Centuries ago, when our ancestors were pushed from the plains into the northern mountainous regions, they resisted. And centuries later, when the invaders attacked the upper regions, our ancestors resisted once again. Whether it was Torwali's Bezo Dada, or the oppressed people of Gauri in Kumrat Khuzdar fighting against the aggressors, or the people of Swat and Dir opposing Umar Khan's aggression at Thal, they all stood up against the incoming forces. They write the history of the conqueror, who with false claims, writes poetry and calls the enemy ignorant and uncivilized while calling himself civilized. The conqueror ridicules the beliefs, names, languages, and identities of the conquered. Everything the conqueror does becomes holy, while the conquered's stories are told through tales and legends, passed down from generation to generation. Every story written by the conqueror becomes sacred, and those who ask questions become the targets of suspicion.
The same thing
happened to us. We were not only expelled from our lands in the name of
religion, but everything was taken away from us. Our beliefs, names, clothing,
and languages were ridiculed, and a specific identity was imposed on us by
calling us ignorant mountain people. Our entire history was erased, and before
us, there was nothing here. They claimed our glorious ancient historical
heritage as their own, while building their own civilization and culture on top
of it.
But we do not
forget...
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