Nawab Marri
Interview
By Malik Siraj Akbar
89-year old Nawab Khair Baksh Marri's meaningful
silence over the past many decades has been a
constant source of inspiration and guidance for
the armed Baloch groups. Lapsing age has not
crippled Marri's attachment to the idea of an
independent Balochistan . As the head of the
largest Baloch tribe, the Marris, Khair Baksh
has become a legendary figure even in his life
time. Along with late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti
and Sardar Attaullah Mengal, Nawab Marri forms
Islamabad 's axis of 'three anti-development
sardars in Balochistan'. Khair Baksh Marri remains
a mysterious figure because of his unadulterated
silence; the belief that he is in fact leading
the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and that
he is a staunch proponent of the idea of a Greater
Balochistan, a free Baloch state comprising of
present day Pakistani Balochistan province and
the Baloch areas controlled by Iran and Afghanistan
. A rare communicator with the media, Nawab Marri
recently spoke to this writer at his
Karachi residence.
An ardent advocate of militant Baloch nationalism,
Nawab Marri admitted being a 'late-comer' into
politics due to the comfortable life he spent
at Lahore 's Aitcheson's College. Though the
Marris were widely regarded for their aggressive
battles against colonial Briton generations after
generations, flamboyant Khair Baksh, the son
of Meherullah Khan Marri, was indifferent towards
politics in the early days of his life. It was
President Ayub Khan's gas and oil explorations
in the Marri tribal areas which aroused his political
consciousness. He has always been opposed to
the idea of 'outsiders' coming to Balochistan
and developing the local Baloch population.
Instead of buying the argument that the Baloch
tribal chiefs are anti-development, Marri accuses
the government of being simultaneously the accuser
as well as the judge. Since the very inception,
he had been offered ministries, the post of governor
but he spurned such offers. "If I were mad for
money then I would not go to Afghanistan [on
exile] or spend time in jail. I was offered all
comforts of life by successive governments. Even
some people get sold in return of minor amounts.
I don't want to glorify myself but these comforts
never attracted me," he clarified.
The white-bearded and red-skinned Marri believes
that the present Baloch movement is far more
matured than the ones waged in the past. The
Baloch have been under suppression of the state
for the past sixty years. Every ruler, he said,
tried his utmost to muzzle the dissenting Baloch
voice . Today, the Baloch have, nonetheless,
become cognizant of their future. One can see
maturity in Baloch politics, the guerilla warfare-tactics
and availability of more information.
"Our movement has constantly been making headway.
We are unlikely to compromise on any thing less
than the freedom of the Baloch nation. We are
optimistic to achieve our goals, though gradually," said
the veteran nationalist leader.
The hardliner Baloch said none of the present
day political parties in Balochistan qualified
as a true 'Baloch nationalist party' because
they did not have what it took to be 'a true
son of the soil'. In his views, when the Baloch
parties begin operating like the Tamil Tigers,
Hamas or the Irish Republican Army (IRA) then
they truly qualify as nationalist parties. The
only force in Balochistan which today qualifies
as a nationalist more than the others is the
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
"I am pleased with the BLA. It expresses the
desire of the oppressed people. They (the BLA)
are truer and 'better sons of the soil' than
many others because they are sacrificing their
lives for the Baloch freedom," he remarked, adding
that the Balochistan National Party (BNP) of
Sardar Akhtar Mengal was merely a political party
but it was not right to bill it as a Baloch 'nationalist'
party. "The BNP only talks of Balochistan, which
is today a province of Pakistan , while a nationalist
party should speak of Baloch people as a whole.
Baloch live in Iran and Afghanistan as well.
How can you ignore them and only talk of the
rights of a Baloch land controlled by Pakistan
?"
When Marri was asked how he would respond to
the impression that he was the real man behind
Balochistan's armed movement, he retorted with
a loud laughter: Why are you asking me to confess
my guilt at this old age? If I were younger,
I would not be sitting and giving you an interview.
I have always said that the real fighters are
the ones who are doing it with weapons. I wish
I were younger so that I would go straight to
the hill and fight for the Baloch cause.
"Baloch are a big nation. We are fighting for
Baloch national liberation. We want a Baloch
state which is not dependent and subservient
to any other nation. Within the Baloch, some
people are fighting on the political front who
believe that they can achieve their goals by
participating in parliamentary politics but I
subscribe to the other school of thought which
talks of independence and supports the armed
groups."
Citing his immaturity and lack of political
sagacity at an earlier age, a disappointed Marri
said now he regretted his participation in parliamentary
politics on the platform of the National Awami
Party (NAP) as it did not yield any fruits in
terms of achieving the rights of his people.
Marri was asked if he would agree to talk to
the government provided that all Baloch forces,
including the BLA, nominated him as their chief
negotiator for talks with Islamabad, he moved
his thumbs down (meaning no way would he talk
to Islamabad). Immediately, however, he said
if the BLA viewed him as the elder of Baloch
nation and asked him to sit on their behalf to
talk to Islamabad then he would present his terms
and conditions. When asked what those terms and
conditions were, he replied with a single term:
Punjabis must vacate Balochistan.
"The others issues are all domestic which could
be discussed later on but the foremost thing
is that Punjabis should quit Balochistan… I can
coexist with a pig but not with a Punjabi," he
revealed, explaining, "The Punjabis view the
Baloch as a very inferior people. They think
we are not competitive in any domain of life.
They say the Baloch can't fly an airplane. Thus,
they justify their involvement in our maters
by saying that they want to develop us. I keep
asking who the hell they are to develop us. We
are the masters of our land. Who are you to come
and teach us? If we can't fly an airplane today,
we will learn it after ten years. If we don't
have qualified doctors today, we will have them
tomorrow. But this does not provide you an excuse
to exploit our resources on the name of development."
Alluding to a recent meeting of his with the
recently released Sardar Akhtar Mengal of the
Balochistan National Party (BNP), Nawab Marri
said he had asked Mengal to identify the 'mother
issue' before the Baloch people due to which
the Baloch were regularly going to jail. According
to Nawab Marri, Mengal said if step "A" was taken
then the men fighting in the mountains would
give up arms. "I don't think they [Sardar Akhtar
Mengal and his father, Sardar Attaullah Mengal]
have magical powers to disarm the men in the
hills. The BNP does not have a majority on the
mountains. God knows it is not the BNP giving
arms, shoes, support and money to those fighting
in the mountains. I asked Akhtar Jan to stop
beating drums. We should know what we are fighting
for."
Nawab Marri, whose well-known hobby of cockfighting
has somewhat been replaced by internet browsing
these days, explained the reasons for Baloch
distrust with the federation of Pakistan . "Here,
we are ruled by a class which does not recognize
logic, history, ground realities, democracy.
The only language it knows is that of violence
and brute force," he maintained, "The Baloch
claim ownership on their land and the state does
not accept our logic. Our ancestors have been
living on this land for ages. They faced hardships
and poverty but did not quit their land. Now,
the rulers come to us and say they want to develop
us. They want to populate our cities. Our argument
is: Can't we develop ourselves? When the State
can't respond logically to our commonsensical
stance, it resorts to use of force. Even the
supporters of democracy should see that the just
demand of the Bengalis was not conceded by this
state despite all logical arguments supporting
them. On the top of it, they say the Baloch are
rebels, getting money from the outside world."
According to Marri tribal chief, a number of
internal as well as external factors have heavily
contributed to the failure of the Baloch movement(s)
to successfully achieve all targeted goals: Internally,
the Baloch living in Iran and Afghanistan were
not politically as mature as their Pakistani
counterparts. "Some Baloch are oblivious of their
freedom. They have sold their loyalties in return
of minor amounts, ministries and other facilities.
Now there is an effort being made by the State
to present the fake representatives as the real
preventatives of the people… These people (referring
to Balochistan governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi
and chief minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani)
were born in Baloch households but they have
become the salaried men of Pakistan . They do
not act like Baloch."
On the external front, Nawab Marri said the
Baloch movement was being suppressed by 'colonial
America ' which was following the footsteps of
England . "The US wants the people world over
to be subservient. The kind of damage the external
forces have caused to the movements of smaller
nations has no parallel in the world," he said.
Giving the example of the Gwadar Port , Marri
said the very idea of excluding the Baloch in
the development process was the brainchild of
the United States . "Give them a share," was
what the Americans told the government of Pakistan
because "they are opposed to freedom. We have
warned the US that you can't win guerrilla warfare.
Therefore, you should not involve yourself, regardless
of the fact how fair or unfair a war is. Baloch
people will not suffice with a 'share' we want
ownership on our land, resources and our sovereignty."
Replying to a question as to which of the old
comrades of the Baloch movement he remembered
the most, an old Marri suddenly busted into tears. "I
remember those who sacrificed their lives for
the Baloch land," Marri referred to his son Nawabzada
Balaach Marri, the suspected head of the BLA,
who was killed last November in mysterious circumstances.
There was complete silence for around three to
five minutes. Then he resumed, "In the past we
often used to say that the Baloch are very brave
men. They do not cry. But sometimes pain becomes
so prickly that tears naturally come out– even
sometimes in public."
Another son of Nawab Marri, Nawabzada Harbayar
Marri, was arrested last December by the police
in London on the charges of possessing illegal
weapons; he was released on April 17 this year.
In addition, the government of Balochistan froze
the bank accounts of Nawab Marri and his sons.
On July 10, 2007, the Intentional Police (Interpol)
on the request of the Balochistan police issued
the Red warrants of five sons of Nawab Marri,
namely Hamza Marri, Zamari Marri, Harbayar Marri,
Gazeen Marri and Balach Marri.
Squinting at his past, Marri, who is currently
the topmost Baloch political and tribal leader,
said he wished he was remembered in the history
as a real son of the soil. Though some Marris
consider themselves as the vanguard of Baloch
rights, Khair Baksh Marri says he is not contended
with his contributions. "I occasionally feel
ashamed of not having done enough for the Baloch
land. What my children and I have done so far
is a minor contribution. We are all indebted
to the land." |
