PAKISTAN DAY OR RESISTANCE DAY?
MARCH 23 is traditionally celebrated in both wings of Pakistan- East and West- as Pakistan Day, commemorating the Lahore resolution, which gave birth to the Pakistan nation comprising predominantly Muslim- populated areas of pre-partitioned British India. According to an official announcement in Rawalpindi, as released by the Pakistan Information Service here, President Yahya Khan will “give message to nation” and the Day will begin with 31 gun salute in Rawalpindi and 21 gun salute in provincial capitals of Dacca, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. But for the students of East Pakistan, according to Reuter, today is “Resistance Day” when Bengla Desh (Bengal Nation) flags fly from every building.
Whether March 23 will continue to be Pakistan Day or become Resistance Day depends, much on the results of the meeting between President Yahya Khan and East Pakistani leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which was yesterday joined by West Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When this article was prepared yesterday, the three leaders were meeting in Dacca, East Pakistani capital, to find a way out of the consitutional crisis. No report was yet learned on the outcome of yesterday’s meeting, but presumably though some progress might have been made, a final agreement might not have been reached. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with the total support of the East Pakistanis, could not be expected to field an inch of ground in the negotiations. President Yahya Khan, for his part, would find it equally hard to give more concessions to Sheikh Mujibur. The same is also true with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. But Sheikh Mujibur is in a better bargaining position, because his Awami League controls an absolute majority in the newly elected National Assembly, which is scheduled to convene Thursday, but Sheikh Mujibur has expressed his rejection to attend the session unless the martial law is lifted, Bhutto had rejected to attend an earlier scheduled session of the Assembly, an act which was actually responsible for the present constitutional crisis.
The possibility of Pakistan remaining united is not entirely ruled out, but Sheikh Mujibur may have to face the challenge of the younger people in East Pakistan if he bows to the demand of President Yahya Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Under the circumstances, things will go from bad to worse, and the chance of finding a solution to the problems will be smaller. This Sheikh Mujibur might not risk and, as such, unless President Yahya Khan makes another step backward, the negotiations will not yield an agreement.
The only way to save Pakistan, apparently, is to let East Pakistan enjoy the autonomy it demands while remaining part of Pakistan in a federation or confederation. The younger generation, who are apparently enthusiastic of setting up a sovereign Bengal nation independent from Pakistan, may not like the idea, but Sheikh Mujibur may still have the influence to silence them and make them accept the deal. This all, however, remains to be seen. We can only follow the development in Pakistan with profound concern.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 23.03.1971