Adil Najam
This video needs no explanation. It says so much more than what it says. It deserves a lot of thought. And, for those of us not from Baluchistan, a head hung in shame.
I saw it first in a post on the blog Cafe Pyala, which got it exactly right:
Many of us have often had a laugh about Americans’ woeful knowledge about the rest of the world.
Well, what would you say to this? A BBC Urdu correspondent roamed the streets of Punjab’s largest and most cosmopolitan city, Lahore, to ask random people on the street how much they knew of Balochistan. His report is compiled under the heading “Punjab Balochistan Ko Kitna Jaanta Hai?” (How well does Punjab know Balochistan?). Keep in mind that Lahore is not a rural backwater where media is not easily accessible, that Punjab’s population comprises some 60 percent of the Pakistan’s population and that in the last three years, the issue of Balochistan has probably been one of the most talked about issues in domestic politics. Think for a moment what it says about our educational system, our media, our democracy, our policy-making, our national integration and yes, our majoritarian chauvinism.
If this does not actually shock you, you’re made of sterner stuff than I am.
As I said, this video needs no explanation. It says so much more than what it says. It speaks to the facts that we too often do not speak of. It reminds us of the killings, the disappearances, the murders that we wish to wish away. It deserves a lot of thought. And, for those of us not from Baluchistan, a head hung in shame.
People in the clip is general public.
Even the non-Baloch politicians do not know much, like the P.M of the country. They can’t even pronounce the identification noun correctly. They use “Balochi”, while the original noun is “Baloch” for the people. It is stupid as calling Pathans as Pathaani English as Englishii!
The Interior Minister of so called Islamic State Mr.Malik can’t even read Surah Ikhlaas written in front of him, what would you expect from the public of the powerful province!
If someone ask the same question about sindh, I bet, the answer would not be different. Most of us know karachi, hayderabad, or may be sukkhar only. Not knowing that how culturally rich and historically important it has been.
Same is the case with baluchi people, as they dont know much about punjab or sindh areas. what to talk about KP, as not many people knows about it as well other then peshawar.
So I guess it is just something natural. We all have our own designed capsule, and are living happily into it. So nothing strange and nothing to be worried.
But the worry point is unrest/lawlessness in baluchistan and hatered being spread in the hearts of baluchies for punjabis. Most of the govt grants, funds have been consumed by wadera’s and just to satisfy their people they put all the blame on punjab and punjabi, that they dont give them anything.
I guess, Education in baluchistan is the beggest challenge that one should address.
Kudos to Noor. Some excellent ideas.
What can we, ordinary citizens of Pakistan help bridge this divide?
This story by BBC tells one side of the story. It forgets the thousand or so settlers (Punjabis, Sindhis and some pathans) who have been target of baloch criminals. And settlers have a right to settle anywhere. When you have had millions of baloch settling in Punjab and Sindh over many many years why don’t Punjabis have a right to settle without being target killed?
Baluchistan has the distinction of being bombed by Pakistan’s civilian and military rulers, pretty much, in every decade since 1947.