for non-provision of basic amenities of life… education, employment and health
for non-provision of ‘luxuries’ like natural gas, electricity, infrastructure
for non existent industry in a province with abundant raw materials
I always get this answer. Baluch Sardars are to blame.
Now that the government of Pakistan is engaged in conflict with groups who challenged the ‘writ of government’, where was the government when Sardars were ‘obstructing’ the provision of the above to the people?
Isn’t it the same?
Were Sardars more powerful than the government? If so, the ‘writ’ of the government was never there in the first place.
OR
Did the government ‘bribe’ the Sardars throughout to keep them ‘on our side’? In which case, the central government is to be blamed.
Sardars not allowing schools to prosper and militants enforcing their laws on street are two issues in my opinion though both show weakness of the government.
Sardars not allowing schools to prosper and militants enforcing their laws on street are two issues in my opinion though both show weakness of the government.
You have already mentioned the weakness of government. I would like to add something to your two points:
About an year ago I watched an interview on TV with a Baluch Sardar. He said that there are about 8 major tribal sardars in Baluchistan and only one of them has ever objected to opening of a girl's school which was proposed to be constructed right next to a boys school. This is 1980s and the issue could easily have been resolved by moving the location. He challenged the host of the program to ask the government to name one sardar who opposes opening of schools.
Baluchistan is a huge province with very low population density. The central government cannot (or has not ) provide enough security throughout the province. What is an alternative? There are villages literally 50Kms away from any other population. What would they do if there is no police or law enforcement from the government? They talk about private jails run by Sardars. Does the central government have official jails there? No. Some system of law enforcement (however bad) is still better than no law enforcement.
While travelling on the coastal highway, we stopped at Ormara and had our dinner there. We noted that the all the resturants owners were Pakhtoons from NWFP (not Balouchistan ones). I was wondering who stopped the locals to be in the same business?
Unfortunately the sardari system has changed the mindset of the local people over many years. The industrialists at Hub had a bitter experience of bullying by local workers and ghundas.
While travelling on the coastal highway, we stopped at Ormara and had our dinner there. We noted that the all the resturants owners were Pakhtoons from NWFP (not Balouchistan ones). I was wondering who stopped the locals to be in the same business?
Unfortunately the sardari system has changed the mindset of the local people over many years. The industrialists at Hub had a bitter experience of bullying by local workers and ghundas.
I agree that sardari system has had a lot of negative impact on the people in the province. But my question is that is this all the story? The government did not have any duty to improve the situation? Can we blame the sardars, clean our hands and move on? While we condemn Baluchis who support the separatists, what have we done for the Baluchis who consider Pakistan as home?
I dread this day of the year 2002 (God forbid) and sincerely hope it is not repeated:
"During his official visit to Dhaka, The President of Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf expressed regrets over the events of 1971......"
I agree that sardari system has had a lot of negative impact on the people in the province. But my question is that is this all the story? The government did not have any duty to improve the situation? Can we blame the sardars, clean our hands and move on? While we condemn Baluchis who support the separatists, what have we done for the Baluchis who consider Pakistan as home?
/quote]
Yes the governement was too late on two major issues: Provision of water and construction of roads there. So far there are only two dams in Balouchitsan (Balouch areas) Mirani on River Dasht and Hub on River Hub (half of the water goes to Karachi). Had these projects executed in the 70s, Balouchistan would have been in a different situation today.
"During his official visit to Dhaka, The President of Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf expressed regrets over the events of 1971......"
Its is quite unlikely to happen in the case of Balouchistan for two major reasons:
Oppositon by Iran
The Pukhtoons of the Northern Balouchistan. There could be a fierece fighting between these two over the control of Quetta, the glimpse of which was observed in the 1990s.