Veteran Baloch journalist Chakar Khan Rind passed away

QUETTA: Veteran Baloch journalist Mir Chakar Khan Rind, Editor of monthly political magazine Balochi Dunya, passed away at his home town Multan after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.

He was known in every nook and corners of Balochistan and was among the greater Baloch settlements in Sindh, Punjab and the Gulf countries.
He remained editor of his very popular monthly magazine for over six decades. He took over from his father Maulana Noor Ahmad Faridi who was an eminent scholar, historian and a prominent personality in his own right. Maulana Faridi was the author of many books and research work.

Governor of Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, were the first ones among top government officials to condole the death of veteran journalist Mir Chakar Baloch by terming it as a great loss to the Balochi literature and journalism.

The Quetta-based Balochi Academy had also condoled the death of Mir Chakar Khan. Chairman and Member of the Academy joined others in condoling the death of an eminent Baloch journalist.

Late Chakar Khan Rind had demonstrated consistency in his writing and supported the Baloch struggle for national rights for the past half a century and he resisted all the pressure from the government and official circles for long. The Baloch political leadership from all segments of the political divide widely respected him as a true and professional journalist who traveled across Balochistan to write about the problems of the people. Even in his life time, he was one of the most respected Baloch journalists who held unquestionable credentials as an objective journalist.

He had widely traveled and visited almost each and every Baloch settlements in Balochistan, Sindh and the Punjab besides he had developed personal relationship with all the important Baloch personalities during his life time.

He offered comments and wrote editorial boldly giving his personal opinion on many issues, mainly the political currents and under currents, without coming into pressure from any quarter. The Balochi Duniya, a political and social magazine, had been publishing special supplements on different Baloch political, literally and social figures in order to pay respect to their services. The magazine has been known for triggering debate on a number of social and political issues in the Baloch society. It has been carrying out articles on all special occasions due to which the official advertisements to the magazine were curtailed.

Late Mir Chakar Khan Baloch was a highly respected journalist in the Baloch society in all parts of Pakistan and also in the Gulf region where he was a frequent visitor. Leaders hailing from all political parties appreciated his contributions and paid attention to his political suggestions and commentaries.

In one of his last editorials in the Balochi Duniya, he wrote from Multan: “ We stay in touch with the developments taking place in spite of living in Multan. The situation there is very alarming and depressing. The entire province is in the grip of severe fear and insecurity. One can imagine the level of disappointment and despondency in the province from the fact that extremist slogans are being raised from the province. Only Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Dr. Hayee and Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo are the remaining people from the state of affairs. These three people keep coming on the television to comment on the political situation of Balochistan. Our rulers are trying to find out a solution of the Baloch problem by different packages. As a matter of fact, money cannot buy love and respect. The government cannot win the Baloch hearts only by paying them billions and trillions of rupees. If you love the people, you will conquer the whole world. The government needs to love and respect the Balochs in order to win their hearts. There is an urgent need to heal the Baloch wounds. Balochs are a brave people. They do not want the money but dignified treatment. Void packages and announcements do not work for the Balochs.”

In a meeting with the Baloch Hal, the veteran Baloch journalist had complained about poor health conditions and said he could not travel alone owing to weaknesses. Thus, he was always accompanied by someone from the family whenever he traveled somewhere. In the last days of his life, Chakar Khan was not very hopeful about the state of affairs in Balochistan and was very concerned about the arrest of political workers and official attack on the democratic forces.

He also predicted that the Baloch media would come under sever official restrictions in the future for which the Balochs would have to be prepared and get united to face these challenges.
His death was widely condoled by the Baloch leaders. Mir Danish Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch Ittehad, Punjab, had also condoled Chakar Khan’s death.
Chakar Khan would be remembered as a mediator for the Baloch politicians and intellectuals as his Balochi Duniya was the only Baloch magazine which gave equal coverage to the government, opposition leaders who believe in parliamentary politics and those who support the ongoing armed struggle in Balochistan. Likewise, he brought intellectuals and journalists from assorted schools of thought on one platform.

Chakar Khan was a journalist who preferred not to make personal criticism on the Baloch figures by trying to highlight the positive contributions of the people and telling his readers that no human being was perfect. He was a staunch advocate of Baloch unity and appealed to the Balochs to end all tribal and political rivalries in order to achieve the greater rights of the province, preserve the Baloch identity and promote the Baloch culture.

The Balochi Dunya has been instrumental in drawing the attention of the government over the poor state of different archeological sights of the Baloch history. Late Chakar Khan ran a massive writing campaign to force the government to take necessary measures to protect the grave of the great Baloch leader Chakar Khan.

The Balochi Dunya had been published in the recent times by his son Shahbaz Khan Baloch during Chakar Khan’s days of ailment.

Source: Baluch Hal News