Baloch nationalism

Ideology that claims the Baloch people are a distinct nation

Flag used by most Baloch nationalists and separatists, designed by Jumma Khan Marri in 2003.

Baloch nationalism (Balochi: بلۏچی راجدۏستی, romanized: Balòci ràjdòsti) is an ideology that asserts that the Baloch people, an ethnic group native to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, form a distinct nation. The origins of modern Baloch nationalism coupled with the insurgency in Balochistan involving various militant organizations, go back to the period of the partition of British India and subsequent independence of Pakistan, when Kalat, the largest Baloch princely state,  acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan.[1]

## Baloch ethnicity and nationalism[edit]

Baloch nationalism is mostly popular in southern and eastern parts of Balochistan.

The Baloch nationalist movement's demands have ranged from greater cultural, economic and political rights, to political autonomy, to outright secession and the creation of an independent state of Balochistan. The movement is secular and heavily influenced by leftist Marxist ideology, like its other counterparts in other parts of Pakistan.

The movement claims to receive considerable support from the Baloch diaspora in Oman, the UAE, Sweden, Norway, and other countries. Pakistan has repeatedly made claims that the Baloch nationalists have received funding from India,[2] although these have been denied by India.[3] Similarly, Afghanistan has acknowledged providing covert support to the Baloch nationalist militants. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Republic of Afghanistan provided sanctuary to Baloch militants. The Republic of Afghanistan had established training camps in Kandahar to train Baloch militants and also to provide arms and ammunition.[4][5]

## Modern Baloch nationalism[edit]

Baloch nationalism in its modern form began in the form of the Anjuman-e-Ittehad-e-Balochan (Organisation for Unity of the Baloch) based in Mastung in 1929, led by Yousaf Aziz Magsi, Abdul Aziz Kurd and others.[6] In November 1929, Yousaf Aziz Magsi published an article stating the aims of the group, namely:

1. Unification and independence of Balochistan;
2. A democratic, socialist system guided by Islamic universalism;
3. Abolition of the sardari-jirga system;
4. Free, compulsory education for the Baloch, and equality for Baloch women;
5. Promotion of Baloch culture.[7][6]

Simultaneously with the formation of the Anjuman, Baloch intellectuals in Karachi formed a nationalist organisation, called the Baloch League.[7]

In February 1937, the Anjuman reorganised and became the Kalat State National Party, carrying on the Anjuman's political agenda of an independent united state of Balochistan. They demanded the independence of the ancient Khanate of Kalat, which was later incorporated into Pakistan in 1955.[7] The party was dominated by more secular-minded, anti-imperialist and populist elements, such as Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Mir Gul Khan Naseer and Abdul Aziz Kurd. When parliamentary elections were held in the State of Kalat, the party was the largest winner with a considerable majority.[7]

In 2017, the World Baloch Organisation placed advertisements on taxis in London to say #FreeBalochistan along with slogans such as "Stop enforced disappearances" and "Save the Baloch people". These were initially allowed but later denied permission by Transport for London. The World Baloch Organisation claimed that this was a result of pressure from the Pakistani Government after the British High Commissioner in Islamabad was summoned to appear before the Pakistani Foreign Secretary.[8]

## Support for separatism in Pakistan's Balochistan[edit]

The News International reported in 2012 that a local survey organization Gallup conducted a survey that revealed that the majority of Baloch do not support independence from Pakistan. About 14 percent of Baloch were in favour of independence. Amongst Balochistan's Pashtun population support for independence was even lower at 67 percent. However, a majority (3 percent) of Balochistan's population did favour greater provincial autonomy.[9][10]

A survey in 2009 by the Pew Research Center found that 58% of respondents in Balochistan chose ″Pakistani″ as their primary mode of identification, 32% chose their ethnicity and 10% chose both equally.[11]

## See also[edit]

* Balochistan Liberation Army
* Insurgency in Balochistan
* Sindhudesh
* Sindhudesh Liberation Army
* Separatist movements of Pakistan
* Saraikistan

## References[edit]

1. ^ Sheikh, Salman Rafi (2018). The Genesis of Baloch Nationalism: Politics and Ethnicity in Pakistan, 1947–1977. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-351-02068-8.
2. ^ "India supporting Baluchistan violence: Pak". Ia.refiff.com. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
3. ^ "US bails out India from Balochistan wrangle". The Times of India. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
4. ^ Sirrs, Owen L. (2016). Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations. Routledge. ISBN 9781317196082.
5. ^ Newton, Michael (2014). Famous Assassination in World History:An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 106\. ISBN 9781610692861. "By 1976, while proxy guerilla war with Pakistan, Daoud faced rising Islamic fundamentalists movement led by exiled cleric aided openly by Pakistani prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto."
6. ^ a b Khosa, Tariq (20 July 2020). "Baloch Nationalism". Dawn. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
7. ^ a b c d Baloch Nationalism: Its Origin and Development, Taj Mohammad Breseeg, 2004
8. ^ Mortimer, Caroline (6 November 2017). "TfL removes 'Free Balochistan' adverts from London black cabs after pressure from Pakistani government". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
9. ^ Grare, Frédéric (11 April 2013). "Balochistan: The State Versus the Nation". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. "According to a July 2012 survey, only 37 percent of the Baloch favor independence, and a mere 12 percent of Balochistan's Pashtuns favor that option. However, 67 percent of the total population supports greater provincial autonomy."
10. ^ "Only 37% Baloch favour independence: UK survey". Khaleej Times. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023.
11. ^ "Pakistani Public Opinion – Chapter 2. Religion, Law, and Society". Pew Research Center. 13 August 2009.

## Sources[edit]

* In Afghanistan's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet Temptations, Selig Harrison, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, New York, 1981
* Baluch Nationalism and Superpower Rivalry, Selig Harrison Archived 2012-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, International Security, Vol. 5 No. 3 (Winter 1980-1981) pp 152–163
* Knights, Not Pawns: Ethno-Nationalism and Regional Dynamics in Post-Colonial Balochistan, Paul Titus and Nina Swidler, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Feb., 2000), pp. 47–69

## External links[edit]

* The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism, Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Paper No. 65, January 2006
* Balochistan's history of insurgency
* Pakistan: The Worsening Conflict in Balochistan, International Crisis Group, Asia Report N°119, 14 September 2006

* v
* t
* e

Regionalism, separatism and stateless nationalism in Asia

List of active separatist movements in Asia

Afghanistan|

* Hazara
* Pashtun
* South Turkestani

Azerbaijan|

* Artsakh
* Kurdish
* Lezgin
* Talysh

China|

* Cantonese
* East Turkestan
* Hong Kong
* Macau
* Manchu
* Southern Mongolian
* Taiwanese
* Tibetan

Cyprus|

* Turkish Cypriot

Georgia|

* Abkhazian
* Adjarian
* Javakheti
* Ossetian

India|

* Assamese
* Bodo
* Kashmiri
* Khalistan
* Manipuri
* Naga
* Tripuri

Indonesia|

* Aceh
* West Papuan

Iran|

* Assyrian
* Baloch
* Kurdish
* South Azerbaijani

Iraq|

* Assyrian
* Kurdish
* Turkmeneli

Israel|

* Palestinian

Japan|

* Ryukyu

Kazakhstan|

* North Kazakhstan

Malaysia|

* Sarawak

Myanmar|

* Chin
* Kachin
* Karen
* Kokang
* Mon
* Palaung
* Rakhine
* Rohingya
* Shan
* Wa

Pakistan|

* Balawaristan
* Baloch
* Kashmiri
* Pashtun
* Sindh

Philippines|

* Bangsamoro

Russia|

* Balkar and Karachay
* Bashkir
* Chechen
* Chuvash
* Circassian
* Crimean Tatar
* Ingush
* Karelian
* Lezgin
* Manchu
* Ossetian
* Sámi
* Siberian
* Tatar

Saudi Arabia|

* Qatifi

Sri Lanka|

* Tamil

Syria|

* Assyrian
* Kurdish
* Turkmen

Thailand|

* Patani

Turkey|

* Assyrian
* Eastern Greek
* Kurdish
* Western Armenian

Uzbekistan|

* Karakalpak

Vietnam|

* Cham
* Montagnard [vi]

Yemen|

* South Yemeni

* v
* t
* e

Baloch nationalism

Regions|

* Balochistan
* Balochistan, Pakistan
* Sistan and Baluchestan Province (Iran)
* Balochistan, Afghanistan

Parties and groups|

* National Awami Party
* National Party
* Balochistan National Party
* Balochistan National Party (Awami)
* Balochistan National Party (Mengal)
* Baloch National Movement
* Jamhoori Wattan Party
* Baloch Republican Party
* Baloch National Front
* Kalat State National Party
* Baloch Council of North America

Student groups|

* Baloch Students Organization
* Baloch Students Organization – Awami
* National Student Federation

Militant groups|

* Balochistan Liberation Army
* Baloch Nationalist Army
* Baloch Republican Army
* United Baloch Army
* Baluch Liberation Front
* Parrari
* Jaish ul-Adl
* Jundallah
* Baluch People's Liberation Front
* Balochistan Liberation United Front
* Popular Front for Armed Resistance
* Baluchi Autonomist Movement
* Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan
* Lashkar-e-Balochistan

Key figures|

* Gul Khan Nasir
* Abdul Hai Baloch
* Habib Jalib Baloch
* Hameed Baloch
* Ghulam Mohammed Baloch
* Mir Nooruddin Mengal
* Allah Nazar Baloch
* Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo
* Hasil Bizenjo
* Akbar Bugti
* Brahamdagh Khan Bugti
* Prince Karim Khan
* Mir Lawang Khan
* Nawab Nowroz Khan
* Abdul Aziz Kurd
* Yousaf Aziz Magsi
* Balach Marri
* Khair Bakhsh Marri
* Jumma Khan Marri
* Sher Mohammad Marri
* Akhtar Mengal
* Ataullah Mengal
* Abdolmalek Rigi
* Dad Shah
* Mir Hazar Khan Khoso
* Abdul Malik Baloch
* Hyrbyair Marri

History|

* Khanate of Kalat
* Insurgency in Balochistan
* Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency
* 1970s operation
* Arms discovery in Iraqi Embassy
* Turbat killings
* Missing persons
* Human rights abuses
* Terrorist incidents
* Quaid-e-Azam Residency attack
* Gwadar labors shooting
* Kech District attack
* Panjgur and Naushki raids
* University of Karachi bombing

National
myths/epics|

* Mir Chakar Rind
* Hani and Sheh Mureed

Anthem|

* Ma Chuke Balochani

* v
* t
* e

Nationalism in South Asia

Ideologies|

| Ethnic|

* Assamese
* Baloch
* Bengali (Bangladeshi)
* Bodo (Bodoland)
* Dravidian
* Meitei
* Kashmiri
* Naga
* Pashtun
* Punjabi
* Saraiki
* Sindhi
* Sinhalese
* Tamil (Sri Lankan Tamil)
* Tripuri

|

Religious|

* Hindu (Hindutva)
* Khalistan
* Muslim (Pakistani)

Territorial|

* Indian

Organisations|

* Balawaristan National Front
* Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
* Jathika Hela Urumaya
* Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Events|

* Insurgency in Balochistan
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* Bengali language movement
* Indian independence movement
* Kashmir conflict
* Pakistan Movement
* Punjabi Language Movement
* Punjabi Suba movement
* Self-Respect Movement
* Urdu movement

* v
* t
* e

Ethnic nationalism

Nationalisms
in|

| Africa|

| North Africa|

* Arab
* Berber
* Coptic
* Egyptian
* Pharaonism
* Kabyle
* Sahrawi

|

East Africa|

* Acholi
* Amhara
* Somali
* Tigrayan

|

Nigeria|

* Igbo
* Ogoni

|

Southern Africa|

* Afrikaner

|

Americas|

| North America|

* Chicano
* Greenlandic
* Indigenous Canadian
* Québécois

|

Caribbean|

* Haitian
* Puerto Rican

|

South America|

* Argentine
* Criollo
* Mapuche
* Peruvian

|

Asia|

| Middle East|

* Arab
* Assyrian
* Iranian
* Iraqi
* Jewish
* Diaspora
* Zionism
* Jordanian
* Kurdish
* Lebanese
* Palestinian
* Syrian
* Turkish
* in Cyprus
* Zaza

|

Eastern Asia|

* Cantonese
* Chinese
* Han
* chauvinist
* Hongkonger
* Japanese
* Korean
* Manchu
* Okinawan
* Ryukyu
* Taiwanese
* Tibetan

|

Southern Asia|

* Assamese
* Bengali
* in Bangladesh
* Bodo
* Dravidian
* Hazara
* Meitei
* Naga
* Punjabi
* Sindhi
* Sinhalese
* Tamil
* in Sri Lanka
* Tripuri

|

South-eastern Asia|

* Filipino
* Khmer
* Malay
* Mon
* Shan
* Thai
* Vietnamese

|

Northern & Middle Asia|

* Baloch
* Mongolian
* South Mongolia
* Pan-Turkism
* Pashtun
* Siberian
* Uyghur

|

South Caucasus|

* Armenian
* Azerbaijani
* Georgian
* Laz

|

Europe|

| Southeastern Europe|

* Albanian
* in Albania
* in Kosovo
* in North Macedonia
* Aromanian
* Bosniak
* Croatian
* Greek
* in Cyprus
* Macedonian
* Moldovan
* Montenegrin
* Romani (Gypsy)
* Romanian
* Serbian

|

Central Europe|

* Austrian
* Bavarian
* Czech
* Frisian
* German
* in Austria
* Völkisch
* Hungarian
* Polish
* Silesian
* Slovak
* Slovenian

|

Eastern Europe|

* Belarusian
* Russian
* Ukrainian
* Yiddish

| North Caucasus|

* Balkar and Karachay
* Circassian
* Ingush
* Lezgin
* Ossetian

|

Volga Region|

* Chuvash
* Tatar

|

Western Europe|

* Arpitan
* Breton
* Flemish
* French
* Irish
* Occitan
* Walloon

| United Kingdom|

* British
* Cornish
* English
* Scottish
* Ulster
* Welsh

|

Southern Europe|

* Basque
* Corsican

| Italy|

* Italian
* Lombard
* Padanian
* Sardinian
* Sicilian
* Venetian

|

Spain|

* Spanish
* Andalusian
* Aragonese
* Asturian
* Basque
* Canarian
* Castilian
* Catalan
* Galician
* Navarrese
* Valencian

|

Northern Europe|

* Estonian
* Faroese
* Finnish
* Icelandic
* Lithuanian
* Norwegian

|

Oceania|

* Australian
* Hawaiian
* Indigenous Australian
* Māori

Pan-nationalism|

* African
* Arab
* Asian
* Bangladeshi
* Celtic
* Chinese
* Congolese
* European
* Finnic
* Germanic
* Hispanic
* Iberian
* Indian
* Iranian
* Iraqi
* Korean
* Latin
* Libyan
* Mongolian
* Native American
* Nigerian
* Nordic
* Oceanian
* Pakistani
* Russian
* Scandinavian
* Slavic
* South Slavic
* Tunisian
* Turanian
* Turkic
* Ugandan

Movements|

* Alsace independence movement
* Assam separatist movements
* Assyrian independence movement
* Catalan independence movement
* Champa independence movement
* East Turkestan independence movement
* Faroese independence movement
* Flemish Movement
* Free Aceh Movement
* Free Papua Movement
* Future of Åland
* Galician independence movement (Spain)
* Greenlandic independence
* Guangdong Independence Movement
* Hawaiian sovereignty movement
* Inner Mongolian independence movement
* Kashubian Association
* Māori protest movement
* Mapuche separatist movement
* Muslim Independence Movement (Philippines)
* National Liberation Front of Corsica
* Patani United Liberation Organisation
* Ryukyu independence movement
* Scottish independence
* Siberian regionalism
* Silesian Autonomy Movement
* Székely autonomy movement
* Taiwan independence movement
* Tibetan independence movement
* Vojvodina Autonomist Movement
* Wallmapuwen
* Walloon Movement
* Welsh independence

Projects|

* Arakan
* Assyria
* Azawad
* Balawaristan
* Balochistan
* Bangsamoro
* Basque Country (greater region)
* Catalan Countries
* Chameria
* Champa
* Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
* Circassia
* Crimea
* Hatay State
* Hazarajat
* Danzig
* Donetsk
* East Turkestan
* Herzeg-Bosnia
* Hutu Power
* Ilirida
* Karakalpakstan
* Karelia
* Katarism
* Ketuanan Melayu
* Kurdistan
* Lezgistan
* Luhansk
* Manchukuo
* Marathi Abhimaangeet
* Northern Epirus
* Occitania
* Ossetia
* Pashtunistan
* Republika Srpska
* Santa Cruz
* Sápmi
* Saraikistan
* Silesia
* Sindhudesh
* Székely Land
* Tamil Eelam
* Tibet

Other|

* Local (China)
* Racial
* American Indigenous
* Black
* German
* Indigenous
* White

* Note: Forms of nationalism based primarily on ethnic groups are listed above. This does not imply that all nationalists with a given ethnicity subscribe to that form of ethnic nationalism.

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