Bengal
The Economist | 7th August 1971
Sir—Diana M. Pidwell (Letters, June 26th) believes that Bengali “troublemakers” after killing “more than 100,000 non-Bengalis” have now taken shelter in India, and any relief “relief fund” raised here would directly or indirectly contribute to further killing of helpless people by them. It seems that, like a few others, she has fallen victim of the scenario built up—basically for home consumption in West Pakistan—by President Yahya khan and his army, since March 25th, that the President secessionist demands of Sheikh Mujib and the massacre of the non-Bengalis made the army crackdown in east Bengal inevitable.
Thousands of Biharis and Punjabis were being killed without anybody ever noticing it! What was the army doing? Why did none of the journalists—who packed east Bengal during March 1st to 25th—report any such happening? Why is none of his broadcasts, including the one on March 25th declaring Sheikh Mujib and his Awami League enemies of Pakistan, did president Yahya say a single word about such killings?
Of course, Bengalis killed some non-Bengalis; but all that happened as a reaction to the killing, arson, looting and raping of Dacca on March 25th. Before ordering the army to restore “order”, President Yahya Khan should have foreseen what might be the reaction of an utterly frustrated people—their leaders indiscriminately arrested or killed, their students and academic staff shot in public or burnt alive in groups by a regular army which was supposed to be disciplined. The fact that the non-Bengalis turned en masse in favour of the army and guided it in finding out the houses of Awami League leaders enraged the Bengalis to the point of losing their senses.
Yours faithfully,
SREEDHAN ROY
Birmingham
Sir—It is significant that Mr. Muhammad khair (Letters, June 19th) chosses to mention just two possible answers to the refugee problem; industrialization and emigration.
Unless the death control being poured into Asia is rapidly matched by an effectively equal amount of birth control, there can be only one “answer”—massive disaster provided by either nature (plague, starvation etc) on man (war).
Your correspondent might equally consider in contrast to the “share-out of territory and privileges”, the disproportionate and tremendous contribution which Asia is making to man’s major problem; over-population,
Yours faithfully,’
MONA MCNEE
Bromley, Kent
Unicoded by Toshar Mondal