National Youth Summit Gwadar: A Colonial Instrument
Sagaar Baloch
Abstract:
There is a famous saying for the colonisers; “To completely rule the colonised with no interruptions is to either annihilate or to assimilate.” Annihilation means to completely eliminate or destroy a nation— indigenous— and its people and assimilation means to fuse it into the fabric of the coloniser in a way of self-destruction. But annihilation is tougher than assimilation because annihilation is physical and explicit while assimilation is an indirect means which involves non-physical and mental destruction. Every coloniser has used these same methods to achieve two purposes: One is to legitimise its physical force which includes, killings, dumping of mutilated bodies, forcibly disappearances, search operations and raids, sexual abuse, torture, cultural and political suppression, economic marginalisation and violence. The other is to prevent any kind of potential resistance from the indigenous people who have been subjected to colonisation.
French Assimilation: An example of this phenomenon:
The French policy of colonisation is one of the explicit proponents in the method of assimilation. The French colonised the people and ordered them to speak French, accept French laws, practice catholicism and consider themselves as the overseas Frenchmen. This is what we have heard about the French colonisation. They termed it as the “Civilising Mission” as every coloniser says so in colonising others. Great Britain did the same especially in the subcontinent by imposing their colonial laws and orders.
Balochistan’s Case:
Balochistan is facing colonial rule since 1948, and it is becoming increasingly oppressed day by day. The colonial rule has been engaged in annihilating the people of Balochistan since occupation. Yet in the modern era, the people of Balochistan still face a major crisis in the shape of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings where thousands of Baloch have fallen victims of enforced disappearances and hundreds of others have been killed in fake encounters and staged executions. The Pakistani military regime has not only eliminated the Baloch people physically but has also destroyed them through abstract methods using subtle and systematic ways. Besides killing and forced disappearances, the people have been subjected to the soft power treatment. It includes cultural and historical distortions, political suppression and economic marginalisation.
Military Operations in Balochistan:
Balochistan has been facing military operations since its occupation, and thousands of people have lost their lives in these bloody operations. As the start of the twenty-first century Balochistan has witnessed a series of major military operations, leading to the number of civilian casualties. It has faced backlash from various international organisations and human rights groups. The state has heeded no one. The Pakistani state has been trying to legitimise its military operations against the Baloch nation and to prevent any potential resistance from them. For this purpose, the Pakistani state has been experimenting with an assimilation policy.
Assimilation Policies of Pakistani state:
The assimilation policy has evolved over times under the guise of so-called counter-insurgency policy. One of the recent examples is the engagement policy. As it is apparent to everyone that the youth are the backbone of any nation, as the Pakistani state has initiated a youth engagement strategy known as “National Youth Engagement Policy.”
Youth engagement policy:
The national youth engagement policy is an initiative under the umbrella of the Directorate of Youth Affairs headed by puppet CM of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti (the head of criminal force ‘Aman force’) and led by puppet sports advisor Meena Majeed. This is not a simple policy of seminars and summits but a long term strategy of the state to permanently reduce and eliminate the resistance thereby engaging the youth in favour of the state.
The National Youth Engagement Programme has conducted two major three-day summits and various events and seminars in different districts of Balochistan. The last youth summit was held in Gwadar for three consecutive days from April 8th to 10th. The event included programs like business startups, online businesses, stalls and other activities. It coerced the youth into participating and secure a so-called future which is divorced from the real and ground necessities of Balochistan.
As such policies can only be implemented by proxy governments whereby the puppet government of Balochistan is being used in accordance with the state’s demands. This engagement policy is based on hegemonic influence by way of subterfuge which is a soft power practice. It will, undeniably, kill the minds of youth in understanding the consequences of the colonial rule thereby ensuring permanent settlement. Through this policy our youth are being subjected to co-optation which is a way of neutralising a nation in order not to participate in the national resistance. We are now not realising it but are being used under a very hidden hand. The proxies have benefits under the principle of clientelism. Principle of Clientelism is a concept where some people are hired to implement the rules of coloniser, under a term called “Patron,” upon their people and get political support and protection in exchange. The Baloch nation as a whole must be vigilant about these anti-nation policies of the occupying state and protect themselves from being used against their own. This is a self-destruction. We, not only refrain from participating, but also denounce and counter such events in all ways possible. The recent Youth Summit Gwadar was the second of its series; there are chances of many more events and other suchlike seminars. We have to be careful and cautious about these so-called engagement policies and fully counter them by any means necessary.