THE DISEASE OF PAKISTAN
By Ahmad Soepardi
Proper diagnosis is a pre-requisite to correct treatment of any disease. If the diagnosis is wrong, treatment will be futile and the sick person will continue to suffer and may even meet a fatal situation, Pakistan is now a diseased nation. The nine-month old disease is not showing any improvement, rather deepening in the body-politic. The reason for this is that the root cause of the disease has not been X-rayed and diagnosed and proper treatment has not been undertaken. A nation which used to enjoy a lot of respect and reptutation as the largest Moslem country and a fast developing country, is now heading towards a disaster. In the words of Mr. Ali Bhutto, old Pakistan is not yet finished. Even if Pakistan is not yet finished, it is about to breather its last and no power can save it from inevitable destruction unless the disease is quickly detected and accurate medicine applied and if neecasary surgical operation undertaken. Time is running out. Initiative in saving the nation rests with the military rulers.
Mr. Ali Blutto, Chairman of the leftist People’s Party which is the Majority political party in West Pakistan, is now speaking about creating a new Pakistan to avoid final catastrophe. Mr. Bhutto is equally responsible with the military regime in causing the tragedy and bringing the nation near to ruination. According to the democratic procedures as well as the legal Framework Order of President Yahya Khan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League which emerged as the absolute majority party in the general election of 1970, should have been given the chance to present a constitution in the National Assembly. Awami Legue had won the election on the basis of six-point programme and naturally they had the right and duty to implement the six-point. No objection was earlier raised against the six-point. President Yahya Khan congratulated Shaikh Mujibur Rahman or his thumping victory and declared him as the future Prime Minister of the country. The Prerident … the National Asembly session on postponement of the session for discussing constitutional matters outside the Assembly and threatened to start strike and violence if his demand was not accepted. Except Mr. Bhutto and Mr. Abdul Qayum Khan, political leaders of all parties in both the wings of Pakistan accepted Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the leader of the majority party and supported his demand to discuss matters on the floor of the house. Instead of listening to the advice of Sheikh Mujib and other political leaders, General Yahya postponed the National Assembly session as demanded by Mr. Bhutto. This deepened the suspicion of the Bengalis that the military regime of West Pakistan was not willing to transfer power to the majority party, which was awami League, as this would mean transfer of power to the Bengalis and consequently end of exploitation and colonisation of the East by the West. Sheikh Mujib launched a non-cooperation movement which was so successful that even the then Chief Justice of Dacca refused to administer oath of office to General Tikka Khan, the newly appointed military governor of East Pakistan. Realising his mistake General Yahya recalled Assembly session for 25th March, Mujib declined to attend the session unless a number of his demands were met. General Yahya had to come down to Dacca for talks with Sheikh Mujib. Newspaper reports indicated satisfactory progress of the talks. It was flashed that an agreement had been reached and that a proclamation would be issued by the President on 25th March transferring power to the Awami League, giving maximum autonomy to East Pakistan. Later events proved that President Yahya was not sincere in his motive. He continued the talks only to buy time to reinforce his troops in East Pakistan.
Instead of solution to the problem, the West Pakistani troops moved silently in the darkness of night and made a dastardly attack with guns, mortars, bazookas and tanks on the defenceless people in Dacca and other places of East Pakistan. They killed Awami League leaders, University Professors, students, ordinary civilians, bayoneted children, dishonoured woman and burnt down houses. About one million people might have been killed in the first few days of army action. By now the death toll may rise as high as two million. About ten million have fled to India while another three million are said to be homeless within East Pakistan. A massacre of this magnitude is unthinkable and unbelieveable.
People in the world out side still wonder with horror and anguish how the people of one part of a country could undertake annihilation of their own brethren and coreligionists in the other part. President Yahya Khan in his broadcast of 26th March which followed army action by about 24 hours said that the Awami League was bent upon breaking the country and that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a traitor. For this, he banned Awami League, imprisoned Sheikh Mujib and ordered and encouraged his troops to go ahead with the ruthless action. According to the informed quarters, General Yahya took such a drastic action on the insistence and instigation of the hawks in the military junta and assured support and cooperation of Mr. Bhutto.
In the outside world, all those who have been watching closely the events in Pakistan, fail to understand how Sheikh Mujib, who was acclaimed as a great leader and future Prime Minister of Pakistan by Persident Yahya himself and other leaders of Awami League turned out to be traitors and enemies of the state. If they were traitors, why the President and his party were holding talks and negotiations with them until March 25? There is no documentary proofs except the imagination of the military rulers that the popular Bengali leaders were hatching a plot to separate East Pakistan or wage war against Pakistan independent observers firmly believe that as the West pakistani rulers and exploiters did not want the Awami League to come to power and frame a constitution on the basis of six-point which would have made East Pakistan fully autonomous in economic and financial matters, they took the stupid decision of letting loose a reign of terror and repression on the East Pakistani people. But after doing damage, the millitary regime now admits that there was nothing wrong with the six-point and alleges that the Awami League went beyond six-point after the election victory They say many other fantastic things and make many contradictory statements. They once said, the army hardly killed one thousand people in the action, only an insignificent number left to India, perfect normalcy prevailed in East Pakistan, food situation was satisfactory, foreign help even from the United Nations was not necessary and so on. Later President Yahya said to a correspondent that his troops did not throw flowers or play football matches when they attacked the Bengalis. He quoted the number of refugees 2-3 million. He said to another correspondent that it was East Pakistanis who brought Pakistan and he hoped that they would not secede. Though foreign correspondents were expelled immediately after army crackdown, reports of mass killing, arson, rape, destruction. is now bringing to every country for help and intervention in the internal affair of retaining control over East Pakistan.
With a populaton of 75 million, East Pakistan constituted 56% of the total population of Pakistan. It contributes more than 50% of the earnings of the Central Goveroment. But it gets a return of only. 20-25% of the accept total expenditure, investment, and foreign aid. Its share in Central services is below 15% in civil services and 8% in defence services. Disparity in income end development between East and West Pakistan has been wide-civil, military and economic powers have always been in the hands of the West Pakistan and exploitation of East Pakistan by West Pakistan was the real diseases a disease like cancer which is poisoning the bodypolitic of the nation and threatening its unity and integrity. The patriotic and democratic people of East Pakistan wanted to cure the disease through constitutional meant. Their unanimous verdict as manifested in the general election of 1970 was towards this end. But the military rulers and the economic exploiters of West Pakistan, out of their sinister motives and selfish intrests as distinct from the peoples interests, refused to recognise the real disease and failed to read the signs on the wall. Their brutal action and ruthless respression have forced the Bengalis to proclaim independence for East Pakistan, form an idependent Bangladesh government, raise a liberation army called ‘Mukti Bahini’ of 100,000 men and launch a guerilla warfare to liberate East Pakistan. The guerillas have caused quite havoc in communication and administration in East Pakistan. They are killing West Pakistani troops, police forces. Razakars and collaborators of the military regime. In retaliation the West Pakistni troops are gunning Bengali civilians …
But now that Pakistan and India have engaged in direct confrontation, the devastation and sufferings will not be limited to Bangladesh but engulf both West Pakistan and India.
It will thus be seen that a few stupid generals by their failure to understand the problem, accept the truth, respect the aspirations of 75 million Bengalis and meet their demand, created a crisis which is going to bring about immense miseries for 670 million people in the sub-continent and threatening international peace, particularly the region.
In order to prevent escalation of war and maintain peace, the real problem has to be tackled. The right of self-determination of the 75 millions Bengalis of East Pakistan should be recognised. Both West Pakistani troops and Indian troops should be withdrawn from the soil of Banglasesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman should be released and the popular Awami League leaders allowed to form government and decide their future policy. This will inspire the ten million Bengali refugees in India to return to their homes, thereby solving India’s burden and problem. It is expected that after the Bangladesh crisis has been solved according to the wishes of the-people and the refugees have returned to their homes. India will have no more complaint against West Pakistan, and the present conflict will end. If after this India still interferes in the affairs of West Pakistan or Bangladesh, the international community can put pressure on India to behave. And in case West Pakistan military rulers fail to see reason, withdraw from East Pakistan and transfer power to the Bangladesh leaders, the international community should compel them to do so in their own interest, in the interest of Bengal people and regional and international peace. If the United Nations or for that matter any other sent war simply as a conflict between Pakistan and India and ignores the right of self-determinationtand desire and determination for independence of the 75 million people of East pakistan, the root cause of the problem will remain unremoved and the disease uncured. A Security Council decision may bring about cessation of direct clashes between India and Pakistan, but it cannot force the refugees to go back home or the Bengali freedom fighters to cease guerilla warfare. A protracted war between the Bengali guerrillas and the West Pakistani troops will increase human sufferings. Fear, insecurity and famine will continue to cause exodus of refugees to India. The world body, the big powers, the Moslem states and the ASEAN countries should understand this and advise and pressurise West Pakistan as wellwishers and not interferers in its affairs, to seek a political settlement with the Bengali leaders. Such a settlement will automatically result in cessation of al hostilities and restoration of peace in the sub-continent.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 16.12.1971