Saturday 31 October 2009

.Speech From Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizanjo At Dar Al Awam Of Kalat States Dated Dhadar, December 12th 1947


"........We have a distinct civilization, we have a separate culture like that of Iran and Afghanistan


We are muslims but it is not necessary that by virtue of our being Muslims we should loose our freedom and merge with others. If the mere fact that we areMuslims requires us to join Pakistan then Afghanistan and Iran both Muslim countriesshould also amalgamate with Pakistan.... .....


The British conquered Asia through the force of the sword. They also subjugated the Baloch homeland. We never accepted their authority. We resisted their rulebut being oppressive and cruel they deprived us of our freedom.


We were a separate entity. We were never part of India before the British overlaordship.


Pakistan's unpleasant and loathsome desire that our national homeland, Balochistan, should merge with it is impossible to concede.


It is unimaginable to agree to such a demand...... .It is no secret that before the creation of Pakistan, our Khan had patronized the Muslim League. Our homes, bunglaows and transport were at their disposal.


Under the khan's guidance many Baloch helped the League through every possible means.


What was our attitude towards Pakistan and what is its behaviour towards us ?


Lasbela and Kharan, two constituent units of Balochistan are being snatched away.


Kalat's sovereignty over those areas has been accepted by the British.


We never want to subjugate them. That is not our intention. They are our brothern in blood and have been part of Kalat in that capicity.Pakistan has even refused talks and is making any discussion on the subject conditional on the repentance of the Baloch government and its prostration.Before them......we are ready to have friendship with that country on the basis of sovereign equality but by no means ready to merge with Pakistan.


We cannot humiliate the Baloch nation and amalgamate it with others. How can we sign the national death warrant of fifteen million Asian Baloch ?


That is inconceivable. That is impossible.We cannot be partyto such a grave mistake..... .We cannot commit such a great crime.......We are told that we Baloch cannot defend ourselves in that atomic age. Well, are Afghanistan, Iran and even Pakistan capable of defying themselves ?


Today if Russia and America so desire, they can wipe out many such states from the world map. If we cannot defend ourselves, a lot of others cannot do so either.....As regards the question of statehood, let me emphasize that no Asian country including Pakistan fulfils the criteria of a modern state in true sense.......


They say we must join Pakistan for economic reasons.


That is also absurd. We may not have hard currency but we have numerous means of income. we have minerals, we have petroleum, we have ports.We should not be made slaves on the pretext of economic viability.


We can survive without pakistan.We can prosper outside pakistan. But that question is what Pakistan would be without us ?I do not propose to create hurdles for the newly created Pakistan inmatters of defence and external communication. But we want an honourable relationship, not a humiliating one.If Pakistan wants to treat us as a sovereign people, we are ready toextend the hand of friendship and cooperation.


If Pakistan does not agree to do so, flying in the face of democratic principles, such an attitude will be totally unacceptable to us, and if we are forced to accept this fatethen every Baloch son will sacrifice his life in defence of his national freedom.


Reference: Janmahmad (1989) Essays on Baloch National Struggle in Pakistan. Quetta. Gosha-e-Adab pp. 174-175 Balochistan Papers, Compiled by Hameed Baloch.


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