Tribalism in Baluchistan

By Helmand Khan

This is related to the present situation in the South Western Province-Baluchistan- of Pakistan. At the moment, there is a low- level insurgency going on and Baluch militants are involved in armed struggle with Pakistani security forces. Their struggle is portrayed as if they are fighting for securing the rights of the people usurped by the federal government. Baluchistan is my province of origin. I suspect that in practice these militants want to have resources from the federal government, only to be utilized by the sardars and nawabs of Baluchistan. Most of sardars (chieftains) and nawabs(chieftains) stand for tribalism.They thrive on tribalism. They have a direct incentive to keep the people and their tribesmen uneducated so that their sons and grandsons continue to be sardars and nawabs. They are not democratic in character. They have never allowed democracy even among their tribesmen. By very nature, tribalism is anti democratic, against women's emancipation and protects the privileges of the sardars and nawabs. I being a strong believer in liberal democracy, women's rights and modernism can never subscribe to perpetuating tribalism in Baluchistan.
However, my opposition to militants do not mean that I support the federal government. It has neglected minorities for long but support for tribalism is not going to further the cause of the people of Baluchistan either.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I do agree with your propostion that sardars of Balochistan have been suppressing their own people,and that they are,by character,undemocratic as democracy has the potential to erode their traditional politico-tribal support-base.However,having said that,I must hasten add that it would be highly dishonest on our part to belittle the role of these sardars in highlighting the long neglected underdevelopvent and gross injustices done to Balochistan.It would be stupid to argue that "since the sardars are dominant in Balochistani poltics and since they have in the past been engaged in self-aggrandizement and embezzelment of funds provided to it by the Federal govenernment,so Balochistan should not be gieven it´s due share in fedral divisible pool,special development packages,federal job quota,greater political and financial autonomy autonomy,and constitutional control on the ongong mega projects,particularly the project of Gwader Deep Sea Port,which has the potentiial of turning the Baloch into a perpetual political minority in thier own province.So,yes,while on the one hand we must criticize the anti democratic,anti development and anti women role of these sardars,but on the other hand,we must also need to support their political demands which are,in fact, the demands of all strata of Balochistani society,including that of women.No political party or group of intelligentia in Pakistan is opposed to the political demands of these sardars.They,on the contrary,are critical of military establishment´s arrogant attitude and ruthless suppression of those who have been advancing their agenda in the province by peaceful political means.What I got the impression from your writing was your(while doing well to highlighting the negative role of these sardars)consciously or otherwise trying to depict these sardars as etternal enemies of the people they represent,hence marginalising the real issue:greater bBaloch say in the poitical affairs of the contry and stronger control on their own natural resources.
8:12 pm
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