Baloch Long March: For life, liberty, equality and justice

The Baloch Long March to Islamabad has ignited a new flame in Balochistan’s long struggle for life, liberty, equality and justice. The recent case of Balach Mola Baksh has been the event that caused it, but like any other movement that happened or is happening around the world, it also has a historical perspective at play. The rightful and constitutional voices have echoed as defiance for decades, and the current march demands are a testament to it.

The policies have not yet been fruitful, the people’s issues have not been addressed, but the miseries, the broken promises, and the tall claims of parliamentary forces are piling up daily as the election approaches. Undeniably, it is just a matter of them ending up in opposition or being removed from power to confess that they didn’t have any actual authority over decision-making.

To take a little abstract liberty of critique, Maryam Nawaz Sharif is no longer putting on a show with a Balochi dress or hugging Sammi Deen Mohammad. Bilawal Bhutto was only able to feel the pain of the Baloch people at Ayub Stadium’s podium. As far as the Nationalist Parties of Balochistan are concerned, they are engaged in strategising to choose which religious leader or party can work as a better ally in elections for the continuation of their legacy. All this goes on while the women-led Long March of Baloch Yakjehti Committee moves forward toward the centre of power (Islamabad), overcoming obstacles on every front.

After a long time in Balochistan, during a period when a mass parliamentary party was not able to gather supporters on the ground for its public gathering, this march is presenting a spectacle of people’s opinions and solidarity in huge numbers as it stops at every city. The huge people’s turnout in Turbat, Panjgoor, Naal, Khuzdar, Mastung, Quetta, Barkhan, and Kohlu was expected, but DG Khan and Taunsa Shareef (Baloch-populated areas of Punjab) presented demonstrations in thousands. This movement might have some limited but not likely addressed demands; nonetheless, it is surely also connecting the detached Baloch areas with the struggle of mainland Balochistan. It might be that the pain and misery they are suffering isn't so different from what is happening in Balochistan, or it could be a yearning for solidarity and justice for the mothers and sisters who lead their way towards Islamabad with a picture in hand. There is an old slogan that was and is chanted in protests and musical programmes organised by the Baloch Students Organisation (DG Khan taa Makran, Balochistan, Balochistan) that has echoed in the protest of Taunsa Shareef, where thousands gathered. It sounds emotional, of course, because the emotions of detached Baloch areas are not detached from the mainland. No one can say 'no' to the emotions of thousands of people with evidence of loyalty and similar grievances.

The Caretaker Information Minister of Balochistan, Jan Achakzai, in some of his press conferences (he conducts one each day though with the same statements) has called everyone in support of the long march as terrorist sympathisers. From an objective viewpoint, when a case is continued in the High Court, Achakzai’s final verdict on it makes no sense. The High Court has and should have the final say in this, not a representative of a caretaker setup with a limited domain. When the march was sitting in Quetta, the Red Zone was blocked with containers, and blockades were put on multiple roads of the city. As per the representatives of the Long March, the reason they decided to march towards Islamabad was the non-serious attitude of the provincial government. However, Achakzai has also said that protesting is their constitutional right while engaging in negotiations, but they remained fruitless.

There are two approaches to the current Long March. One is that no results can come out of it, as the middle-class mentality is result-driven, and the history of false promises strengthens this approach. The second is that deriving result can be an over-expectation, looking at the history, but this march will further embolden the greater Baloch struggle for justice and equality. Whatever the approach may be, the agreement remains on hopelessness, helplessness, pain, misery, and despair while awaiting the loved ones or mourning for them.