Mani Shankar Aiyar on Balochistan..
Ignore the opinion bit, which is predictable (for a secular fundamentalist!), but note the data - interesting...
First, the province of Balochistan (set up only in 1970 by the Yahya regime) is not a Baloch-dominated province, not even demographically. In the four districts of Balochistan abutting the North-West Frontier Province, Waziristan and Afghanistan, Pushto-speaking Pathans constitute the overwhelming majority, ranging from nearly 99 per cent non-Balochi speaking inhabitants in Zhob to over 88 per cent in Loralai, Pishin and Quetta, while Lasbela, abutting Karachi, is overwhelmingly Sindhi-speaking. Besides, the Makrani dialect is so distinct from Balochi as to be regarded as virtually a separate language in Makran while the Balochi spoken in Chagai, on the border with Iranian Balochistan, is an Iranian version of Balochi that very few other Baloch would follow. Besides, Brahui rather than Balochi is the language of the Baloch heartland. Thus, the principal enemy of Balochi linguistic nationalism is that, by definition, Pushto and Sindhi speakers are excluded from its ambit, although between them they constitute much of the population of the province.
So the Baloch are opposed to the Punjabi dominated Pak "markaz", but also against the Sindhis and the Pushtos...Both Sindhis and Pushtos have their own axe to grind againstt he markaz!
Thus the heroic uprisings of Baloch nationalists against the Pakistan government over the past half-century have mostly been undermined by rival Baloch leaders aligning themselves at crucial moments of the struggle with the ruling establishment. Baloch martyrs who command our respect (Nauroze Khan Zehri and Sher Mohammed — “General Sheroff” as Bhutto dubbed him for his pro-Moscow views — of the late ’50s; Zafar Khan Zarakzai and Aslam Gichki of the mid-70s; Aga Suleiman Dawood and Akbar Bugti of this decade) were quickly abandoned by their fellow-Baloch leaders as soon as the Pakistan government opened its doors, however temporarily, to democratically elected Baloch civil political leaders. Indeed, Abdus Samad Achakzai, the “Balochistan Gandhi”, was assassinated by none other than his brother Baloch, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti — who, in turn, was to die in a cave at the hands of Musharraf’s armed forces
Again, we are saiod to be supporting the Bugtis (now Brahmdagh), whats our leverage with the other tribes?
All of this points out to a propitious situation for us - we can play with all the players - Sindhi, Baloch and Pushtu - and keep the Paki state off balance...But there isnt (at least yet) a neat solution of a breakup...So a stable disequilibrium is an optimal state..
more in the UN and every bilateral or multilateral summit over J&K or the Baloch issue and of course which party does GOTUS and Chipanda support ; munnas like UKstan and Co will line up accordingly.Russians unfortunately have their own issues to address .
to which some people on BRf agree to parts of it(G8) and vehemently disagree on other(SeS) - or is this some alien concept, where I can support a person on some issue but disagree on some issues.
and other such wonderful issues which have nothing to do with the debate...
, one would guess.