ন্যায্য হিস্যা চাইলেন বঙ্গবন্ধু
১৫ ফেব্রুয়ারি ১৯৫৬
করাচী
The constituent assembly of Pakistan:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, in supporting the amendment of Mr. Abul Mansur Ahmad, I want to draw your attention ……
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Sir, although my friend, Mr. Zahiruddin, had requested the Government side not to discuss this clause at present, till we have decided the question of joint or separate electorate, still they have forced us to discuss this clause. Sir, for us it is a vital question; it is a question of life and death. We accepted parity on certain understanding that we shall get parity everywhere but that promise has not been fulfilled. They have now violated the fundamental principles of parity on which we agreed for parity. That is why we no longer want parity. We want representation according to population, because as I told you earlier it is a vital question for the people of East Bengal. What sort of electorate we will get in the Constitution, should be decided first, whether we are going to have joint electorate or separate electorate. Without that it is useless to discuss the clause under consideration. If they say that Muslims are a nation then between the Muslims of East and West Pakistan there must be parity. If they say Hindus are a nation, the Hindus of East and West Pakistan must have parity; if they say Christians are a nation then the Christians of West and East Pakistan must have parity. The question is that the population of East Bengal is 56 per cent and the population of West Pakistan is 44 per cent but we accepted parity for goodwill, for co-operation and for brotherhood and to show that we want to live together like brothers who are Pakistanis. The disaffection has been created by the ruling junta who are holding the reigns of the Government and that is why some suspicion exists in certain sections of the people of Pakistan and with this end in view we accepted parity for creating affection, goodwill and co-operation. We are Pakistanis and above all we are Pakistanis.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: You said all this before.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: I have to repeat it, because it is a very vital question for the people of East Pakistan and I would continue to draw their attention to this aspect of the question till I die because they have finished Pakistan. You have decided for 50: 50 from both the sides. Out of 150 seats, 30 Hindus will come from East Pakistan and in West Pakistan 150 seats will go to the Muslims. Now, Sir, these West Pakistani leaders want to divide and rule us. It is impossible to tolerate this. They want to bluff those representatives of East Pakistan who are now sitting with them on the other side of the House by not deciding the question of joint or separate electorate first. If they have come forward with this clause, then the question of representation must be decided according to population. Why can you not do it? You claim to be a democratic country; you claim to be an Islamic country; you claim it to be a country of justice; you will do justice to everyone. If it is a fact, Sir, then you must accept the principles of democracy. You must accept that the representation must be according to population. Sir, I ask them through you why do they not accept this demand of ours? They say, no parity. What is the reason for saying so? As my friends have rightly said that when we wanted parity in our services, they refused with thanks; when we wanted parity in our business, they refused with thanks and when we want other things, they refuse with thanks. They say, whatever they give us, we should accept it. We must now safeguard our rights. Whatever mistake we did in the past we have forgotten all about it, but we are not going to commit any blunder now. We committed some blunder believing our friends opposite, not the friends of West Pakistan, but the ruling junta of West Pakistan. Now they want to rule us. This is my point. I want to tell you that now the question of parity is no more. We the people of East Pakistan are in majority and we must, therefore, get representation on the basis of our population. If they refuse, we have nothing to say. We know that in this they will get the assistance and help of our friends from the United Front, some of whom are being made as Ministers and they may say that, “All right we have got Ministership, we will vote with them.” But the time is coming and knocking at the door and they will get the consequences. With these words, I commend and support the amendment of Mr. Abul Mansur Ahmad.
(Honourable Mr. Abdul Latif Biswas (East Bengal: Muslim): Sir, I rise …)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: You have killed us without food.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: Will you please withdraw that?)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, I said that he is a Food Minister but we are going without food. Is it unparliamentary?
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: It is not unparliamentary, but it is an unkind remark.
The Honourable Pir Ali Mohammad Rashdi: It is a reflection.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: It is not a reflection
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: Please withdraw your remarks.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: If you say that it is an unkind remark, then I will show kindness to my friend in future.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: (East Bengal: Muslim): I want to draw your attention to the fact that it is not by mistake that they have excluded it; my point is this that they have intentionally not provided for it. I can prove it from the amendment of my friend, Sardar Amir Azam Khan. Sir, we have here three lists – the federal list, the concurrent list and the provincial list. Now, Sir, it is categorically written in the Constitution that we are giving some powers to the provinces, but by this clause, Sir, so beautifully and tactfully they have taken away that power to the Central Government. Now, Sir, here it has been written that even if an Assembly passes a Bill it will go to the Governor for assent. He can give his assent or what he can do, he can withhold his assent. Then if the Governor withholds his assent then it will go to the Legislature again ….
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: I have got it already.) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Then, Sir, here is another power of the Governor ….
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: I know that.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: You know of it, but they do not understand. I want to convince them, not you. I know you are already convinced by what has been said by my honourable friend, Mr. Zahiruddin, but they do not understand
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: Try your luck!)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, we are unfortunate that they do not understand what we are saying. The position is this that here it is stated categorically that if the President withholds his assent, then what will happen – has the Legislature any power to discuss, or consider or to pass it again?
Then in the matter of the concurrent list, the Governor either gives his assent to the Bill or reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President. Now, if it had been written here that this applies to the concurrent list then it could have got some meaning in it; they have not written anything to that effect, so that even in respect of matters on the provincial list the President can veto it. Sir, how are we to understand whether this applies to the Provincial or the concurrent list? If the provincial list is passed on the advice of the Centre, then the President will work according to the advice of the Cabinet.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sir, already the Governor has no power; the Governor is the agent of the President. The Governor is not the elected representative of the people of the province …..
(Honourable Deputy Speaker: Are you suggesting that the President may appoint a person as a Governor of a Province who is personal non grata with the Ministers of the Province?)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: They have been doing this for the last eight years. The same people in power and God alone knows how long they will continue in office by manipulation, by intrigue, by clique and God alone knows whether Pakistan will be saved from this clique. This is my point of view.
Then, Sir, about the concurrent list. Now, Sir, the concurrent list is not the provincial list. A province has nothing to do with the concurrent list; it is in the hands of the Central Government. The same thing has happened in this clause: that the Governor can always send to the President and the President can always, if he likes, withhold his assent. Provincial subjects have come into the hands of the Central Government through the agent or representative of the Central Government. It is not a mistake, Mr. Zahiruddin; it has an ulterior motive: they want to say that they are giving provincial autonomy and at the same time they are taking all the subjects from the hands of the province to the Centre. I say that people are not such fools as not to realize what is being done; you cannot bluff the people on this side, because they understand something of the Constitution and they know how you are giving and how you are taking it away. You are saying in the Constitution that you are giving something by one clause and you are taking all the powers of the province to the Central Government. I say that you have deliberately written ‘for the consideration of the President’ so far as the concurrent list is concerned. There can be some meaning of it. Nothing is written here either in the concurrent list or the provincial list. You, Sir, know the danger of the President being all powerful. It will not even go back to the Central Legislature for reconsideration of the issue. So it will go to the wastepaper basket. Even the Provincial Legislature will surrender. I request them to consider this point and realize how they are going to bluff the people.
(Honourable Deputy Speaker (addressing to the Opposition): You talk about their being touchy, but I observe you are more touchy.)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: We are so touchy that we sometimes think of dying in the Assembly.
Reference:
Iqbal, S. (1997) Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), p. 209-215, Dhaka, Agami Prakashani