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Laila O Laila
Friday, November 27, 2009
Harris Khalique
After hectic day-long deliberations, participants of the peace conference organised by Strengthening Participatory Organisation in Multan gathered in a small hotel to listen to some very talented local artists. There were political workers, civil society activists, journalists and academics. Ironically called the peace conference, the whole day had remained marred with bitter debates on inter-provincial disharmony and discord much more than the issue of religious extremism. It may have been the choice of speakers in the first session or the design of the conference that set the tone of the day. In any case, people fought over things long gone by, the status of some iconic leaders of yore and political ideas no more relevant in today's world. They continued to insist on what their mentors from the past had taught them.
Pakistan has a unique culture in that sense. People at times refuse to change their preconceived notions even if the facts are found to be contrary. They would rather reject the facts. Prof Karamat Ali, leading educationist, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi from the PML-N, Hashim Babar from the ANP, Mohammed Ali Durrani from the PML-Q, Wajahat Masood and Ishaq Baloch from the National Party were among the key speakers. Participants were highly critical, involved and loud. I A Rehman and Iqbal Haider, who chaired the morning and afternoon sessions, first on issues hindering the process of peace within the country and the second on peace building in the region in the light of global compulsions helped tie the loose ends together. A detailed resolution was passed unanimously by the participants, the gist of which said that without economic justice, there couldn't be any social stability and without social stability between divergent classes and nationalities living in Pakistan, no peace was possible. Balochistan was specifically mentioned in the resolution besides religious extremism and terrorism.
Good poetry and mellifluous tunes have a magical effect always. After a few songs by professional artists in the evening, a conference participant stood up with a wish to sing a song. A strong voice, with a clarity and bass so typical of the inhabitants of Makran, Tariq Masood, took to the microphone and filled the air with the most amazing Balochi song, Laila O Laila Beyatara Baran Saila. People felt joyous and many of them started dancing to the beats of the accompanying tabla. The old happy face of Faiz Mohammed Baloch from my childhood and his dynamic voice reverberated in my mind. So were the names of Ali Mohammed Saadabadi and Nur Mohammed Nural in whose voices this song gained universal popularity.
Balochistan is our Laila, the beloved, who is angry and hurt because the Pakistani establishment and consecutive governments mistreated her. She gave the rest of Pakistan everything they needed. Be it energy and natural resources or love and goodwill. But powers that be continued to inflict wounds on its body and soul. Neither the cosmetic changes in policy and announcement of support packages from those at the helm of the affairs nor the half-hearted voices of support from common citizens like us will make Laila happy. Nothing less than becoming a Majnoon for our Laila will help us lure her back. We have to love Balochistan. We have to treat her wounds with care, her ego with respect and her anger with patience. Only then our claim of a lasting relationship will be worthwhile. We must also condemn the killings of innocent non-Baloch citizens. But could you really treat people like sub-humans for decades and then expect them to be nice to you?
The writer is an Islamabad-based poet and rights campaigner. Email: harris@spopk. org
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