East Upset By Parasite Policy
By our Diplomatic staff
Dissatisfaction in East Pakistan over economic and political disparity between the country’s two wings has been a festering sore since partition.
From the beginning West Pakistan has been a parasite on the east. It has taken monies received from the sales of jute and other products and used aid given to the country mainly for the building of dams, new towns and industrial improvement, all at the expense of the East.
The West wing was formerly completely dependent on the East, but now it is practically viable, although standard of living there will undoubtedly go down should the East be lost.
The sole cash crop produced by the millions of peasants in East Pakistan is jute. World demand has fallen and peasants can get only 20 to 25 rupees (about $2) per 80 pounds weight. This barely covers the cost of growing it.
Economic wilderness
West Pakistan has left the 72 million population of the East in the economic wilderness while providing various industries around Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi to support its population of about 43 million.
Relations between the two wings, never warm, became positively frigid, during the long period in office of ex-President Ayub Khan. Hopes that were raised by the rise to power of President Yahya were quickly dashed.
If the Bangladesh cause is successful, as seems likely some countries, notably Russia and her East European allies, might offer large-scale aid because of its geographically strategic position. But it would for a long-period, sadly lack technical abilities.
Reference: The Telegraph, 18.12.1971