Balochistan is home to severe human rights infringements, where a constant struggle for a better national life is underway. Many have played their role on the road to a better future, while plenty are yet making their way to contribute to the larger national interests. Whenever we speak of human rights guardians in Balochistan, one name comes forth instantly: Mama Qadeer Baloch – a never-tiring activist whose entire life went in serving his people in their recovery from the brutal state torture cells after facing enforced disappearances. The Vice Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), Mama Qadeer lit the hope of the people by becoming a strong, powerful and energetic voice for them. Therefore, it will not be wrong to term him “Umeet-i-Baloch” – hope of the Baloch – for his “hopeful assertions” during the time of despair.
In his longstanding struggle, Mama Qadeer Baloch did not only challenge the state’s illegal or unconstitutional and immoral practices, but also brought on record in documentation the cases of enforced disappearances and other severe human rights abuses, for which he was threatened, harassed, attacked and even bagged into criminal charges: he faced every challenge and stood firm on his ideology and stance for his people. After losing his child from the heinous crime of enforced disappearances followed by dumping his mutilated body in 2009, he considered every forcibly disappeared Baloch as his child and struggled for every single one with the same commitment, love and priority.
During all his campaign, Mama Qadeer was an active participant in various protests, rallies and sit-ins, including the Turbat sit-in against the extrajudicial murder of Balach Mola Bakhsh and three others in November 2023. He was a never-tiring icon in the indigenous struggle for the recovery of illegally detained individuals in Balochistan. After his historic 2000 kilometer long-march from Quetta to Karachi, destining Islamabad as their final stop, which began in October 2013 and culminated in February 2014 to raise awareness in the state level and internationally against human rights violations in Balochistan, Mama wished for a bigger and wider long march for which preparations were underway – the Geneva long march. But he departed before his wish for the international awareness campaign materialized.
On his farewell, I pay my rich homage to the legendary Baloch leader, Mama Qadeer Baloch, and hope the legacy, he left behind, would be sustained widely for the Baloch national interests. Although Mama bid his farewell to his people physically, but his ideas, his mission and his national vision will continue to guide his people in the longing journey for recovering every disappeared Baloch souls.