Vision of Martyrs 

By Miskaan Baloch

We all know war is a symbol of destruction. It breaks the backbones of regions. It kills the cream of societies including Poets, writers and students, no one willingly starts a war but when it comes to occupations and colonizing of a nation then members of that nation including writers and students always stand up against it and resist it. The writers always wrote against brutalities and mobilized the generations to fight against occupation and the students and intellectuals sacrificed their lives and became immortal in history.

This universe is congested with different characters and specifications, a farmer cultivates, a doctor treats, a singer sings, a writer writes, a constructor constructs, but those who remain in history and build the history of a nation are martyrs, who dedicate their life for their next generations.

The word ‘martyr’ derives from Greek, which means “witness” as does in Balochi “Shaheed” the martyrs are witness to their aim by sacrificing their lives as a proof of its cogency.

History teaches us wherever a tyrant is born than martyrs with a vision oppose and sacrifice themselves for independence and the upcoming generations remember their martyrs on an annual day which is observed by nations to salute the martyrdom of freedom fighters and soldiers.

In Turkey the Turkish people honour and remember their martyrs each year on March 19, in remembrance of fallen soldiers, Vietnam marked 27 July for memorial day for martyrs who were martyred at war of 1955 Till 1975 and 30 January martyrs day remembers the assassination of Mohandas Gandhi in 1948 all over India and in Afghanistan Martyrs’ day is observed on September 8 on the anniversary of Ahmed Shah Masoud in 2001 and for a those who died for Afghanistan.

Similarly, Baloch Nation has also chosen 13th November as ‘Baloch Martyrs Day’ to remember their national heroes and pay rich tribute for what they did for Independence.

Different identities and rulers exhausted to occupy Balochistan whether they were Iranian, English, Portuguese or Pakistan. Baloch has always defended their homeland; thousands of them sacrificed their lives for Baloch land, due to their sacrifices none of them succeeded to rule over Balochistan.  The Baloch ruler Mehrab khan resisted against British invaders on 13th November 1839 with hundreds of Baloch fighters he bravely bought against thousands of British troop. Mehrab Khan embraced martyrdom along with his friends, which has strengthened and motivated the Baloch nation to fight against every occupier.

In July 2009 to pay tributes to the martyrs of Balochistan’s freedom struggle and other victims of Pakistani and Iranian state atrocities like-minded friend of Baloch leader and head of Free Balochistan Movement, Hyrbyair Marri, introduced the Baloch Martyrs Day or National Remembrance Day and held the first-ever international conference in this regard.

The BSO AZAD (student Organization) agreed with the idea of Baloch Martyrs Day in 2010 and suggested that the 13 November was more suitable as ‘National Day’ which other pro-freedom friends have accepted.

Since 2010 the 13^th of November has been observed as ‘Baloch Martyrs Day’ each year around the world to remember their martyrs of Baloch liberation struggle. Thousands of Baloch women and men embraced martyrdom to continue the vision of an independent Balochistan which will be continued till victory.

Brave Baloch martyrs such as Majeed Baloch who attempted to attack Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – he was the first Baloch volunteer suicide bomber. 40-years later his brother – Majeed Baloch junior – embraced martyrdom during a gun battle against Pakistani forces. The brother of Majeeds’ Ameer Bakhsh Baloch (Sagaar Baloch) also sacrificed his life for the freedom of Balochistan. There are numerous other such families whose multiple members laid their lives for free Balochistan. Such chains of sacrifices are a clearly shows that the vision martyrs for an independent Balochistan continues.