Shabir Baloch: A student leader, a light in darkness
Saramad Baloch
When I think of Shabir and look at the sullen and disheartened gaze of Seema, I always get assured how the state is perturbed by a 22-year-old student leader. And reflects Shabir Baloch as a red flag to its stability. Sajid Hussain’s words still hover in my mind: ” Dead do not haunt me as much as missing do.” whenever I come across Shabir’s photographs with his comrades, organizational friends, and families, a feeling of unrest comes over and makes me numb.
Who is Shabir Baloch ?
The forced disappearance of student leaders like Shabir is also the continuity of the Baloch-centered genocidal policies of the state. Shabir is a student leader who hails from Awaran, Labach Dansar . He started his political career in 2009, from the forum of BSO Azad.
student organization which advocates peacefully for the independence of Balochistan , Shabir’s unwavering commitment, vision, steadfastness and intelligence soon made him influential among his political circle, he then became president of Awaran Zone, in 2013, within a short span of time, his political commitment and capabilities made a central position for him. He became a central committee member and served as Central Information Secretary of BSO Azad. from the forum of BSO Azad a student organization which advocates peacefully for the independence of Balochistan, Previously, the central leaders, zonal and unit-level members, and cadres were also subjected to the forced disappearance and kill and dump policy of the state. A large-scale crackdown was carried conducted across Balochistan, prime targets of this oppression were students, youths, political workers and cadres, among which many mass and young leaders are also included. He was forcibly disappeared by security forces from Gwarkop, Kech on 4th Oct, 2016 , since eight years completed of his forced disappearance, still his whereabouts are unknown he is in the torture cells of the state.
Enforced Disappearances: Weaved on collective memory of Baloch
These tactics of the state are not unprecedented and novel; for decades, subjecting Baloch to enforced disappearances, kill and dump, fake encounters, mass graves, forced displacement, and migration, and apart from these, the exploitation and pillage of the national resources of Baloch land are also continued.
Enforced disappearance of an individual is not only a grave violation of human rights but a collective punishment to family and beloved persons of that individual. When they remember the moments they have passed together, the memories leave a dark scar on their mind, when they remember him there remains only emptiness and nothingness on their faces, a sense of existential doubt and crisis raise within them: they are always in an uncertain condition whether their loved one is alive or dead. The same uncertainty eats them slowly and traumatizes them, even they can’t mourn because hope and despair reside in the same heart. It’s hard to believe that hope makes them suffer more; they cry and chant slogans: We want our loved ones, where is my brother/husband and sibling- the question they raise is logical and painful, but the authorities always reply with the same tone of indifference. It implies that they don’t even have a human heart that can’t feel and sense the misery of the families of the missing persons who are in the torture cells of the state. Their demands are simple: release our loved ones safe and healthy or bring them to the fore if they have committed a crime. It seems, moreover, it looks like the state is acting like a gang with no rules, discipline, and concerned authorities. Ironically, gangs have rules and regulations but this state is brainless and is totally out of sense. The post-forced disappearance truth reveals that,
an unceasing universe of unimaginable memories grows in their brain, and the imagination seized of them reflects the harsh reality that prolongs waiting for their loved ones and is eating them inside. They think and rethink, construct, and deconstruct the memories that are dispatched to the gloomy side of their brain.
More painful it is, a dominant feeling of inexplicable fragmentation of thoughts that have left a vacuum-like situation upon them can only be filled with the return of their loved ones. Disorganization of thoughts exists in their mind, an emptiness which has confined them to a mere delusional world of “duality,” their self and the other self who is in dark dungeons, yet his fate is not decided- a complete uncertainty is prevailing.
Forlorn Grieving of the Family :
Though it’s hard to articulate their miseries and agonies in words to make the world believe that there also exists a world of missing persons in Balochistan, there also exists a world of Shabir, Seema, and Zarina.
With an individual, the collective suffers and endures the misery in their absence, as Seema Baloch, the sister of Shabir Baloch, says, “After Shabir’s disappearance, our whole family was affected, they remember him and think, we don’t know in which condition he is- a complete uncertain, and the memories of Shabir are always dominant in our mind. Eight years completed of his disappearance. I always think about what kind of torture he is facing and going through. Only we know how we have passed those 8 years without him and it hurts.” It’s hard to live without the person whom you love the most, when I asked the Seema when the wounds become more tormenting, her reply was both painful and lamentable, “Our whole family is suffering due to his disappearance (in the hands of military and intelligence agencies), memories become afresh when festive come; like Eid and other days. These days torment us more, and we think and remember those moments we enjoyed, smiled, laughed, and lived together.”
The long wait for the forced disappearance of Shabir has left the whole family in a vacuum,
and for his safe recovery, they have knocked at every doorstep and taken every possible way, yet, the indifferent behavior of the state seems like they don’t even care about Baloch. She says that it’s very hard to continue peacefully; she narrates, ” For his safe recovery and release, we have staged rallies in Karachi and Quetta, held hunger strike camps as well, filed his case/petition in High court. In 2018, we arranged a sit-in demonstration in D-chowk Islamabad as well. In 2022 we sat for 50 days in the Red Zone, Quetta. Further, in 2023, when Balach was killed in a fake encounter, we also participated in the whole process. We have participated in every protest, rally, and sit-in”. Despite listening to their genuine grievances, the state has always retaliated with its tactics to apprehend, harass and terrify the family, in the case of Shabir same method was applied, as Seema said with a grieving tone, “When we started these peaceful methods for his recovery, we were terrified many times to leave our struggle. Remain silent otherwise, we can harm Shabir. In 2019, our father was called and directed, if you don’t keep your girl (Seema) silent, we further will torture him (Shabir). If she remains silent we will release Shabir. We remained silent during this period, so that they may not harm my brother. I stayed quiet for a year but all in vain. In response, we again began our peaceful struggle for his safe release.
Moreover, in 2022, when we were sitting in the Red Zone Quetta, Sharul was only 6 the daughter of Seema. Usually, when a child grows, he/ she utters Amma and Abba, but of Sharul’ were Slogans. When she asks me whose picture is this? I replied ‘ He is my brother.” After that, repeatedly every single day, she said, “Shabir (My brother) will come back soon”. It reflects that Baloch children growing up during war are experiencing the war; these are becoming part of their memory, and these agonies will become mature in their minds. Though, it is excruciating and disheartening that, war left no one even the infants are not left. When I asked her what you remembered most about Shabir, she weepingly recounted his smile and polite manner to him, afflicted completely; she remembers, ” Shabir’s smile still resonate and echoes in my ears; he was always smiling. He talked and smiled with everyone in this polite manner. My mother always said to him take care of yourself. He always replied that we are not in our hands to take care of ourselves, this State doesn’t allow us to care about ourselves.” It’s not only Shabir who was subjected to forced disappearance; his many comrades and organizational friends are also martyred, and some are still in the dark dungeons. After the martyrdom of Central Secretary Raza Jahangir and the abduction of Zahid Baloch in the hands of state security forces and LEAs, Shabir continued his peaceful political advocacy,” When Chairman Zahid was subjected to forced disappearance, mother always insisted on taking care of yourself. His reply was ” if today it’s Zahid Jan, tomorrow is us”. As they martyred Raza Jahangir and abducted Zahid, I’m not better and worthy than them. Moreover, there was only hope in his heart, “He always taught us to remain firm, strong and never pessimize yourself on these things. And we are still determined, courageous, and hopeful for his safe recovery.” And the wife of Shabir still awaits for his recovery and asks, rather she is a wife or a widow, the same question is also raised from many of the victims. Yet it hurts and both questions the existence the human rights organizations who are unable to make the perpetrators accountable for these grave violation of human rights.
His case in international forums:
On many international forums his case was highlighted and discussed, unfortunately, the serious Baloch problems are only debated without a practical solution. And the state is given free handed to perform its wrongdoings without any hindrances, Balochistan for them is laboratory where their inhumane actions are practiced. Despite all these struggle of the organization and family, he is still in the dungeons of the state .
Shabir needs us
Still, Shabir is in the torture cells, and the family’s struggle is continue. We need to amplify their voice in all forums so Shabir can come back safe and sound. It’s time to stand with his family and forums that highlight and speak against enforced disappearance. Speak up so you could not become a victim of forced disappearance.