A Sociopolitical AHMAD REZA TAHERI Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) Ahmad ISBN 978-1-312-34968-1 90000 Reza T aher 9 781312 349681 i ABOUT AUTHOR Ahmad Reza Taheri (born 1976) holds Postdoctoral, PhD, M.A, M.COM, and B.COM (Political Science), formerly worked as Research Fellow and Research Associate at the National Center of International Security & Defense Analysis, University of Pune (2009-2010). He is an Independent Scholar in Iranian Baloch Studies. Ahmad R Taheri is the Founder & Director of Online Thinker, as well as, Founder & Director of Taheri Entrepreneurship of Daneshyaran of Humanities, a private think tank. Currently (2014) he is a contributing Author to Defense & Security Alert (New Delhi) and an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Politics & Law, Islamic Azad University of Zahedan (Iran). Dr. Taheri is a Member of Iran's Political Science Association, as well as, a Member of Iranian International Studies Association. He has written nine books, published ten papers (2014) in internationally recognized journals and think tanks, and has presented many lectures on society and politics. Taheri Entrepreneurship Co. of Daneshyaran of Humanities www.onlinethinker.org January 2014 - Zahedan, Iran A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) BY Ahmad Reza Taheri www.artaheri.org / www.artaheri.blogfa.com This book is a work of Taheri Entrepreneurship Co. of Daneshyaran of Humanities )TECODH( www.onlinethinker.org / [email protected] Zahedan, Iran - January 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Ahmad Reza Taheri The views expressed in this book are his own, and do not reflect the official policy of any organization or institution. Ahmad Reza Taheri has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work. The author accepts full responsibility for its contents. A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013): Ahmad Reza Taheri Printed in Iran (July 2014) ISBN: 978-1-312-34968-1 ISBN: 978-600-04-2175-5 Websites: www.artaheri.org / www.artaheri.blogfa.com Emails: [email protected] / [email protected] No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author. This book is a work of Taheri Entrepreneurship Co. of Daneshyaran of Humanities (TECODH), the first independent, private, non-partisan research and educational company in Sistan va Balochestan (Iran), registered in 2003 under the Iran's Registration Bureau for the Companies with the Registration Code 2519 and Iran's Standard National Identity Number 10500059598. TECODH appeared online in 2006 as Online Thinker with the ISSN 9864-2170. www.onlinethinker.org / [email protected] CONTENTS A SOCIOPOLITICAL STUDY OF IRANIAN BALOCH ELITES (1979-2013) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………......... 1 PREFACE………………………………………………………………………3 FOREWORD…………………………………………………………………..6 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………......7 IRANIAN BALOCH BACKGROUND: A REVIEW……………………….8 PART I THE BALOCH OF IRAN: A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Prologue………………………………………………………………………..12 The Baloch Population…………………………………………………………12 The Baloch Education……………………………………………………….…14 The Baloch Occupation………………………………………………………..19 Epilogue…………………………………………………………………….….24 PART II THE SOCIOPOLITICAL CULTURE OF IRANIAN BALOCH ELITES Prologue………………………………………………………………………..26 Baloch Elites: A Profile…………………………………………………….….26 Tribal Chiefs………………………………………………………………..….27 The Molavis………………………………………………………………….....30 The Educated………………………………………………………………..…34 The Wealthy…………………………………………………………………....35 Power and Society: Baloch Elites' Rivalry…………………………………….36 Society's Norms, Elites' Attitude………………………………………………41 Marriage……………………………………………………………………….43 Polygamy………………………………………………………………………45 Zeal…………………………………………………………………………….45 Faith……………………………………………………………………………47 State and Politics: Elites' Orientation…………………………………………..48 Epilogue…………………………………………………………………….….54 PART III STATE'S DEVELOPMENTAL PLANS Prologue…………………………………………………………………….….57 Nature and Pace of Urbanization……………………………………………....57 Dam………………………………………………………………………….....60 Silo………………………………………………………………………..…....61 Bridge……………………………………………………………………….….61 Power Plant………………………………………………………………........61 Telecommunications………………………………………………………...…61 Gas & Oil Lines…………………………………………………………..…....62 Road………………………………………………………………………..…..62 Railway…………………………………………………………………..….....62 Airway……………………………………………………………………...…..63 Water……………………………………………………………………….......63 Agriculture.........................................................................................................64 Industry………………………………………………………………………...65 Commerce…………………………………………………………………..….67 Boundary Markets…………………………………………………………...…67 Chabahar Free Trade Zone……………………………………………………70 Socio-medical Assurance…………………………………………………..…..71 Epilogue……………………………………………………………………......74 PART IV IRANIAN BALOCH ELITES: DEVELOPMENTS & CONCERNS Prologue……………………………………………………………………......76 State’s Assimilation Approach……………………………………………...…76 Unity and Integrity……………………………………………………….….....82 Demands of Baloch……………………………………………………….……85 Discriminations……………………………………………………………...…89 Politicization of Islam………………………………………………………….93 Autonomy or Independence……………………………………………………99 Baloch Insurgency…………………………………………………………....104 Epilogue…………………………………………………………………...….108 CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………….110 A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) Ahmad Reza Taheri ACKNOWLEDGMENTS "A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013)" would never have existed, either as series of articles or as this present book, without the help and support of several individuals and institutions. I am grateful to Prof. Yashwant M Sumant, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Pune (India). He spent his valuable time reading and commenting on this work. Equally important for the completion of this work is the support of Dr. Mohammad Reza Taheri (my father), a Faculty Member of the History Department, University of Sistan va Balochestan (Iran). I shall ever remain indebted to him for his support and constructive recommendations. I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Hossein Shahidi, author and assistant editor at the International Society for Iranian Studies (USA). His excellent guidance, suggestions, and corrections particularly on "The Sociopolitical Culture of Iranian Baloch Elites" indeed must be appreciated. This article was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group (UK), on behalf of the International Society for Iranian Studies. Special thanks should be given to Dr. Mohammad Hassan Hossinebor, a Member of the Washington, D.C. bar, who provided me with useful resources. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Golam Mohammad Khanzai, a Baloch political expert, for his advice and assistance in Pakistan. I would like to express my great appreciation to my mother (Homa), wife (Dr. Farahnaz) brothers (Dr. Omid, Dr. Amir, Ahsan) and sister (Afsaneh). Indeed they deserve special mention for their support and encouragement. www.artaheri.org 1 A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) Ahmad Reza Taheri I am obliged to the library staff of the Planning and Administration Organization of Sistan va Balochestan Province (Iran) for providing me with necessary materials. Thanks to the Institute for Iranian Historical Studies in France. In fact, the article "A Demographic Profile of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2012)", the first part of the present book, was published by this center. Thanks to the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict (India). "Baloch Insurgency and Challenges to the Islamic Republic of Iran" (a section of this book) was also published by this society. I acknowledge that any inaccuracies in this book are completely my own responsibility. Ahmad Reza Taheri / www.artaheri.org Postdoctoral & PhD (Political Science) Scholar & Assistant Professor (Iranian Baloch Studies) Zahedan, Balochestan, Iran, JAN 2014 [email protected] / [email protected] www.artaheri.blogfa.com www.artaheri.org 2 A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013) Ahmad Reza Taheri PREFACE "A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013)" is a new study which so far has not been explored. Actually, the present book is a response to the critics of my previous book, "The Baloch in Post Islamic Revolution Iran: A Political Study", privately circulated in Iran. After receiving critical comments, I began to reassess the book. So, I divided it, deleted one chapter, reviewed and edited some chapters, and published two chapters in the form of articles. The first part of this book, for example, was published as, "The Baloch of Iran: A Demographic Profile (1979-2012)", by Analytica Iranica (Volume IV – V, 2013), the Institute for Iranian Historical Studies in France. The second part was published as, "The Sociopolitical Culture of Iranian Baloch Elites", by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group (2013), on behalf of the International Society for Iranian Studies (USA). On the whole, it took me four years (2010-14) to review and edit these "series of articles" or to "reorganize the present book", A Sociopolitical Study of Iranian Baloch Elites (1979-2013). Therefore, because of corrections and editions, the previous book changed considerably and as a result it made the present book possible. I must acknowledge