believe these are the reasons keeping Alberta intact within Canada.
The Baloch struggle is justified and it has its roots in history. The people of Pakistan from other regions must not be surprised to find Balochs up in arms against the federal authorities. The Baloch are never treated like human beings let alone as citizens of Pakistan. Quite surprisingly the society blames the systems of sardars in Baluchistan; an excuse also used by the army to justify its operations and mass killings of innocent civilians. If the federal government really wants a sardar system to be eradicated from Baluchistan then it should focus on building up Baluchistan in a way that would benefit the Balochs. Justice, education, health, political and social freedoms, cultural protection, job opportunities, and exercise of the control by Balochs on profits from Baloch resources are the ways out of the trouble in Baluchistan.
The insurgency only prevails if there are opportunities for recruitment, and the opportunities for recruitment arises when people who have nothing to loose joins the armed struggle in a hope that it would bring better changes in their lives. The survival of the state which persecutes its citizens is never for long. The Baloch ancestors voluntarily joined the union of Pakistan in a hope for a better future; which is not visible to the Balochs. It is also certain that Balochs would never consider themselves as Pakistanis if there is silence in entire Pakistan over their persecution. The people of different regions of Pakistan must support the Baloch rights as they support their own rights as citizens in Pakistan. The above mentioned suggestions are logical solutions for Baloch conflict, and their implementation would ensure a decline in Baloch insurgency.

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