The imagery of protests is often coloured with violence— bloodshed, broken houses, estranged mothers and children. Though many peaceful protests have been carried out in the past and have led to fruition, there still has been violence inflicted on the protestors, and they have had to suffer immensely. Often in harsh conditions, with little support and a lot of resistance, protestors have had to put their personal safety at risk. A large number of peaceful protests have been led by women, who have stood fearlessly despite the highly vulnerable position protesting puts them in. In the largest province of Pakistan, Balochistan, the media has recently covered the protests and experiences of women who are leading them— demanding justice for loved ones who have been killed and abducted by the Pakistani government.
Balochistan, is a large province which makes up about 43.6% of the total area of Pakistan and is rich in natural resources like gold, copper, and oil. The government has been unfairly draining the province of its resources, and the people have been marginalised and living in a state of utter despondency ever since its accession to Pakistan in 1948. The common people of the land feel unsafe in their own homes and are often targeted by the government whenever they have tried to protest or even express their grievances through the same, as reported in a recent article in Al Jazeera. The Pakistani government has been treating the province as a colony and has been asserting its dominance by targeting civilians, abducting them, subjecting them to torture and ultimately murdering them. The number of people forcibly disappeared is over 5000 and there have been 2700 cases, out of which 478 cases remain unresolved.
Dr Mahrang Baloch, a Baloch activist who works tirelessly for this cause, led protests in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, in the harsh January winters. Her own father was abducted when she was 16 years old and was later found dead. She says, “I cannot begin to describe the atrocities which we have had to face, for I do not think you will have the stomach to listen to our stories.” The protests in Islamabad have consisted of women, children and citizens, who are all mourning the losses and disappearances of their loved ones. Neither the biting cold, nor the disregard from the officials has fazed them. Police officials even threw tear gas canisters into the protest zones and actively tried to stop them. Sammi Deep Balochi, one of the protesters interviewed with The Wire, said that if the state’s violence could not break them, harsh winters or rains are nothing in comparison. Maharang Baloch emphasised, “We have not come to Islamabad because we think we will find justice here; we are here for the buildings and structures that have been erected hereThey are built on the dead bodies and homicide of the Baloch people.” The Pakistani government is opposed to calling these extrajudicial killings “homicide” when activists like Mahrang insist that it should be called what it really is.
To live with the pain of losing their brothers, fathers and husbands, to live with the haunting fear of not knowing their whereabouts and the trauma of seeing their bodies wrecked with bullets– is something that Baloch women have taught themselves. The government’s ignorance stands testament to the fact that leaders will, and always have, prioritised resources and wealth over human lives. People’s lives are expendable– to them, they are simply vote-generating machines. Women-led protests are inspiring to the general public and sensitise people to take a stance against the injustice being propagated. Despite the valiant picture that these protests paint, the essence of it is a cry for help— and a dire situation that should never have reached such a point. P.C - https://thewire.in/rights/baloch-women-continue-protest-despite-police-action-government-indifference
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