MOSCOW – Dr. Jumma Marri Baloch, a prominent leader of the Balochindependence movement and designer of the separatist flag, recentlyrenounced his decades-long campaign against Pakistan while attending aPakistani Unity Day event last weekend in Moscow, where Sputnik’s AndrewKorybko had the chance to conduct a brief interview with him.

*Sputnik: Tell us little about yourself: how and why did you cometo Russia, how long have you been here and what do you do presently?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch:* I think everybody who was interested about the Balochaffairs might know my struggle to free Balochistan, which is not hiddenfrom anyone. I will not be wrong if I say that I am from those people whowere always on the forefront of the Baloch freedom struggle — many of thereaders might know the fact that the Free Balochistan flag, which iscurrently very popular and is in use, was designed by me.

I devoted my entire life to the Free Balochistan movement and used thepower of my pen by writing in every aspect for the Baloch cause, I havecreated and helped create many pro-Baloch movement websites and took partin anti-Pakistan seminars and conferences around the world.

For the sake of Free Balochistan I left my home, Pakistan, province, tribeand even my father and brothers. In 1979, due to the Balochistan movementI, along with my family, left for Afghanistan and settled there. Since 2000I am in self-exile in Moscow.

And again I sacrificed everything for the sake of a movement that turnedout to be fundamentally faulty and empty from within. In this struggle Iwent so far that I was completely disconnected from my Pakistani brothersand family. I supported every aspect of the Free Balochistan movement andeverybody who was connected with the freedom ideology. Due to thisideology, I was known as a Baloch sub-nationalist leader.

*Sputnik:* *What does it mean to be a Baloch, and how would you describeyour people and their culture to someone who has never heard about thembefore?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch:* It’s an honor to be a Baloch: the Baloch are brave,hospitable and honest people. The Baloch have their own code of conduct,known as Balochimayar, that guides Balochs in their daily lives and socialrelations. It is a code of conduct written down for Balochs in theirancient history, which includes being generous in hospitality to guests andoffering refuge to people who seek protection.

The Baloch nation consists of many different tribes; their tradition andcommon values are similar. They have a united civil society and they speaka common language, called Balochi. This language was driven from theancient Indo-Iranian language.

*Sputnik: How do you balance being a proud Baloch and a patrioticPakistani?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch: *Patriotism is the feeling of loving your country morethan any others and being proud of it. The Baloch love Balochistan andBalochistan is a part of Pakistan. They love Pakistan and at the same timethey are proud of being Balochs.

*Sputnik: Who is behind the so-called “Free Balochistan” Campaign, what arethey aiming for, and how do they operate?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch:* There are no doubts that India is squarely behind theunrest in Balochistan. I am a witness to it from within: India triesto counter Pakistan’s support for Kashmir and India wants to pay Pakistanin the same coin by supporting a few so-called Baloch leaders who areenjoying very luxurious lifestyles in such expensive cities as Geneva andLondon. These people are sending some money to create unrest in Balochistanlike blowing electricity supplies, mining bridges and putting mines in theroadside to keep the money supplies open.

*Sputnik: What can you tell us from your experiences about the differencesbetween past and present struggle in Balochistan? What are the supportlevels for the current one?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch:* The differences between the past and present are veryclear: the past Baloch struggle was based on brotherhood and an ideology.The Baloch fighters who used to join the struggle used to come with theirown weapons, money and supplies and were genuine and honest in theirbeliefs; the leadership was also honest and was with its people. But thecurrent struggle has been covered with fakes and greed from the beginning:fighters fight for monthly salaries and leaders live luxurious livesin western countries. If India stops the money supplies the struggle willend the next day. Their leaders’ ideologies are personal ambitions, ego andgreed for power and wealth.

*Sputnik: What is the reason why some international media have beenrepeating the claims of Baloch separatists and sometimes even lobbyingon their behalf, and how does this relate to global fake news industry?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch: *No international media pays any attention to theseBaloch separatists except Indian media that are working closely with theIndian intelligence who are paid to cover their paid agents workingas Baloch freedom fighters. These are all Indian attempts to silence thevoices of the Kashmir struggle for freedom. I guarantee if Pakistan giveseven the slightest hint to the Indians that they will stop supporting theKashmiri, the Hindus will dump the Baloch next day down in a sewage canal.

*Sputnik: What is the most effective way to debunk these falsehoods andshow people the truth about Balochistan and its native people’srelationship to the rest of Pakistan?*

*Jumma Marri Baloch:* Develop the awareness of people about the negativepropaganda, through education and empowering the local people to run theiraffairs without intervention. The Baloch must be respected, first of all,on their own soil, then such negative propaganda will have no effects. Themajority of the Baloch people have no problem with Pakistan, but they havequestions to the government as every normal citizen of any countryaround the world.