Baloch Kid Grows with Steps on Gold; But Yet Poor; Why???

Reko Diq “means sand mountain” in Balochi, carries over 12.3 million tons of copper and 20.9 million ounces of gold as mentioned by development expert Syed Fazl e Haider.

Whenever I read about wealth of Balochsitan, it makes me think, why people are living below the poverty line. Small population, vast land filled with riches but poverty, hunger and backwardness of Stone Age looms over Balochsitan.

Lately, Mir Mohd Ali Talpur tried to explain the saga, he writes “There is a saying in Baluchistan that a Baloch child may be without socks, but when he grows up every step he takes will be on gold. Reko Diq, Saindak, Sui all prove that the barefooted Baloch do tread on gold. That this wealth hasn’t benefited them isn’t accidental.

Since 1947, successive governments at the centre have pursued a policy of intimidation and coercion towards the Baloch

The goal has been to coerce the population into acquiescence so that exploitation can be conducted in a threat-free environment Credible international surveys indicate the wealth of resources and suggest that the area is home to one of the biggest copper reserves in the world with over 11 billion pounds of copper and nine million ounces of gold.

The people will end up poorer and the aquifers and the environment in general will be contaminated with cyanide, arsenic, etc with unremittingly grave consequences for the people. Given the frenzied way in which the authorities, the politicians and predatory corporations are ravaging Baluchistan’s precious resources, one can only wonder why the rulers in Islamabad are surprised, offended and annoyed when the resentment against such injustices results in insurgencies. There is a famous saying, inspired me since childhood “Peace is the product of justice”, no justice, no peace. Hope sanity prevails……….revenge of history is brutal.