Baloch National Movement: is for Autonomy or Free Balochistan?

 and copper but the real owner of the land is stripped
Baloch National Movement: Is for "Autonomy" or Freefrom the benefits in terms of revenue and
Balochistan?employment.
November 22, 2008. The New York Times, 
republished the well known US Military scholar andWhen Baloch leadership with the full support of their
 prolific essay writer Ralph Peters in the subject ofmasses opposed such anti-Baloch policies against the
foreign policy and military strategy who  presented acentral government an outcome was another military
“New Middle East Map“ that shows “Freeoperation.
Balochistan.” Pakistani military expert and 
politicians have been uneasy about his “NewThe Pakistani military started a 5th military operation
Middle East Map”, they fear their unnatural state,in Balochistan from March 2005 till today, during this
Pakistan may face the “Yugoslavia-like-fate”brutal military operations Baloch leaders were
 assassinated. 240,000 Bugti and Marri tribes were
Military scholar Ralph Peters created a map namely,forced to become refugees and hundreds of Baloch
“New Middle East”, was originally published inpolitical activist and students were and are being
June 2006 issue of Armed Forces Journal and haskidnapped and have disappeared.
captured attention regarding the question of 
Baluchistan’s freedom.Nelson Mandela is a leader and freedom fighter; he
 realized the apartheid regimes of South Africa are
According to a leading Pakistani newspaper; Dailynot paying attention to their peaceful means of
Times report, “The United States, India andpolitical struggle. He wrote in his famous biography
Afghanistan of conspiring to carve out a“Long walk to Freedom”.
‘Greater Balochistan’ by causing the 
disintegration of Pakistan.” “Over and over again, we had used all non-violent
 weapons in our arsenal-speeches, dipterous, threat,
Although, the US military scholar’s “Newmarches, strikes, stay-away, voluntarily imprisonment
Middle East” map is not officially endorsed by theall to no avail for whatever we did was met by iron
Pentagon, it said it has been used for traininghand. A freedom fighter learn the hard way that it is
purposes in “NATO’s Defense College”the oppressor who defines the nature of the
among senior military officers.struggle and oppressed is often left no recourse but
 to use methods, that those of the oppressor.”
Many political experts view the US military scholars 
Peter’s “New Middle East Map” as beingThe Baloch people are today facing a similar regime
based on historical and geographical fact about thewho only knows how to rule with an iron fist upon
regions. According to military scholars’Baloch people. Therefore, many Baloch leaders think
Peter’s it will stop the further ethnic cleansingsuch aggressors have left no other option except to
and blood bath in that region.be up in arms.
  
Military scholars’ Peters argued “InternationalAccording to the Asma Jehehangir, Chairwomen of
borders are never completely just”.the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, “It is
 not just few (Baloch) tribal chiefs against the
“Readjusting faulty borders, mental effort togovernment. There’s a genuine movement of
grasp the Middle East’s “organic”Baloch Nationalist. There are people enlisting every
frontiers nonetheless helps us understand the extentday and picking up arms.”
of the difficulties we face and will continue to face. 
We are dealing with the colossal, man-made Historically, the Baloch national movement does not
deformities that will not stop generating hatred andconsider itself as a federalist party within state
violence until they are corrected.”because “Regionalism (federalism) encourages
 the inhabitants of a territory to demand a change in
Baluchistan’s “organic” borders are thosethe political, economic, and cultural relations between
that have been divided against their consent bythe region and the central powers within their larger
regional and international forces for their interests instate”. This clearly summarized by political
the past era. Actually, the original history ofscientist Robert Jackson.
Balochistan has never been allowed to be taught by 
its occupying regimes, these being Pakistan andAccording to his analysis federalism and nationalism
Iran’s educational institutions.are two different pathways they can not adjust with
 each other. According to his concept of nationalism,
“Greater Balochistan” existed as a tribal“A nation share a sense of loyalty and
confederacy based on collective and cooperativepsychological attachment” their struggle is
concept of Baloch tribalism from 1756-1795 in the“based on common language, history,
name of “Khanate of Baluchistan” accordingculture” Therefore, he argued “Nationalism in
to the indigenous Baloch scholars and theits modern sense is defined as the collective action of
author’s of “The Problem of Greaterpolitically conscious group or nation in pursuit of
Balochistan.”  Dr. Inyatullah Baloch. PHD.  sovereignty.”  Baloch nationalists should be clear
 in their path and of their long term goal, they should
In, 1929 Mir Yusuf Aziz Khan Magasi, a future ofbe in pursuit of their freedom and sovereignty as a
Baloch Nelson Mandela, at the time of British Empirewhole, as defined by Jackson’s argument.
rule he was fighting against the British is the founder 
of the Baloch Nationalist Movement. Later he wasHence the Baloch national movement’s “Aim
head of the “Anjamn-e- Itehad-e-Balochistan”is to pursue fundamental changes that are not
and the “the unity Party of Balochistan”. Thecompatible with the sovereignty of the state to
main objectives of there parties  were thewhich they belong.”  According to Robert
unification of Balochistan, that was his vision andJackson it is fear to assume Baloch leadership
dream for his Baloch nation, and this vision ofdemand could not be accepted within Pakistan’s
“Free Balochistan” is still alive among thefederal set up. Perhaps Baloch leadership has been
Baloch leaders with full backing of their masses.innocently betrayed in the name of negotiation and
 compromised for the last sixty years.
Unfortunately, the future of Baloch Nelson Mandela, 
the late Mir Yusuf Aziz "Khan" Magasi, died while heRecently, a senior Baloch leader was released after 9
was 28 years old in the horror of 1935 Earthquake inyears in jail, Mir Abdul Nabi Bangulzehi  and he said
Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. Some account“ The provincial autonomy is not "the"
that approximately 35,000 souls perished in thatheadache  of Baloch nation any more and the rulers
natural disaster, the city became a ruin and it turned(Pakistan) know exactly what Baloch people want; a
into a warzone.free Balochistan.” He went on further to warn
 that “Those (Aggressor’s) who have made
Balochistan sovereignty existed before March 27th,Balochistan hell for us. Baloch will not make the land
1948 and Pakistani military invaded and forcefullyof Balochistan a heaven for them.”
annexed Balochistan into Pakistan. This is the reason 
why the Pakistani military and politicians areWhether the well known US military scholar’s
concerned with the US military scholar’s analysisanalysis about the future of Middle East region has
about the future of that region unfolding politicalbecome a reality or not, the fact is the Baloch
changes.National Movement has been in existence from 1929
 and it will keep going to regain their sovereignty of
Since the occupation of Balochistan within PakistaniBalochistan. Pakistani military and politicians are fully
parliament system the “autonomy” ofaware about the ground reality of Balochistan, and
Balochistan remains unresolved due to Pakistaniperhaps simply keeping the issue under the rug.
ineffective parliament system. Otherwise Baloch 
leaders have tried all democratic and peaceful means,Recently, the “Baloch Republicans Party,” a
but all their effort has been gone in vain without anysenior leader said, “In the tongue of a four year
positive outcome.old (Baloch child) to "eighty" Four  year old
 (men’s/women’s) remains the verse
Regarding Balochistan’s rich natural resources,‘freedom of Balochistan’. Ultimately, the
this is a major issue in Baluchistan’sfreedom of Balochistan will be the destiny of Baloch
“autonomy”.  An example of this includesnation.”   
paying back the revenues of Natural Gas. Payment to 
Balochistan, which is running yearly since 1953, is still inIn real a democracy the majority rule, Baloch as a
pending. When there is no sign of equal sharing ofwhole are loudly and clearly stating their objection for
power, the question of autonomy is far in theautonomy and support for a free Balochistan. After
distance, and this has been the case of Balochistan.years of rivalry, trial-and-error experiences in the
 search for greater autonomy the people of
Major projects such as Gwader port, being built withBalochistan demand sovereignty after suffering and
assistance of "China", remain a hot political debatemilitary rule by their occupied regimes. The first
between Baloch leaders and their anti Baloch regime,demand was not met, the question of autonomy
Pakistan. The future of Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gaswas swept away and with greater support for
Pipelines (goes through Baloch land) has gone withoutBaloch leaders the people of Balochistan have taken
consultation of Baloch leadership among three parties.their demand to a much higher level,  and Ralph
 A Reko Dig, and Sandak are two major projects inPeter’s map summarized the needs and serves
Balochistan and they have been given to foreignas a solution to Balochistan’s problems.
companies. Both are for exploration of gold, silver,