How Pakistan Got Divided
(Rao Farman Ali Khan)
Part 1
The Muslims of Bengal (later comprising East l’akistan), had voted to be part of Pakistan. So what were the reasons for their change of heart, beginning with disenchantment, progressing into a lack of trust, and then translating into emotional and ideological distance? How did it lead to hatred, war, and enmity? Why did it happen when 95 per cent of the Bengalis (East Bengal) had voted for Pakistan? In my opinion, mistakes were made on both sides. This breakup had several reasons:
There was a thousand-mile distance between the two provinces, separated by an enemy. There was no people-to-people contact; the people of East Pakistan had a sense of deprivation and felt that West Pakistan treated the Eastern Wing as though it was their colony. Inept political leadership, lack of a constitution, lack of democracy, the imposition of consecutive martial laws, and the lack of senior Bengali officers (to give them a sense of powersharing) in the Pakistan Army were additional reasons. That the West Pakistani officers behaved like rulers didn’t help either. Other reasons included the historical backwardness of East Pakistan and the improper projection of this by the East Pakistani political leadership, West Pakistani leaders’ ‘cold shoulder’ attitude, their dictatorial behavior towards East Pakistan, the language disparity, and the rise of Bengali nationalism.
Was a political solution possible? Yes, a political solution was possible. The events of 1971 would not have happened and East and West Pakistan would have remained ‘One Pakistan’, but that required selfless love for the country, and total absence of self-interest and personal gain. The 1970 election was a political solution itself if the results had been accepted and a democratic process adopted. Unfortunately, the two majority leaders of East and West Pakistan did what they felt was best for them; not what was best for Pakistan. Instead of adopting a policy of conciliation, they adopted
policy of confrontation and considered their own self-interest greater than the interest of Pakistan.
Was military action absolutely necessary?
No. If the political leadership of East and West Pakistan had treated each other better, reaching a settlement or consensus with tolerance and the spirit of sacrifice, there would have been no need for military action.
Military action became necessary after the West Pakistani leadership refused to go to Dacca (Dhaka). The president (Yahya Khan) postponed the National Assembly session for drafting the constitution without giving a new date for the next session; a rebellion was triggered in East Pakistan, and an unconstitutional government was installed. There were two options: either the army should have returned to West Pakistan, or an attempt should have been made to reinstall a constitutional government (based on the democratically elected assembly).
The actual injustice was meted out it by the West Pakistani leadership—they had created an environment that led to East Pakistan’s confrontation with the army, both of whom suffered. As a result, Pakistan was dismembered and a ‘new Pakistan’ was created. If the assembly session of 3 March 1970 had been held, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s party would not have rebelled and the secession of 1971 would not have happened.
Additionally, some people in the army feel that immediate political action right after the military action could have controlled the situation. The truth is that the impact of any positive political action takes a long time to change people’s mindset. There is no magic wand that can be waved to instantly make a positive impact on the thoughts and feelings of a nation, nor can one achieve this by flipping a switch as one would an electric bulb. Hearts must be won, and that takes a long time, especially where people have been affected by military action. For example, even after a child is beaten, he rejects all reconciliatory attempts by his mother. And one talks of presenting a political solution to a people after military action? Impossible. Especially since the only solution acceptable to them was that the next Prime Minister of Pakistan be from East Pakistan. But, a prime minister from East Pakistan was not acceptable to the people of West Pakistan. Even Noorul Amin, who had won the elections, was unacceptable to them.