THE Balochistan freedom struggle is approaching a critical stage -- with a focus on armed action by the freedom fighters, as can be seen and sensed from the events in the past few weeks. Freedom fighters are all the time targeting government forces and installations and inflicting serious wounds on the official machinery and morale. The latest concerted action of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) -- or Baloch Army (as some prefer calling) -- saw elimination of as many as 78 Pakistani troops. The BLA called it ‘Dara-e-Bolan’ and implemented it with full focus and force -- complete with a message to the international community that the ‘Baloch nation’ is willing to work against the common enemy. The importance of this message cannot be underestimated. The message to the international community is more a message to India, if we may interpret the development thus. The Baloch freedom fighters bank heavily on the Indian support -- which may not be available to them openly and directly. Yet, going by the massive geopolitical immorality in which Pakistan indulged in the past seven-plus decades lends enough spiritual ground for India to take a tough stand on the issue of Baloch freedom. True, India has often highlighted violations of human rights in most regions annexed by Pakistan and has tried to awaken the international opinion against the abuse of fundamental freedom of common people by Pakistan.

 

This has certainly lent the Baloch freedom movement much strength. Possibly, the time might not have arrived for India to talk openly about supporting freedom movement in Balochistan. Possibly, India is waiting for another right opportunity to make its stand open and clear. No matter what happens at the official level, it is important for the common Indian people to understand the importance of the freedom movement in Balochistan and extend social support in whatever manner and in whichever method. For, it is common comprehension that Pakistan annexed Balochistan in 1947-48 forcibly, illegally and immorally (almost taking full advantage of the silence India maintained on the issue at that time). To that extent, the Indian leadership of those times may be held responsible for the plight of Baloch people for the past several decades! In the past some years, the Baloch freedom struggle has assumed more serious proportions and implications to Pakistan as well as regional geopolitics. The Baloch people are no longer willing to accept the illegal and immoral Pakistani dominance.

 

They have become fully convinced that the Pakistanis are only bleeding them and are unwilling to grant them any benefits of simple good life. Entire Baloch province suffers from absence of basic facilities that are available to people anywhere in the world. This deprivation is forcing the Baloch freedom fighters to take up arms in greater desperation against the Pakistani occupation. It is common knowledge that Pakistan is no longer in a position to manage its own affairs, let alone managing its occupied territories such as Balochistan and parts of Kashmir. In other provinces, too, the Pakistani governance has collapsed and has led to terrible discomfort to people at all levels. The freedom movement of Baloch people has to be seen from this perspective as well. It can be said safely that Pakistan is on its way to final doom in the next some years. The Baloch people do not want to sink themselves into that mess forever. They appear to be in a great hurry to push for their total independence from Pakistan. They were a free country before the 1947 Partition. They wish to go back to that status quo as soon as possible. That is meaning of all their actions.