BENGALI REVOLUTION
By H. Haque
Like most revolutions of the world, Bangladesh revolution can be viewed & judged from the glimpses briefly as follows :
Background history
Indo-Pakistan sub-continent was under British rule for-more than two centuries During the later part of British rule, political awakening of the people was indomitable. The British found no scope but to concede to demand of freedom. After much debate & bloodshed the two-nation theory of the Muslim League and its demand for separate homeland for the muslims of the subcontinent came to be accepted. India was divided in August 1947 and two independent States, India and Pakistan, came into being. The division was decided upon not on the basis of geographical position but on considerations of Congress and Muslim Legue followings. Muslim League got one part in the west consisting of Sind, greater portion of Punjab. N.W.F.P. Baluchistan and some princely states and in the eastern part major portion of Bengal. One fact to be mentioned here for clear understanding of Bengali loyalty and responsiveness to Muslim league. It was only Bengal among the Pakistan provinces which formed Muslim League ministry in 1946. No Province in western part could master majority support for Muslim League. Politically, East Pakistan was far advanced than its West Pakistan partners. Muslim Legue was formed by an aristocrat of British Bengal and the organisation for many years was successfully headed by prominent Bengali leaders.
Foreseeing the peculiar geographical position of yet unborn Pakistan to be separated by a long territory of India, Muslim League leader met in Lahore. The meeting found out a formula to dispel doubts of unity and fear of domination by one part over another in Pakistan. The formula came out in the famous Lahore Resolution moved by great Bengali leader A. K. Fazlul Huq. The Resolution adopted full regional autonomy for all units. The spirit of the Resolution was later on bottled up by selfish politicians, causing grave injustices to weaker regions. Bitterness started to accumulate culminating in the present upheval.
Bengali agony
Twenty-three years since partition, Bengalis fought for realisation of their demands at many stages in many ways. They failed every time. Their demand for justice especially removal of economic imbalance between the two parts remained unheaded. Bengal contributed greater portion of foreign exchangs of the country but it got far less than its contribution and even lesser than equality. Bengali demands were often politically suppressed and administratively per with delayed. At the time of independence Bengal economically was at per west Pakistans. It suffered injustices so much so that the gap widened largely. Promises of rectification of past injustices were made all the time. But no practical step was ever taken nor was there sign of the Islamabad government.
The Chief advocate of Bengali demands, Sheikh Mujib, suffered many times jail terms for upholding the Bangali causes. His determination could not be subdued. He along with some Bengali officials had been falsely and mischievously trapped in a farce conspiracy case. The case was withdrawn at a crucial stage and Mujib came out as champion. Dacember 1970 election eliminated all discredited leaders and Mujib’s Awami League won 167 out of 169 seats from East Pakistan. In the whole Assembly of 300 members, his party became majority. The election was openly fought for automony.
West Pakistan exploited East Pakistan and treated it as a colony so long. West Pakistan could not tolerate to give due share to East Pakistan for which Mujib and his party stood determinedly through ballot in democratic process.
The army dominated by West Pakistanis collaborated with their leaders to popular and democratic movement. This flamed the agony into fire. Through ballots Bengalis got bullets. They took arms in retaliation.
West Pakistani position & attiude
Capital of the country was located in West Pakistan. West Pakistan slowly secured upper hand in the administration through cunning means. Indian inigrants at the begining manned the central government offices. They conspired to deprive Bengalis of their share in service preferred West Pakistanis in selection. This was done because of cultural, ethnic and linguistic similarities of the migrants with the West Pakistanis.
Pakistani inheritance of army at partition was composed of people from the western regions trained and patterned by British for colonial rule. British effectively used this army for a long time to suppress independence movement during prepartition days. Promotion of a few ranking East Pakistani army personnel was sealed by conspiracy for domination of army by West Pakistanis.
West Pakistani leaders and propagandists created in the common minds an impression of disloyalty, distrust and disaffection of East Pakistanis. They also instilled the idea that West Pakistan was destined to protect and rule the country. In the name of Islam, unity, intergrity and security were advocated for better strength and greater glory of the country. Placed though in a weaker position, East Pakistani fertile brains and farsighted visions heard to their complete boredom and bitterness the saintly counsels of West Pakistani leaders. But their design came to light in the naked denial of East Pakistan’s rightful claims. The political revolution brought in armed clash in Bengal.
Results of war The war
in Bangal broke out between well armed army of Islamabad and virtually unarmed civilians of Bengal. Bengalis suffered obvious losses of millions of lives, properties, peace. prospects and products. Millions of people escaped death in their homes and took shelter in Indian refugee camps to meet death of starvation and disease. Autonomy supporting politicians, intellectuals, writers, lawyer and artists got honourable exilement and their Chieftain Mujib was given imprisonment with titles of “traitor”. Cries of many mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives and husbands for their respective losses inside the area are renting the sky. Famine and disease have opened mouths to swallow many more. The cries are not heard by outside world because of the wall of terror created by army at the border. Liberation army of Bengal a collections of remnants of ill equipped E.B.R., E.P.R., police and raw hand civilians, has kept the war alive. They will carry it longer to its decisive point. They are hopeful of ultimate victory as they count sympathy and viable help at opportune time of their millions brethren.
The debit side of the government is larger than its credit. It is bankrupt economically, politically, diplomatically and morally. It is begging to creditor nations for economic help, urging friends for political support swiftly changing policies for diplomatic adjustments and striving for moral regeneration. Its loss of lives is minor. Its credit is self-pride. It will be a disgrace to military reputation of West Prkistan if the war is lost. “Might is right” is the conviction against condemnation of the world. It has drawn this lessonyfrom events in other parts of the world. It enjoys advantage of holding the power. Its ultimate victory will silence the world and the economic loss will be sucked from the colony. It is determined. It has acquired suport of some lackeys.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 10.06.1971