“Mohammad, don’t forget wearing Balochi Shalwar(traditional baggy trousers) and Sawas (popular Balochi traditional shoes) tomorrow,” instructed my friend Nawab Saleem as we headed to our tuition institute located on Jinnah Road in Quetta. It was the 1st day of March last year. Not only Nawab but all of my other friends had a similar advice to offer. I could notice a sentiment of happiness on the appearances of the Baloch friends studying with me in the same academy. The sense of happiness and the extent of zeal were terrific to witness.
The next day when I entered Provencal Library Quetta, I realized that most of my friends were wearing Sawas and big Balochi trousers which distinguished the the Balochs sitting in the library from the rest. I, along with my friends, couldn’t attend any program because the time set for the event clashed with our classes. Bunking classes wasn’t a very wise idea. Thus, we ended up missing the cultural events. My friends said the biggest vent was taking place in Brewery, where the Balochistan’s sole medical college, Bolan, is situated.
As I returned home after my classes, I switched the T.V to watch the latest news. Too jaded that I was, friends back in Panjgur, Turbat, informed me with pouring text messages and phone calls that the cultural day events had taken place peacefully. It was a genuine reason to take a sigh of relief. I came to know that students at Khuzdar’s Engineering College had been premeditated to conduct their program that night time. Lack of coverage by most of the so-called national television channels was indeed distressing.
It was late night, nearly 11.30 or 12 when I received a SMS reporting that even cultural event in Khuzdar had been disrupted by unidentified people who hurled two grenades. The untoward incident had killed at least two young students and injured several others. Television channels also confirmed the news by flashing it for a while in the fast moving news slide. In this attack Junaid Baloch and Sikandar Baloch, students of Khuzdar Engineering College succumbed to wounds. Later on, the leg of one of the injured persons, Liaquat Baloch, had to be imputed on the advice of the doctors.
Vsh News, the only Balochi news channel, has now decided to celebrate Baloch Cultural Day this year on the same day i.e. March 2. Like all the other bits and pieces, government has saddled the Baloch to promote their culture themselves as well. Celebration of Baloch cultural day really is encouraging news for the ones who are
indignant and despised by the way Balochi culture has been crippled now. It has been observed that awareness
has started to saunter in Balochs to asset their cultural identity themselves and make the world aware of Baloch’s culture and its cultural values.
On this day, cultural programs are being scheduled throughout Balochistan.
The tragic Khuzdar incident of last year in which Sikandar Baloch and Junaid Baloch lost their lives is being sidelined. Let’s not forget that they were the ones who really deserve to be credited to mark March 2nd as the Baloch Cultural Day. They are the proponents of celebrating March 2nd as the Cultural Day. I’m not trying to discredit Vsh News for taking such an important initiative but, at the same time, I would like to remind them not to forget the incident at Khuzdar.
indignant and despised by the way Balochi culture has been crippled now. It has been observed that awareness
has started to saunter in Balochs to asset their cultural identity themselves and make the world aware of Baloch’s culture and its cultural values.
On this day, cultural programs are being scheduled throughout Balochistan.
The tragic Khuzdar incident of last year in which Sikandar Baloch and Junaid Baloch lost their lives is being sidelined. Let’s not forget that they were the ones who really deserve to be credited to mark March 2nd as the Baloch Cultural Day. They are the proponents of celebrating March 2nd as the Cultural Day. I’m not trying to discredit Vsh News for taking such an important initiative but, at the same time, I would like to remind them not to forget the incident at Khuzdar.
