Balochistan has always been the center of attention after the partition of the sub-continent. The image of the Balochi community has always been tarnished by the events that take place in the region. For international media, Baluchistan is all about riots, chaos and upheaval. There is a strong need to change this perspective of the world towards Balochistan. Fortunately, there are some individuals, who, with their talents, are showing everybody what being Balochi is all about. They are showcasing true Balochi image, the image that desperately needs to get out there, for people to see that Balochis are just like any other average community. Fortunately, there are few Balochis that have taken up the mantle of changing this perspective and are trying to portray true Balochi culture through their art.
First, we have got Lyari Under Ground (L.U.G), a rap group reigning from the slums of Lyari, is trying to change everybody’s mind through rap. In their rap, they talk about their experiences in the slums and what it means to be a Balochi. Though, belonging to the slum, this doesn’t stop them from pursuing what they like and got to be good at. DJ Khalifa, a member of Lyari Underground, performed with international Grammy-winning artist and DJ, Diplo at Mad Decent Block Party, Islamabad. Their story is truly an inspiring one, teaching us that no matter where you start, you can always end up at the place you desire.
Second, we have Chiragh Baloch, a multi-talented personality, with specializations in web-development, a rising digital entrepreneur, who’s also a YouTuber, a musician, and an actor. He embodies all of this while originally belonging to Balochistan. He has many organizations and startups that aim to bring forward Balochi students that are also IT enthusiasts like himself, to showcase their talents. He created Balochtech, a website that provides appropriate software and services to customers according to their needs. He held Balochtech vision in 2017, whose goal was to act as a platform for young Balochi students to better pursue their dreams in the tech industry. He does “The Chiragh Baloch Show” on his YouTube channel, in which he tries to highlight different singers, actors and artists from Balochistan, and help them to give a platform.
He is playing an immense part, in regards to changing the perspective of the Balochis. He is not only achieving his goals and dreams but also providing means to others, to achieve their dreams.
The next we have, is Anita Jalil Baloch, Balochistan’s first female vlogger. Anita, like many others, is adamant about portraying the true image of Gwadar and its culture, which she thinks is very different from the mainstream media. Taking her inspiration from the likes of Chiragh Baloch, she said, “I shared this idea with Chiragh Baloch who is a blogger too. I was greatly inspired by him and was a fan. He gave me some basic guidelines related to blogging and the rest is history. Today, I have more subscribers than Chiragh himself.”
These individuals continue to inspire the Balochi community, and are playing their part, in reinventing the Balochi image of mainstream media.