Identity politics: Suppression causes separatism, Seraiki activist warns

He was speaking at a dialogue on Federalism and the Prospects of New Provinces at the Forman Christian College, organised by the Centre for Public Policy and Governance.

The dialogue focused on the Seraki movement. Bukhari shared his experiences as a Seraiki nationalism activist for almost 30 years.

Bukhari said the Seraiki movement was not just political, but  also had cultural aspects.

“There are two important sides to our movement. One… the political front and the other… our identity”, he said.

“Ethnically and culturally we have never been part of the Punjab. We have always considered ourselves different” said Bukhari.  He said consciousness of a Seraiki identity was widespread in the southern Punjab. “Young or old, everyone there says ‘I am a Seraiki’. They don’t identify themselves as Punjabis”

He said this did not imply a sense of superiority but there was a sense of alienation with the rest of the Punjab.

“Over the years we have managed to exert political pressure… They can no longer simply deny our existence”, Bukhari said. Bukhari also said separatism was not limited to Balochistan. “Any part of the country where people are suppressed and denied their rights will see such movements”, he added.

Bukhari said that the devolution of powers from federation to the provinces written into the constitution through the 18th Amendment should have come long ago. He said it would have helped avoid the current situation in Balochistan.

Bukhari advocated the formation of federal units based on cultural, ethnic and linguistic grounds.  He said the claim that the formation of new provinces would result in unbearable additional expenses was false.

“The fear that separation will weaken us is the problem. The federation will only be strengthened through respect for one another” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2014.