Sarvatra Vijay
The Baloch are brave people who are completely outnumbered and fighting a lonely battle against a vastly superior Pakistani Army. But then battles are not won by becoming a martyr but by killing the enemy. The Baloch need outside assistance. India could play a role but I think the country that can help it the most is the US.
The Baloch cannot win the war without outside help. The sooner they start taking outside help, the better as they are being systematically annihilated by the Pakistani Army. For long the feeling has been that the Baloch has resisted or not asked for outside support in their struggle and wanted to handle their battle all alone. That is a folly. The Baloch movement comes across as a rag tag movement with some attacks on Pakistani check posts killing a few Pakistani soldiers or blowing up oil and gas pipelines. This is not going to help them achieve their goal of independence. The Baloch movement has to become like how the Afghan movement was, supported by the CIA against the Soviets or how the Northern Alliance received support from US, India and Russia.
Firstly, the Baloch need to form a Government in exile, preferably in the US. They have already got support from Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. They need to develop more such people by using their government in exile and also all overseas Baloch who can pool in to lobby at the highest level in the US. Everyone knows what the lobbies in US can do. Pakistan has used this to its advantage over the years and successfully milked the US and also made it wink at various issues.
The Baloch have to use their rich oil and gas resources as a trump card. What do major powers want today? Oil and Gas. Both are there in Balochistan. This can be used to get in the US and India (if India chooses to) into the picture. Right now Punjabis are exploiting all the resources and taking away all the profits and may be China which does not respect human rights will reap all the benefits. The Gwadar port is a trump card for the Baloch to exploit as it can give US and India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
I believe the Baloch should convince the US of the benefits of an independent Balochistan including the one that opens up logistic route to Afghanistan and also by that means into Central Asia. The Baloch Government in exile could commit to the US about future oil and gas contracts. In return ask for American moral and diplomatic support as well as money and lethal weapons including SAMs so that Pakistan Air Force cannot target Baloch.
Without a good political leadership that can talk to leaders all over the world, the Baloch will not be able to galvanize world opinion. The Baloch have to form a united political face, it is a must. Then seek heavy weaponry. Shoot down Pakistani helicopters and fighters with SAMs. This will escalate matters. Soviets days in Afghanistan started to get numbered when Stingers came and their choppers started going down and their tanks started to get blown up. All this can only come from a major power who will see “returns” on this investment. But as long as the Balcoh aim of independence is achieved, making such deals should be OK.
https://sarvatravijay.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/what-the-baloch-need-to-do/
The Baloch are brave people who are completely outnumbered and fighting a lonely battle against a vastly superior Pakistani Army. But then battles are not won by becoming a martyr but by killing the enemy. The Baloch need outside assistance. India could play a role but I think the country that can help it the most is the US.
The Baloch cannot win the war without outside help. The sooner they start taking outside help, the better as they are being systematically annihilated by the Pakistani Army. For long the feeling has been that the Baloch has resisted or not asked for outside support in their struggle and wanted to handle their battle all alone. That is a folly. The Baloch movement comes across as a rag tag movement with some attacks on Pakistani check posts killing a few Pakistani soldiers or blowing up oil and gas pipelines. This is not going to help them achieve their goal of independence. The Baloch movement has to become like how the Afghan movement was, supported by the CIA against the Soviets or how the Northern Alliance received support from US, India and Russia.
Firstly, the Baloch need to form a Government in exile, preferably in the US. They have already got support from Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. They need to develop more such people by using their government in exile and also all overseas Baloch who can pool in to lobby at the highest level in the US. Everyone knows what the lobbies in US can do. Pakistan has used this to its advantage over the years and successfully milked the US and also made it wink at various issues.
The Baloch have to use their rich oil and gas resources as a trump card. What do major powers want today? Oil and Gas. Both are there in Balochistan. This can be used to get in the US and India (if India chooses to) into the picture. Right now Punjabis are exploiting all the resources and taking away all the profits and may be China which does not respect human rights will reap all the benefits. The Gwadar port is a trump card for the Baloch to exploit as it can give US and India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
I believe the Baloch should convince the US of the benefits of an independent Balochistan including the one that opens up logistic route to Afghanistan and also by that means into Central Asia. The Baloch Government in exile could commit to the US about future oil and gas contracts. In return ask for American moral and diplomatic support as well as money and lethal weapons including SAMs so that Pakistan Air Force cannot target Baloch.
Without a good political leadership that can talk to leaders all over the world, the Baloch will not be able to galvanize world opinion. The Baloch have to form a united political face, it is a must. Then seek heavy weaponry. Shoot down Pakistani helicopters and fighters with SAMs. This will escalate matters. Soviets days in Afghanistan started to get numbered when Stingers came and their choppers started going down and their tanks started to get blown up. All this can only come from a major power who will see “returns” on this investment. But as long as the Balcoh aim of independence is achieved, making such deals should be OK.
https://sarvatravijay.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/what-the-baloch-need-to-do/
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