May 02 2016 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Q&A - `Balochistan suffers Pak genocide ... Kashmir India's part, not us ... Pak will collapse minus us ... Balochis appeal to Modi'
Naela Quadri Baloch is an activist and women's leader campaigning against Pakistan's presence in Balochistan.Speaking with Aarti Tikoo Singh, Baloch discussed how Pakistan seized Balochistan, genocide, terrorism, rape, Kashmir and expectations from PM Modi: Why are you here?On a call of conscience for India. For the last 15 years, we are facing war by Pakistan, human rights violations, a kill-anddump policy , 25,000 people, including women and children, missing, abducted by Pakistan's army .
The situation's reached genocide there are mass graves in Balochistan.They comb our villages, firing indiscriminately . They kill babies. They use rape and torture.
A journalist witnessed a 25-year-old Baloch teacher in a rape cell. He testified to Asian Human Rights Watch.
They've abducted thousands of women they're using rape as an instrument to crush a nation. Isn't Pakistan fighting insurgency in Balochistan?
It's a freedom struggle we were occupied by Pakistan in 1948. We've been fighting ever since to free ourselves. Didn't Balochistan become part of Pakistan through an instrument of accession?
That was offered to princely states Balochistan was not a princely state. It was an independent country , formed in 1410. When Pakistan attacked, we already had a parliament, boundaries, rule of law, a constitution.
Our country came into being hundreds of years before Pakistan is a test-tube nation created by the British.
Parts of Balochistan were given to the British on a lease. But British Balochistan was separate from British India Britain declared in 1947 that parts of Balochistan under the British were free.
Jinnah was a big traitor. When the British were here, Jinnah offered his legal services to represent Balochistan. He promised Balo chistan wouldn't be coerced to join India or Pakistan.
However, Jinnah knew Balochistan's people couldn't consolidate so, Pakistan invaded us.
It was Jinnah's conspiracy . Pakistan sent messages, asking us to join them `because we are Muslims'.Our parliament rejected that, saying we don't understand how a country can be created in the name of religion instead of asking us to join them, Pakistan should join Saudi Arabia. How is Balochistan's struggle different from Kashmir's separatist movement?
Kashmir was never a country it was a princely state under a Maharaja. Kashmir was always a part of India.
Balochistan was never a part of India. Balochistan was always independent. Balochistan and Kashmir are not the same. India's weak diplomacy made it look like the same.
When you say independence for Balochistan, are you alternatively suggesting the disintegration of Pakistan?
Yes. Won't that increase conflicts?
That's why we demand the United Nations intervene. We need support from the international community .
This problem is like cancer we're afraid to operate because of the mess.Terror emanates from Pakistan. Wherever there's terror, its roots are in Pakistan.
We're saying, let's join hands, do surgery , remove this cancer and let the world live in peace.
The biggest responsibility is India's. Pakistan is India's problem why has India thrown this cancer on us? It was Gandhi and Nehru's responsibility not to divide India.Partition wasn't fair you threw it on us, now take it back. Why is Balochistan opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?
This turned human rights violations into genocide. They only want Baloch soil not Baloch people. To them, our country is just a corridor to snatch our resources.
But Pakistan's existence depends on Balochistan. Pakistan has no resources except Balochistan's minerals. And without Balochistan, they're landlocked.
When Balochistan becomes free, Pakistan won't survive for a day. Is violence really a solution?
Till now, Baloch people haven't attacked Pakistan but how long shall we wait?
If the international community won't intervene and genocide continues, i foresee attacks in Pakistan. We're very few, they'll finish us.
But the battlefield will shift to Pakistan. Who arms Balochistan?
We've always been armed. We make our own arms because we live on a spice and silk route, rich in gold and minerals.
Our land is unkind to invaders. Why approach India now?
PM Modi's received India's mandate Modi is a bold and strong leader. None of his predecessors had such a mandate, with a flourishing economy and enormous international support.
Indira Gandhi had internal problems.Despite that, she stood up for Bangladesh why can't Modi?
If Modi takes a bold step, he'll get support. With secular democracy, India's earned respect in the world Pakistan's only earned hate.
The situation's reached genocide there are mass graves in Balochistan.They comb our villages, firing indiscriminately . They kill babies. They use rape and torture.
A journalist witnessed a 25-year-old Baloch teacher in a rape cell. He testified to Asian Human Rights Watch.
They've abducted thousands of women they're using rape as an instrument to crush a nation. Isn't Pakistan fighting insurgency in Balochistan?
It's a freedom struggle we were occupied by Pakistan in 1948. We've been fighting ever since to free ourselves. Didn't Balochistan become part of Pakistan through an instrument of accession?
That was offered to princely states Balochistan was not a princely state. It was an independent country , formed in 1410. When Pakistan attacked, we already had a parliament, boundaries, rule of law, a constitution.
Our country came into being hundreds of years before Pakistan is a test-tube nation created by the British.
Parts of Balochistan were given to the British on a lease. But British Balochistan was separate from British India Britain declared in 1947 that parts of Balochistan under the British were free.
Jinnah was a big traitor. When the British were here, Jinnah offered his legal services to represent Balochistan. He promised Balo chistan wouldn't be coerced to join India or Pakistan.
However, Jinnah knew Balochistan's people couldn't consolidate so, Pakistan invaded us.
It was Jinnah's conspiracy . Pakistan sent messages, asking us to join them `because we are Muslims'.Our parliament rejected that, saying we don't understand how a country can be created in the name of religion instead of asking us to join them, Pakistan should join Saudi Arabia. How is Balochistan's struggle different from Kashmir's separatist movement?
Kashmir was never a country it was a princely state under a Maharaja. Kashmir was always a part of India.
Balochistan was never a part of India. Balochistan was always independent. Balochistan and Kashmir are not the same. India's weak diplomacy made it look like the same.
When you say independence for Balochistan, are you alternatively suggesting the disintegration of Pakistan?
Yes. Won't that increase conflicts?
That's why we demand the United Nations intervene. We need support from the international community .
This problem is like cancer we're afraid to operate because of the mess.Terror emanates from Pakistan. Wherever there's terror, its roots are in Pakistan.
We're saying, let's join hands, do surgery , remove this cancer and let the world live in peace.
The biggest responsibility is India's. Pakistan is India's problem why has India thrown this cancer on us? It was Gandhi and Nehru's responsibility not to divide India.Partition wasn't fair you threw it on us, now take it back. Why is Balochistan opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?
This turned human rights violations into genocide. They only want Baloch soil not Baloch people. To them, our country is just a corridor to snatch our resources.
But Pakistan's existence depends on Balochistan. Pakistan has no resources except Balochistan's minerals. And without Balochistan, they're landlocked.
When Balochistan becomes free, Pakistan won't survive for a day. Is violence really a solution?
Till now, Baloch people haven't attacked Pakistan but how long shall we wait?
If the international community won't intervene and genocide continues, i foresee attacks in Pakistan. We're very few, they'll finish us.
But the battlefield will shift to Pakistan. Who arms Balochistan?
We've always been armed. We make our own arms because we live on a spice and silk route, rich in gold and minerals.
Our land is unkind to invaders. Why approach India now?
PM Modi's received India's mandate Modi is a bold and strong leader. None of his predecessors had such a mandate, with a flourishing economy and enormous international support.
Indira Gandhi had internal problems.Despite that, she stood up for Bangladesh why can't Modi?
If Modi takes a bold step, he'll get support. With secular democracy, India's earned respect in the world Pakistan's only earned hate.
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