Dawn
22nd March 1969
Autonomy will bring peace, says Mujib : Government urged to accept people’s demands
From MAHBUBUL ALAM
DACCA, March 21: The Awami League leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahamn, said today that real peace could be restored if the Government conceded full regional autonomy for East Pakistan on the basis of his party’s six points and the student Action Committee’s eleven-points and the dismemberment of one Unit in West Pakistan.
Addressing a meeting of about three lakh workers and others at Adamjeenagar, about nine miles from here, Sheikh Mujib declared that his party would continue its struggle on two fronts through elections and mass movement to achieve the demands of the people.
He told the Government there was still time and they should come forward and accept their demands. He regretted that at the recent Round Table Conference what was given by one hand had been taken away by the other.
The Awami League leader stressed that the movement of his party would be peaceful and constitutional. They would prove through elections that the people did not want this Constitution but wanted a new one.
He warned the people against the designs of those ultra progressive and “ultra reactionary elements” who were out to create chaos and confusion by preaching violence.
He said this was a part of a “big game” the details of which he could not give at the meeting. He asked the people to beware of such elements who had been set to create disturbances.
ROUSING RECEPTION
The meeting, which was the first to be addressed by the Sheikh atter his return from the RTC, was attended by the labourers of the entire industrial belt from Demra to Narayanganj and people from the villages. They gave him tumultuous welcome the like of which Narayanganj has not witnessed in recent time. The meeting, which was addressed by a number of labour leaders and two student leaders, pleaded full support to the six-point and the eleven-point programmes and assured the Awami League leader that they looked to him for leadership.
Sheikh Mujib assured the industrial workers, and peasants that he would always be with them in their struggle for realising their reasonable demands.
The Awami League chief asked the industrialists to accept the demands of the workers which, he said, were reasonable. He said the workers did not want anything unreasonable. All they wanted was that they should get just enough for a simple living.
He assured the industrialists they had nothing to fear and could run their concerns merrily if they accepted the demands of the workers.
He charged that during the last two months hundreds of crores of rupees had been transferred from East Pakistan to West Pakistan through banks and insurance companies. This, he said, was a very serious matter as the flight of such huge capital from this wing to the other would have serious repercussions on the economy of East Pakistan. He asked the Government to institute an enquiry.
Thousands of workers cheered Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as he drove to Adamjeenagar in an open jeep at the head of a motorcade. They showered flower petals on him and raised spontaneous slogans of Sheikh Mujib Zindabad. Later they joined the meeting in processions.
PPI adds:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman cautioned the people against the unholy scheme of the exponent of violence who were out to frustrate the people’s movement.
The Awami League chief warned the audience against the dangerous consequences that might result in the wake of violence and lawlessness.
He said that a peaceful and no-violent constitutional movement and struggle through the ballot were essential for the successful realisation of the hopes and aspirations of the people.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that he was fully aware of the mischievous scheme” that was worked out by the agents of the Government and other anti-people forces. They were active in inciting the people to violence to achieve their ends, he said.
Referring to the six-point programme of the Awami League, he said that this was nothing but a demand for regional autonomy for the provinces of Pakistan.
We did not want regional autonomy only for East Pakistan but also for the other Wing of the country, he added.
He recalled that he and his party-men were jailed for the six- point programme, but nothing could dampen his spirit.
He said that full regional autonomy on the basis of the six- point programme and dissolution of One Unit in West Pakistan were the demands of the people of both the Wings of the country.
He said nothing short of these two major demands were acceptable to the people of East Pakistan Sind, frontier, Baluchistan and an overwhelming majority of Punjab stood for the dissolution of One Unit while regional autonomy was also the basis demand of the people.
Earlier, Sheikh Mujib prefaced his speech recalling the sacrifices made by the students, labourers and members of the public. With choked voice, charged with emotion, he said that the sacrifices made by those in the movement would never go in vain and the nation shall always remember them with gratitude.
Enthusiastic crowd, mostly industrial workers and students lined up all along the ten-mile route from Dacca to Adamjeenagar to have a glimpse of their leader.
Innumerable arches were put up on the ten-mile route. Many of these gates, which were tastefully decorated and bore the names of Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Shaheed Mujibullah, Shaheed Asaduzzaman and others who gave their lives in the recent movement.
When the motorcade reached Adamjeenagar it took 30 minutes for the leader to reach the dais because of the huge crowd. Tens of thousands of people who could not get space at the meeting ground stood on roadside.
On return Sheikh Mujib was followed by over one lakh people who escorted the motorcade for about eight miles well after sunset.
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯