The Gidaan

By Aaliyah Shah

Gidaan is the Balochi word for “hand-woven tent”. It is used mostly by nomads across Balochistan. The Gidaan protects its inhabitants from cold, rains, wind, heat and storms. Also, the Gidaan is a traditional and cultural symbol in Balochistan that continues to exist even in this 21^st century.

Presumably, the hosts of Gidaan TV with the same cultural and traditional symbol in mind have launched the Balochi Online TV to protect the Baloch culture, language, history and interests. In my view, the Gidaan TV is not only an active electronic media channel in social media but Gidaan TV is also the voice of Balochistan and Baloch nation which strives to promote the Balochi language, culture, music, history, social and political issues. It is the only channel which is exploring Baloch and Balochistan’s talents and the current affairs.

Gidaan TV and it’s the entire team are performing well to cover every aspect of Balochistan, they have a great approach to spread awareness about Balochistan. It has given voice to people belonging to different spheres of life and people of different positions. Everyone knows that social media including Facebook and Twitter have played vital roles in exposing state brutalities, cunningness and oppression against people. Whether it’s the Arab Spring, protests against Iranian state atrocities, protests against Chinese state barbarism in Hong Kong, Tibet the Uyghurs or the Pakistani state terrorism in Balochistan, Sindh and Pashtunistan, the oppressed and voiceless people use the social media as a medium to make the world hear their voices.

   Hence, a TV Channel on social media is equally important and pivotal to become the voice of a nation. It shows that a nation is alive and thriving when a nation has its mediums to promote their mother tongue. Such means could include newspapers, magazines, books, online news portals and TV channels.  

Furthermore, social media is also a great support in this era of digital advancement. Even all states – rival states – are turning to digital media of their cyber-warfare against each other instead of the old traditional use of weapons.  This is happening because in new era social media is the most important part of our lives where we can touch the Skye of knowledge, information, and awareness or if we misuse it and fail to take advantage from it we might never reach to our goal despite sacrifices and hard work.  Likely, the world would never know about Baloch and Balochistan properly if it was not due to social and digital media. Gidaan TV is a channel that is trying to bring the issue of Baloch and Balochistan to spotlight and letting the world know about different aspects of Baloch struggle and potentials of Balochistan.

 The host of Gidaan TV’s program “Thran gon shams Uddin Shams – Conversation with Shams Uddin Shams” by Baloch poet and writer Shams Uddin Shams is the most informative program about Balochistan. Credit also goes to his Technical support team and founder of BalochTech Imran Baloch and Cherag Baloch for properly running the TV.

Besides, based on general observations, we proudly can say that Gidaan TV is becoming a source of bringing the Balochistan issues and current situations to the light. It covering and exploring major sometime previously ignored aspects of Balochistan, as we know Balochistan is full of legends, classical heritage and epic people. Gidaan in its efforts is struggling to figure out the real history of Balochistan through the eyes of Baloch.

Moreover, Gidaan TV is not only trying to inform the world about the condition of the Baloch nation but it is also conveying the news and situations of other countries to the Baloch nation. Gidaan has also highlighted the plight of Hazaras and other marginalised communities who are victims of religious and race discrimination in Pakistan.

It has made a great start on 20 May 2019 when it was beginning to bringing the Balochistan history, traditions, music, culture, and conditions of the Baloch nation.

We hope that Gidaan TV will not only continue its work and do more for the Baloch nation and represent Balochistan and Baloch nation even better worldwide. Pakistan and Iran have all those media outlets that speak the truth about the sufferings of the Baloch nation; the state-controlled media only parrots the state narrative and conceals the states’ crimes in Balochistan.

Today, Gidaan TV is not only a channel, on social media, for the Baloch nation but it is the hope of the whole Baloch and Balochistan and long, so far, the unfulfilled dream Baloch people that one the Baloch will have a TV channel that can telecast in Balochi and other languages worldwide about the problem, challenges and suffering of the Baloch nation. It is the voice and a mirror for the Baloch nation – A voice that echoes in the minds of the civilised world to keep them reminding that a nation (Baloch) is being annihilated before their eyes and they are criminally silent and – a Mirror – that when the world looks into it, they won’t like what they see because they will only see a guilty ghost that keeps haunting them about their silence on Baloch genocide.

Gidaan TV is legendary for its scientific research by exploring the Baloch and Balochistan to over worldwide. We hope, pray, and wish for Gidaan TV would become the perfect platform that represents the true aspirations of the Baloch nation and become the true voice of every Baloch in Balochistan and around the world.