I fail to understand why we are neglecting the underserved and sidelined communities of our country
LAKKI MARWAT: It is said that people of the tribal areas were assured by the founder of the nation that they would never be stopped from following their peaceful and unique lifestyles. In the Cold War era, the fight between two elephants needed a field and it was provided; a grassy ground, without the foresight in such gargantuan fights, it’s always the grass that gets crushed. The result produced militants who resided in the rough terrain of the tribal areas and ended up killing their own people. The Pakistan military started an operation there and peaceful tribals supported it by allowing themselves to be displaced.
One year has been marked since the operation started and internally displaced persons (IDP), despite their harsh life conditions, are holding firm in a bid to see their land become peaceful once again, even if they have to see it in ruins for the moment and rebuild it on their own. There is no doubt that the tribals experiencing the miserable life in IDP camps are peaceful and seek peace, otherwise they, too, would have joined the militants.
Not long ago, fire was opened at the IDPs, with there being resultant deaths. One year of displacement has now been followed by this brutal act but there is apathy in mainstream society regarding the plight of the voiceless and exploited tribals. This has resulted in misinformation and people are still unaware of the facts. I fail to understand why we are neglecting the underserved and sidelined communities of our country.
Muhammad Gohar Yaqoob Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2015.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
