[Opinion]”This Time, A Generation Awakens”
by Comrad Hyder Abbas
A great civilization is not destroyed “Without” until it has destroyed itself “Within”.
There is no one in Gilgit who does not deny the brutal acts of killing of innocent people. Whenever I meet people in Gilgit they just curse those terrorists, who are deteriorating our homeland by creating a heinous environment around Gilgit. Everyone wants the terrorists to be hanged in the Chowk, but no on is ready to help security agencies. An important question arises here, if everyone wants peace, if no one is happy of being trapped in his/her home, if all the people like to live with harmony, if you want peace, if I refuse to spread violence, then who is behind all this, who is the culprit? Where does it come from? Where does it go?
Well, my dear brothers and sisters that terrorist is no where but inside our own body, it’s me, you and all of us. This is our dilemma; we just put the whole blame on the shoulders of an unknown creature, which has nothing to do with it. We the Gilgities always like to blame agencies. Tell me, how can a person working for a secret agency reach our doorsteps and open fire on us?
Definitely it’s one of us doing these bloody acts of killing innocent people. We the Baloristanis are still sleeping, we are not capable of thinking on all the aspects of any incident which takes place in Gilgit, we just can’t imagine how important it is to stay alert and fully prepared for any challenge in this dynamic and unpredictable world. If we continue behaving carelessly about the coming challenges to our homeland, soon we are going to be wiped out of the map of the world and will be walking in the kachi abadis of Islamabad, carrying our luggage on our shoulders, as our speed of going towards devastation is far more greater than the nations which are now no more existing; destroyed by their own hands.
It’s not just a battle; we are digging graves for our coming generations. They are going to curse us, and there will be no salvation in the world after here, especially for the people like us. It’s very important to understand that future of Gilgit-Baltistan depends a lot on our efforts and struggle for the nation. Our little deeds of negligence are going to cost very high for our up-coming generations, so are we going to think over it?
In my opinion, the responsibility is now on the shoulders of our well aware youth, especially the students enrolled in different institutions of Gilgit Baltistan. Unfortunately due to the non serious behavior of the dummy politicians of Gilgit Baltistan, our youth has to indulge themselves in politics and other social matters. With the grace of Allah almighty, Gilgit- Baltistan’s youth are gifted with patriotism, virtuous nature, sincerity, loyalty, courage and unity and strength. No matter, what a person roaming on the streets of Gilgit is thinking, its students whose thinking matters a lot.
BNSO is performing the holy task of promoting peace and harmony amongst the students belonging to various cultural and religious groups. One of the BNSO’s recent achievements is to avert bloodshed over the issue of recent wall chalking in Degree College Jutial. It was BNSO which came in between two groups and all the students regardless of their sect, unanimously denied the damn act of cowardice, and termed the perpetrators as enemies of our motherland, who do such acts. If BNSO was not there, what would have happened in Degree College Jutial!! Same is the case of Karakuram International University, where now there is no chance of any type of religious brawl, as it has been happening every now and then in the past.
There are some forces who always wanted to spread hatred and revulsion amongst our youth, and want to break us into various groups having totally different ideas. BNSO is struggling to organize Gilgit-Baltistan’s youth under one platform where they can get to know each other and learn how to recognize the combined enemy, and how to beat him by the weapon of knowledge and education. It’s my heartiest wish that everyone from our lands should join nationalists to gain a cause, to show the rest of the world that we are not sleeping, to tell them about our recognition.
We are a nation, we are like a family, we don’t fight for money, we know how to protect our lands, we got copies of UN’s charter for India-Pakistan 1948, we know Pakistan’s rule in Gilgit Baltistan is illegal, we know about SSR, and we’ll not sit with comfort unless and until we change this cruel system. We will no longer be the last colony of the world. Our forefathers didn’t even think that, belonging from another sect could be an issue of fighting.
We have a 4000 years old history, we are a civilized nation, we were a civilized nation, we never fought over casts or sects, Dadi Jawari a women has ruled over Gilgit, we made cities, we cultivated our lands, when the forefathers of pathans and Punjabis were not aware of any social manners, our forefathers built a great civilization among the nations across the world, so there is no reason to keep us slaves. Think my brothers and sisters. I want to strictly warn those forces to be careful because, “This Time, A Generation Awakens”
The contributor is Central President of Balawaristan National Students Organization (BNSO). He can be reached at melting.gleciar@gmail.com
I praise and appreciate the feelings and emotions of comrade Hyder Abbas and his article in itself speaks a lot about his patriotism. He is very much right regarding deprivations and grievances of our God forsaken land called Gilgit-Batistan and I agree cent percent with him. Coming to the technical aspects of the article or call it opinion, some things need to be clarified. Well the article is outcome of emotionality and chauvinism rather than a balanced and research based piece besides the history of the region as mentioned by the writer is disputed in itself. The term BNSO has made the article more confusing as the writer has forgotten to mention the faction of the said organization he has referred to or has he thought it unimportant??
The history of nationalism too is distorted by the writer besides it is crystal clear that the said organization has broken up into two factions and to make things even worse the two factions have stark rivalry.
Will the writer please mind to clarify as to which section of the said organization he has referred to??
Dose there remain any reason for the people of the region to have faith in those chanting the slogans of freedom when they blame each other of being agents of the country’s top military intelligence agency for the mere sake of chairmanship?? How can be a leader sincere with him when he is not sincere with the party whose very name he has used as a leader to earn fame? How many people are ready to stand with the nationalist leaders in their own respective villages let the region alone? Is nationalism mere chanting slogans??? Only blaming the occupant force for the miseries is not the solution of the grievances of the region, the nationalists or those claiming to be nationalists will have to prove their own capabilities in their own respective regions and than can they look forward for the region to stand by them. Let’s accept this fact that the nationalism of the region is tainted to such an extend that it is very difficult if not impossible for the nationalist cadre to gain confidence of the mass of the region. Until and unless those claiming to be nationalists or chanting slogans of nationalism, even those who intend to be nationalists need to evaluate themselves and find the answer to this very basic question that why has the mass lost confidence in those claiming to raise voice for the oppressed of the region. I would like Mr. Abbas to ponder into the roots of the conflict that led to split-up of BNF.
Hats Off to You Comrade Haider.It is a great contribution on your part to highlight the philosophy of BNSO and role of Students of Gilgit Baltistan to make our Balawaristan the land of hormony,peace and equal respect for all
The term BNSO has made the article more confusing as the writer has forgotten to mention the faction of the said organization he has referred to or has he thought it unimportant??”
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It’s totally un-imporatnt and useless bro…!!!!
@ Karrar Ali
When i as in class 5th, i used to write slogans of BNF, names of our history heroes and i alwayz Loved and respected my Land…
NOBODY has motivated me to come into BNSO, it’s me and my conscience, who asked me to do da right thing and i joind BNSO.
I was never brought in by any-one, so no-one has da right to grag me into this mess…!!!!
I never knew that BNF id divided into two parts, i came to know later on.
Then, i never stayed like a dumb n duff and a blind follwer, i had gone through a Strong Research and then i was able to find out who’s right n who’s wrong..!!!!
BNF is not factionizead on baisis of Some Ideology, it’s an Ego Problem, it’s a matter of Bravery and cowerdice…!!!
I had arranged Table Talks wid all the blocs, and i was come up with da idea that, Some People are Taking dis Mission as a Joke, and some are really sincere to this Land….!!!!
Dear bro we’re Running a movment of freedom..!! It’s not a Joke, We’ll be called asfools if we think that we could achieve our goals without any bloodshed, filling the jails and many more things…!!! as we’re talikng abt a revolution…
It’s out of my comprehention that why are you Raising da Conflicts, instead you should try to Re-unite them, and brother I Don’t Want to Be A Puppet in da hands of some So Called Nationalists, i got my own ways of thinking, so i sugget it’s you who needs to conduct a small research, Coz,
Movements does not depend on Personalities, rather it’s da Ideology and da Purpose which drives da Nations, i’m following an Ideology not a Single Person, plz don’t try to create mis-perceptions among da youth of your own lands…!!!!
Let them make up their minds dear, our youth is Awakening Now..
Plz, leave my faction, and comment on the Issues which i talked about, if you have any objection over unity, averitng bloodsheds etc…!! as our youth is quite capable of Sensing that, why somone is objecting on an issue which is not da Part of my Opinion…!!!
I’m ready to meet you and clearify all da doubts dear bro.
Comrade you are very much right in saying that ideologies never revolve around personalities but when the very founder and guardian of an ideology is termed as traitor by none except it’s own followers than the existence of the ideology becomes disputed in itself. Let me remind you that BNSO is the student wing of BNF and that was the reason that I had used the word ‘faction’.
Well the word nationalism has been exploited and misused to such and extend in our region that it is almost impossible to differentiate between those struggling for the mother land and those using the word for their own benefits. I won’t indulge myself in the terms bravery and cowardice that you have used and won’t ask to whom you have referred to as brave and who is coward in your opinion because it is all your own personal likes and dislikes for a personality.
As far as my own knowledge regarding nationalism in the region or of the region is concerned I will provide a brief if not thorough article at this platform but let me tell you that nationalism of Gilgit-Baltistan is much older than BNF.
If you have some know how of the leftist movements of early eighties and the creation of KSO and BSF, you will have a crystal clear picture of the history of nationalism in Gilgit-Baltistan.
I criticize BNF because it was the only party with a vision that rose to fame after collapse of the leftist movements and hurt ranching is the fact that this party was hijacked at such a time when it was scaling towards its climax.
Yes dear Brother, some of da pseudo nationalists had detoriated da Term, they had been practicing some actions which were not in our favour. I really appecIATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM AND VISION, dear all da bad things are happening in this forum coz sincere people like u and many more are not taking part in this movement. Really i dn’t have to do nothing wid any of da groups as i told u it’s THEIR Ego Problem, if a good leader cums out i’ll defintly follow him.
Fully agreed with Mr Karrar Ali and its eye opener for the comrade like Hyder Abbas and ilk. I would like to add some more empirical evidences to condemn those foreign aid political workers or paid workers like many more in above mentioned group who had been paid by IKA (Indian Kashmiri Alliances) in Europe and other sources from India. In future you will see many more fractions in above group for their personal gains……… Can any conscious political worker ask their leadership for their sources of funding for 2 weekly newspaper and 3 monthly magazines. As we use to publish one magazine quarterly from Karachi university in 2002-03 but unfortunely we couldn’t able to generate enough funds for one magazine.
Well the word nationalism has been exploited and misused to such and extend in our region by the BNF and its pseudo leadership, that it is almost impossible to differentiate between those struggling for the mother land and those using the word for their own benefits.
@ Miss Kiran,
I had already made it clear that We are a part of a movement, we are talking about Revolution here, it’s not a joke and revolution is not a dinner party dear, it’s an act of vilance in which you have to overthrow another class by Force….
The blame of foreign aid is fake, i didn’t see a panny of some foreign aid, but, Contractors, Doctors, Businessperson of my land have alwayz supported us. We collected 35000 in 4 days only from KIU…!! If u were not able to run your magazine then it was your Lack of Commitment, it was your own weakness, u can’t blame others…
If i ask you for da proof of this Blame on nationalists, u’ll be in trouble, coz u know u’re not speaking on da basis of some facts.. Mr Ghazanfer said da same, and Ghazanrar’s Father sent da First Annexation Offer to Gandhi, and when Gandhi rejected it he then sent it to JInnah, then it’s U and Ghazanfr who’re supporters of some country not us.
U lack some political awareness dear, WE ARE RUNNING A MOVEMENT OF FREEDOM HERE, We are taliking about an Independent, Sovereign and a Demopcratic State here, we don’t reaise anyone’s menifesto here, so why would some country support a freedom movement without any Intrest of hers. Dear We Hate India and we don’t Love Pakistan..!!!! U might knw da Reason..
For each country Her own benefit is prior, each of them is concerned abt her own Interests, nobody helps anybody without any Prize in return.
And despite of the fact, if somone tries to support, then what..???
Movements like Kashmir, Hizbollah, Hamas, Chechnia etc are getting support frm all over the world….
Many religious Organizations in Gilgit are getting Funds frm Countries around da globe, many Agencies are Paying millions for creating dis-balance in Gilgit’s peaceful env, Why don’t u raise your Voice against them..?????????
Inshallah, you and many more like you will not be able to Mis-Lead our Nation, we are suffering just because of the aimless captious, please, just think by your own mind.
Let’s suppose wotever u said is true, then..???? Wot result should i draw from your Shouting Slogans against your own people, Whom u want to Tell dear…???
I request all of my brothers and sisters, please don’t pay attention to those who want to Discourage You by putting baseless, useless and Proofl-less blames, Nationalists are Very much committed, sincere and loyal to our lands, we are Not Traitors, we are the Future of Glt-Bln…..
I fully and wholeheartedly agree with every single world of Comrade Hyder Abbas. Bravo for writing this opnion piece. During the last fifty odd years Pakistani establishment has kept the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in absolute ignorance. They were successful in co-opting our so called politicians, intellectuals and a large majority of our intelligentsia. Old tactics will not work this time round. Punjabi Gujjars like Qamar Kair will have to humble themselves before a great nation that inhabits in the valleys below lofty mountains of Karakorum, Himalayas and the Hindukhs. The history of the world and civilisation is full of examples when a nation long-suppressed has awaken to redeem its rightful place. Today we have awoken and together we will win our deserved freedoms.
ali al-Hakim
I pay “Surakh-Salam” to Ali Al-Hakeem and agree to him that, We’ll not Be da Slaves of any punjabi or pathan anymore and Qamar zaman will have to be polite and respectful while talking about one of da Greatst Nations of da World who’s Brave ancestors made da Baloristani, Brushali and Dardistani Civilizations, who beated British 4 times, and Crushed da Dogras and many more….
We are da sons of Gohar Aman, we are da inahbitants of Mountains, we are da followers of Dadi Jawari we are Not Slaves anymore……
Agreed that we are an oppressed nation. agreed that we are being explioted and bla bla by the establishment but what will this independent, democratic, peaceful, baloristan look like? i mean alot of us deeply desire for a homeland but no one seems to have a grand program to this effect. Is just liberation from the colonial rule the destination or there is alot more to it? what would be the political orientation of this new state? Islamic republic? peoples republic? or wat?How will the economy function? what about judicial system? admin?. if the nationalist could plz give us their program. for without knowing the path it will be difficlut for people to travel towards a destination u have envisioned.
hello
i would like to just point out a few things.
you have a great philosophy of how we the people are the reason behind all the hungama but calling politicians dummies and swearingg is not very islamic of you and it may not be violent but it does violate islamm and I think it is verry bias when you say only the students thoughts matter. isnt everyone equal. && the others may have great ideas as well
Yes ofcourse, veryone’s thinking matters r us, and the way you think varies frm person to person. My aim of pointing students was tell our youth that, We Are Da Third Generation of G-B, and it is We Who Could Bring Da Change, Our Parents Are Responsible fr All Da Sectarian Shit around here. They Were Not Able To Stop it or To Tell Da Divisiveness Caused by Sectarianism and other Social Evils prevailing in Our Society since Da Azadi-e-Gilgit…..!!!!
As far as smone’s “Role” in a society is concerned, No society can survive without and untill all of it’s neccessary ingreidients work in a proper machanism, evryone has to play his role acc to his capabilbities and “Speciality”. We can’t drag every one into da “Open Preach”. All da sectors got diff respnsibilties.
I appreciate Hyder’s efforts in disseminating political message of his party through modern medium like Pamir Times. I can feel your sense of anger with the Pakistani establishment. I am not their sympathizer either. But I strongly disagree with your emotional outpouring against certain ethnic groups. You can criticize Kaira but condemning all Gujars as inferior smacks of fascism. Kaira is a part of the system. It does not matter whether he is Gujar or Maqpoon. He is just cog in the machinery of Pakistani state system. A poor Gujar from Naltar has nothing to do with what Kaira is doing. Will you not accept a Gujar as member if he is elected as member of district council or NALA?
Look at the irony that a region which has rudimentary form of a fort in few places is telling the people who built Shahi Qila, Lahore that they did not know manners. I will give you example of the situation of bad manners in society of Punjab during last days of Mughals. Mughal kings and nobles used to send would be kings to prostitutes so that they can learn manners, nicety of language and etiquettes befitting a civilized person. Is Hyder ignorant about the treatment meted out to Doms and Kamins or condoning our collective crime but blaming others of evil doings?
Please stop hate mongering on the basis of narrow mindset of nationalism. There is no difference between religious extremism and extremist nationalism. Indeed, it is nationalism that killed largest number of people in history in the last century.
Hyder had a slip of tongue when he wrote ‘we Baloristanis’. In fact Balawaristan is just a figment of imagination of Hameed. Baloristan has historical roots. Hyder is right when he mistakes. Contrary to what Hyder thinks we were never a civilization. We had a small isolated culture. Please try to understand our position in the order of things in world history. Again, Hyder is lyrical about Gohar Aman. He is elevating him to the pantheon of heroes. True, he fought against the British. But he also slaughtered thousand of indigenous people. We cannot absolve him of the crimes that he perpetrated against local people.
I avoid commenting on the factional politics of BNF and its leadership. Hyder rightly urges us to do research to know the truth. But it is not necessary that all roads of research will lead to BNF. Rather I see a strong likelihood of waning away of youth from the gods that filled the horizon of politics with the light of charisma. That is the precise moment when our youth awakes. Nationalist parties failed in Gilgit-Baltistan because they are bereft of imaginative thinking and failed to rejuvenate politics by employing local symbols and rewriting history. Hyder appears sincere in his efforts, but he relies on people who failed to challenge the received wisdom of history and imitate of exogenous models of nationalism. Plato is right when he declared ‘a copy is thrice removed from reality.’
@ Aziz Ali Dad
Thx for ur invaluable comments bhai.
I never put any blame on Gujjers, coz i’m well awared of da Our Gujjers living in Baloristan. I got many friends wh’re Gujjers, I really respect all ethinic groups and my party has two units only comrising of Gujjers. My objecton is valid up to those pathans and punjabis who come to our Lands and treat us like no one…!!!
U ‘re true, that I,ve No Right to insult anyone, but when it comes to da Nation, when it’s da matter of our honour, i’ll Defend my Nationality. As far as Doms and Kammins in our sociiety are conernned, they are never termed in bda names, they were never dear, u’re defending those who’s turned da word Women into somthing else, who fight fr a single rupee, who humiliated da Humnity.
U know till now in Gilgit, if i say to a Suzuki Driver of my Land that, i don’t have money, He will smile at me and say, It’s Ok Brother..!! Wot’s dis humbalness dear, it’s da blood of a Wee-Civilized Nation, So, we’re civilized till now, if not much, then more than da people u’re defending.
The real issue is to Accept each others Identity, not to Ignore a Nation, Give somone his rightfull rights.
U mentioned Shahi Qilla and many other Graves of their Lost Love and many mousoleums of their Ignorance, if Mughals were worthy enough, why didn’t they build a single Universty fr their people, plz, dn’t compare them wid us, we are da sons of Himaliya, Hindokush and Karakoram, da whole world knows abt their history…!!!
That “BALORISTAN” was not a slip of tongue dear, but I said it intentionally and delibrately, coz, i know who i am, who i was, Balawaristan is da name of that Movement of our’s dear. What’ll be da name of our state, iz not me or u to decide, it’s oue Nation, who ha to chose a name.
Sorry dear. most of your sentences make no sense, prove ur logic, leave Hyder Abbas, coz it’s not Hyder dear, it’s Wot He Say’s is important…!!!!!!
U’re forgetting Mr Ali Aziz, Gohar Aman was da first leader who united da Gilgitits, Hunzaiz, Poniallis and Baltis to fight against da British, wot else u’d wanted frm him..???? I mentioneed him coz in our class three syllabus he is being presentd as a thief, a decoit, but he was not, he was our hero, he could have fought sum domestic fights, but this couldn’t be da standard of calling him as a killer..!!!
Plz, alwayz think, wot U can Do fr Ur Homeland, coz ur Land iz not in a position to do anything fr you, untill ands unless She’s Occupied..!!!!
Please, don’t cooment on Cooments, it’s our moral duty to go through An Opinon and Then Comment, so read my post and tell where i’m wrong. It’ll be a nice thing fr me. thx.
3rd pararaph, 1st line, it’s Comment. thx