from a reader | August 11, 2012

By A. Baloch

Many nations have experienced slavery. Some were lucky and made few sacrifices, but the world's greatest nations have a long history of sacrifices. Greatness demands far more: our dedication, our honor, our pride and sometimes our lives. And only then may we be heading to the promised land--a place where our children will have a future, where our men and women can chase their dreams--then we will be on the road towards greatness.

They ask us how will we run a country? They say that winning our freedom is going to trap us in the worst kind of slavery. But can there be anything worse than being a colony of a malefic state? Is there anything worse than watching helplessly as agencies of that state whisk away our people, only to dump them dead? Can it be worse than seeing others ripen the fruits of our sacrifices--benefiting from our name, living on our resources, while our fate is that of a mendicant, vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation? Is there anything worse than getting shot in the face because of the way you look, or the parading of women, naked, because of their race? I respond, why can't we run a country? Do those who have already lost half of their country have the right to doubt our right to freedom?

Today we know that nations can't be formed by force, nor with deception. They are formed when people endure together, when they have common aspirations, share the same values, and are respectful of differences. And by God, we don't share any of these qualities with the state of Pakistan.

Where we believe in justice, democracy and equality, the Pakistani state supports elitism, racism and religious bigotry. And on this day we must remember that the sacrifices we have made, the thousands of us who have lost their lives, have not done so in order to post someone to positions in colonial institutions, like the Pakistani parliament or offices of the establishment, but rather for our freedom, for an independent Balochistan.

Anything less would be a cardinal sin on our part. Akbar Bugti and Balach Marri didn't give their lives for greater autonomy. Zareena Marri isn't suffering because we wanted greater representation in the Pakistani Army. Qambar Chakar didn't sacrifice his life because we want an apology. Because we have chosen freedom, we have braved their onslaughts, we have survived their subterfuge, we are fighting harder, walking taller than ever and we must promise ourselves that we will not give up, that we will not allow our children to witness atrocities committed by the Pakistani state against us. We must fight with every mote of courage we have to rid us from this evil called slavery. And we must assure ourselves that tomorrow when we win our freedom, we must be everything that Pakistan is not: where the state does not persecute any of its children and where no one is above the law.

May you live the rest of your lives as proud citizens of an Independent Balochistan. God bless you. God bless Balochistan.