Ethnic Identity, In-Group Cohesion, and Linguistic Resistance: The Baloch-Brahvi Coalition in Mastung and Kalat, Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

This research examines the processes of ethnic identity construction, in-group cohesion, and the symbolic use of language within the Baloch and Brahvi communities in Mastung and Kalat cities of Balochistan, Pakistan. This study looks into how the Baloch and Brahvi communities made up of people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds have come together as one group during the fifth insurgency and the political movement of Baloch nationalism. The study focuses on how language can be both a means of communication and a symbol of this unity. This paper draws on Volcan's (2006) Psycho-Dynamic Approach to Social Identity and components from Ashmore et al. (2004)’s Organising Framework for Collective Identity to analyse data from twenty semi-structured ethnographic interviews with both educated and uneducated respondents from two cities, further supported by participant and non-participant observations in schools, markets, and hospitals. The key findings establish that Brahvi’s mainly identify as Baloch; that shared cultural practices, historical hardships, and a common perceived rival—the State and Punjabi settlers—constitute the driving force of this inter-group alliance; and that the Brahvi language is now recognised as the most significant marker of in-group affiliation and resistance. The paper argues that educated Baloch are more likely to discriminate against those who are not Baloch than uneducated Baloch, who are more tolerant. The significance of the study is that it looks at the union of both groups in the times of conflicts and how it affects the province's language policy and efforts to make peace.