স্বায়ত্বশাসন নিয়ে বঙ্গবন্ধু
২১ জানুয়ারি ১৯৫৬
করাচী
The constituent assembly of Pakistan:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: … And now I am going to other points-about regional autonomy which is the demand of the people of East Bengal. (If you give me 15 minutes, Sir, I shall try to finish and if I cannot finish in 15 minutes I will sit down so, sir,) I was speaking about the Defence and my friend, Mr. Abul Mansur, has told you so many points, but I want to add one or two points more. You know, Sir, some times they say how many Bengalis are in that department. Now I want to tell you about these points.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: These points are irrelevant.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Why, Sir, It is a question of regional autonomy. We, the poor Bengalis want our due share. Now that is a very interesting point, Sir, no doubt, about it. Now they ask to as why we want regional autonomy. Sir, is it against Islam also? I do not know when the fatwah will come from our Maulanas that this is also against Islam as my friend. Mr. Farid Ahmad Choudhury said.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: I don’t know whether all that you have said is against the Rules.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: No, Sir, It is one of the fundamental principles of the Constitution. Many points have been said about it and I want that these points should be added up to them. My friends say, why you want regional autonomy. It is not in the 21 Point Programme. It is a vague thing. I wish my friend Mr. Farid Ahmad could say this thing to the people who have elected him. You know, Sir, when elections come people give you a manifesto and this 21-point programme was given by the people. They voted for us on the basis of this 21-Point programme. They never voted for Mr. Suhrawardy or for Mr. Fazlul Huq of for Maulana Bhashani. The people voted for these 21 points, otherwise these people who have been elected and have come here, would not have come to this Constituent Assembly in the whole of their lifetime. This thing is categorically said in clause I and if you will permit me to read it as you have permitted others, I shall show it to you. Sir, With Defence, Foreign Affairs and Currency, The Central Government can be a strong Central Government.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: We have heard this argument from Mr. Abul Mansur. We want some new arguments.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, I am not going into details. I am only referring to it. Our friends say that with the three subjects, it will be a weak Centre, but Sir, we can prove that it will be a strong Centre. Sir, why are the people of East Bengal for the last eight years fighting for regional autonomy. Sir, unfortunately there is no more time at my disposal, but if you permit me I can show you what injustice they have done to the people of East Bengal. Sir, according to Mr. Gurmani, East Bengal used to pay 25 per cent of revenues to the Central Government. They say that it later decreased to 20 per cent and now it is only 14 per cent. This is what they say. So, it is decreasing day by day. According to this decrease, Sir, in 1960 it will be nil. East Bengal is so ruined…..
Sir, I am only pointing it out to you. Sir, it is like this: there are two hands to the body of Pakistan. One is West Pakistan and the other is East Pakistan. They are making one hand strong and the other hand weak. Sir, this policy is wrong and will ruin the country. In the Central Government Services, those who form 56 per cent population are not getting 5 per cent share. The East Bengali people are educated, but they are not getting their share. Sir, we do not blame the West Pakistan people. In fact we want autonomy for them also. If East Pakistan gets autonomy, the West Pakistan people will also get autonomy. We blame the ruling junta. These jagirdars, zamindars, these big landlords and ruling junta of West Pakistan have suppressed the peoples’ opinion in West Pakistan. They are so much suppressed, they cannot cry, they cannot demand, but the people of East Pakistan are politically conscious. They challenge anybody and everybody. They challenge Mr. Fazlul Haq, Mr. Suhrawardy, Moulana Bhashani; they challenge their leaders. They tell their leaders, “you have done this wrong and we will not vote for you”, but they have been suppressed, persecuted and they have been economically ruined.’ They have no land; no shelter. But, sir, we have nothing against the people of West Pakistan but against the ruling junta, who have entered the Constituent Assembly through the backdoor. One who were not even in the District Board and have become Foreign Minister of Pakistan and such people want to speak on behalf of the people of East Pakistan and say that the people of East Bengal support this draft constitution. Sir, I have just come from East Pakistan and know the mind of the people there. I know that they have rejected this un-Islamic, undemocratic and dictatorial Constitution, and it cannot be accepted by the people of Pakistan, particularly the people of East Pakistan. These people are thinking that they will sit in Karachi like Mr, Pathan he will never go back to East Pakistan; he is domiciled here. So these people are also thinking that they will earn some money and make a house here. They cannot go back because they are going against the demand of full regional autonomy, which is the demand of the people. You can kill us, you can jail us. Some times we hear that our lives are in danger, but we are not afraid. We have been elected by the people on the basis of 21-point programme, on the basis of regional autonomy. They can betray but we cannot.
(Mr. Abdul Aleem: We have never betrayed.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, the people of East Bengal will never accept the draft Constitution. You can arrest us. You have already arrested our friends and you will arrest more. I would appeal to my friend Hon’ble Mr. Chundrigar, who fought in the Federal Court about the dissolved Constituent Assembly and who has fortunately become the Law Minister now, to frame the Constitution on the basis of 21-point programme. If you want to push through the Constitution, you could do so, but if you pass this constitution then you are playing with fire. I have just now come from East Bengal, and I know the sentiments of the people there, of the agriculturists, the poor businessmen and other people of East Bengal. If you push through this Constitution, God alone knows what will happen. We want that Pakistan should be saved from the ruling junta for the poor masses, who have achieved Pakistan after great sacrifices. These people who are now ruling were not 2-anna members in the struggle for Pakistan, They want to destroy Pakistan in the name of Islam. If you frame the Constitution on the basis of 21-point programme, we will cooperate with you, we will join you, but if you go against the wishes of the people we will mobilize opinion not only in East Pakistan but also in West Pakistan against this dictatorial and undemocratic Constitution. If you agree to pass a democratic Constitution, we will help you to pass it with in seven days, even within three days, but that Constitution Should be on the democratic basis, on the basis of 21-point programme, otherwise we will oppose it tooth and nail.
Reference:
Iqbal, S. (1997) Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), p. 105-131, Dhaka, Agami Prakashani