Unfortunate Baloch masses: edit in The Frontier Post, July 16

It is not just Mian Nawaz Sharif who has cried out over the saddening predicament of the people of Balochistan. Every feeling heart grieves at the raw deal dealt to them atrociously by every federal government unexceptionably, no matter whether led by a man in jackboots or by someone in shalwar kameez. It was no different in Mian Sahib’s own two stints, the second of which saw his heavy mandate even pulling down Akhtar Mengal’s provincial ministry with an engineered no-confidence contrivance. Nonetheless, it is the hundreds of millions of Baloch masses for whom it has been an unending long wintry night. Not their 50 odd sardars, keeping them all in perpetual chains of serfdom unshakably. For this hapless Baloch citizenry, this step-motherly treatment of Islamabad has been a double whammy throughout. Not just has it borne all the brunt of every injustice inflicted on the province by every federal government, while its overbearing feudal lords have all through flourished, be it rain or sunshine. More devastatingly, every Islamabad strike has impoverished this deeply-wronged and mercilessly-exploited Baloch populace economically more cripplingly, pulverised it further socially and emasculated it still further politically, leaving it immovably maimed to get ensnared more inextricably in the chain of subjugation of sardars. No harm has ever done any Islamabad atrocity to sardars’ financial health. Their fabulous riches keep piling up, their palatial mansions keep extending, and their fleets of luxury cars keep expanding. And this feudal aristocracy keeps its political muscle strong by wearing the mantles of political martyrdom and nationalism, extracting concessions for themselves in the name of Baloch masses who they exploit day in and day out and keep under their thumbs suffocatingly. They are no leaders of the Baloch masses. They are their exploiters and tormenters. Yet the tragedy is it is these sardars who draw all the import, support and sympathy from political class, civil society, intelligentsia and media. The downtrodden Baloch masses have no friends or campaigners to espouse their cause. It is their exploiters’ grief that evokes cries of compassion from all around. Not even the most grievous grief of these exploited draws a tear in any eye. An unnatural violent demise is tragic and contemptible. Yet, it is a feudal lord’s such demise that is mourned in every quarter; not even a nodding notice is taken of a serf’s death in a sardar’s captivity or with his gunmen’s bullet. This poor citizenry stands all forlorn, wholly disenfranchised and disempowered politically. Yet it has no father for its empowerment. Ironically, while Mian Sahib has spoken of political rights of Balochistan’s people, vowing to fight for their cause. But ludicrously to this end has he called for a dialogue by the federal government with all Baloch “leaders” inside or outside assemblies. But who are these “leaders”? Sardars and feudal lords; aren’t they? Can exploiters be rightly viewed as the leaders of the exploited? Still, Mian Sahib could be excused. After all, he is part of that exclusive club of dirty rich landed aristocrats, feudal lords and neo-rich who have arrogated all the nation’s politics into its hands. So it is asking for moon if Mian Sahib could think of empowering the downtrodden Baloch. But what has happened to civil society, media and intelligentsias? Do they too have to be hypocrites? Can’t they speak out that provincial autonomy for Balochistan is, yes by all means; but it has not to be for strengthening the sardars’ stranglehold on the downtrodden Balochs but for empowering of the exploited Baloch masses? http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ed&nid=130