Divide & Rule

In politics and sociology, divide and rule (also known as divide and conquer) is a combination of political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. In reality, it often refers to a strategy where small power groups are prevented from linking up and becoming more powerful, since it is difficult to break up existing power structures.

Typical elements of Divide & Conquer/Divide & Rule technique are said to involve:

• Creating or encouraging divisions among the subjects in order to forestall alliances that could challenge the sovereign.
• Aiding and promoting those who are willing to cooperate with the sovereign.
• Fostering distrust and enmity between local rulers.
• Encouraging frivolous expenditures that leave little money for political and military ends.

The use of this strategy was imputed to administrators of vast empires, including the Roman and British, who were charged with playing one tribe against another to maintain control of their territories with a minimal number of imperial forces. The concept of "Divide and Rule" gained prominence when India was a part of the British Empire, but was also used to account for the strategy used by the Romans to take Britain, and for the Anglo-Normans to take Ireland. It is said that the British used the strategy to gain control of the large territory of India by keeping its people divided along lines of religion, language, or caste, taking control of petty princely states in India piecemeal.

Soon after the departure of the British Empire from Balochistan and Indian sub-continent the British empire sowed the seed of division and mutual distrust in order to keep their indirect rule over the region, first step was the creation of Pakistan by dividing Subcontinent into three parts, India. West Pakistan and East Pakistan, similarly divided Balochistan into three parts i.e. Kalat State, Iranian occupied Balochistan and Afghanistan Occupied Balochistan. After the division of Balochistan Britishers added salt to an injury by conspiring for the occupation of Independent Baloch State and hence making Balochistan a colony of Pakistan.

Pakistan inherited the policy divide & Rule from British Empire and since then Pakistan is continuously trying to divide Baloch tribes and political parties. Some of the examples:

• Making rift and exploiting them among the four states (Kalat, Lesbela, Makuran & Kharan) of Balochistan to a point that three of them in order to harm the interests of Kalat state unanimously joined newly created state of Pakistan.
• Making differences between NAP leadership and Nawab Bugti through their Agents like Gul Khan Naseer.
• Making division among the Marri Tribes under the banner of Nawab Khair Bakash Marri and Mir Hazar Khan.
• Promoting tribal conflict within Bugti Tribal groups like Kalpar, Massori & Raija Bugtis.
• Promoting tribal conflicts between Bugti vs Domki, Bugti vs Mazari, Bugti vs Marri, Rind vs Raisani, etc.
• Making fractions and divisions in BSO, BNM and BNP from time to time.

The techniques of divide and rule don’t ended here, since 2005 the Punjabis have very systematically tried to divide Baloch nation and playing wisely and cunningly. Some examples are:

• After the martyrdom of Nawab Bugti the Punjabies and their agents accused Shaheed Balach Marri to be behind it and accused marri tribe for taking revenge from Nawab Bugti for his role in 1970’s.
• Similarly the same group of people tried to accuse Bramdagh Bugti for Murdering Shaheed Balach Marri when he was martyred.
• The same group made blogs like sardarwatch.wordpress.com in order to create further rifts and used the event of Bangkok Conference as an opportunity to divide Baloch diaspora.
• During may 2010 Pakistani Prime minister visited Sardar Ataullah Mengal and as a result some immature people started accusing Sardar Ataullah Mengal, this situation created another tug of war between BNP and Anjuman-e-Ithad-e Marri.

It’s the time for Baloch Nation to realize the conspiracies of enemies and avoid playing in their hands for making differences and divisions in Bloch Nation and political Party.

If God forbids the enemy succeeded in making serious divisions and civil war like situation then it will be a severe damage to Baloch Cause the glorified success the Baloch Nation had attained in last 10 years of the armed resistance with the blood and sacrifices of the sons and daughters of Baloch Nation. Please Identify and Isolate those agents of Punjabies which are creating rifts among different Baloch fractions, tribal groups and political parties.