16th December 1971: Did anyone learn lesson?
We did not learn lesson from December 1971 events and proof is our present political situation. Accepting supremacy of constitution and elected tier is the only viable way yet anti-democratic forces are still proactive in Pakistan.
There are lessons for numerous national, regional and
international stakeholders in the story of December 16th. Lesson
is for Pakistan’s unelected elite who did not respect the largest Pakistani
province East Pakistan. Lesson is for politicians that if they fight then it
would harm not only them but the country too. Lesson is for Indians who
supported militancy in her neighbors not only through a proxy war but after
that through a naked violation of international law by crossing international
boundary. Rise of narrow nationalism in India in the form of BJP is result of
that narrow nationalism promoted by Indian establishment. Lesson is for
supporters of Sole National Language Urdu who accepted his master’s voice (The
English language) but acted against Pakistani mother tongues in Pakistan.
Lesson is for US, Britain and Russia who supported the agenda to divide
Pakistan just to resist China in Indian Ocean but even tthen they failed to stop
rise of China.
There is a history of bad politics against Pakistani
Bengalis and the day of 16th December is result of those bad policies.
What happened in last years is important but seeds of separation were in those
bad policies. Centralist mindset of ICS officers in Pakistan was the major
reason of bad governance which was later adopted by military rulers. That
centralist mindset had inbuilt drive against people and that is why
establishment was reluctant to accept the majority province, East Bengal. Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Bengali
leader who had lot of respect not only in East Pakistan but also in West
Pakistan. Within 4 months after the death of Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan and Moulvi
Tameezudin Khan started a bad politics to fix H. S. Suhrawardy. They called
Suhrawardy Dog and Indian agent and speaker assembly Moulvi Tameezudin Khan ( a Bengali
himself) cancelled assembly membership of Suhrawardy. In 1952 Nazamudin
announced Urdu as Sole national language of Pakistan and when a protest was
launched against that decision than government tried to finish it by force. In
1954 due to consistent pressure from Bengalis establishment coined a formula which was a clear reflection of the
mindset. In that formula stupid policy of One Unit was coined and to appease Bengalis
the Bangla language was declared Co-National language. One
Unit was formed just to tackle the majority province. Under that formula
assembly formed the First Constitution of Pakistan in 1956. At this moment Ayub Khan and Sikandar Mirza started their play and instead of organizing first general election
they installed and removed 4 Prime Ministers in 2.5 years. Finally Ayub Khan
imposed mashallah and then till 16th December 1971 the country
remained under Marshalas of Ayub and Yahya. Consecutive 13 years of military governments weaked all institution including army in Pakistan and they failed to check what was happening against the State.
Mohit Sen was a West Bengali comrade and regarding 16th December events he recorded what was happening between Bharat, Pakistan and Moscow during those days. His autobiographical account “A Traveler & the road” published by Rupa, 2003 is not only non formal history of so-called revolutionary CPI but also a record of many important events. His prime source is C. Rajeshwar Rao, Telangana fame Indian Communist of CPI who was headed a group who were sent to USSR in early 1971 to pressurize USSR for signing a treaty with India. He recorded at least two section of important people who , due to separate reasons were against treaty. One was in CPSU and other in Indian cabinet. Minister of External Affairs A A Gromyko was head of those who were against the treaty due to two reasons, political and ideological. He had an eye on international geo-politics. US was taking control of Suez Canal route, Red sea and Indian Ocean as par Tehran Conference and Yalta agreement. Pakistan had signed construction of Karakoram road in 1966 with China. USSR, US and Britain had reservations regarding Pak china ties. But the visit of Henry kissinger at China with the help of Pakistan disturbed both USSR and Britain. in this geopolitics Gromyko told Rao that if we would signe treaty than it would translate as an act for breakage of Pakistan. In reaction Pakistan would react and it would disturb whole region. Ideological position was more complex. USSR had treaties either with socialist countries or with countries who opted for non capitalist path of development. India fall in neither situation but a capitalist country. So polit bureau of USSR was divided on that issue of treaty with India. So Rao could not convince USSR. Afterward Indira gandhi used her State to state influence and treaty was signed in August 1971. After two months Indian army entered East Pakistan. In Indian cabinet Haskar like people thought that treaty would be a total departure from India's long opted position of non alignment founded by the founder Pandat Nehru. was Pakistani authorities aware of those positions?
Mohit Sen was a West Bengali comrade and regarding 16th December events he recorded what was happening between Bharat, Pakistan and Moscow during those days. His autobiographical account “A Traveler & the road” published by Rupa, 2003 is not only non formal history of so-called revolutionary CPI but also a record of many important events. His prime source is C. Rajeshwar Rao, Telangana fame Indian Communist of CPI who was headed a group who were sent to USSR in early 1971 to pressurize USSR for signing a treaty with India. He recorded at least two section of important people who , due to separate reasons were against treaty. One was in CPSU and other in Indian cabinet. Minister of External Affairs A A Gromyko was head of those who were against the treaty due to two reasons, political and ideological. He had an eye on international geo-politics. US was taking control of Suez Canal route, Red sea and Indian Ocean as par Tehran Conference and Yalta agreement. Pakistan had signed construction of Karakoram road in 1966 with China. USSR, US and Britain had reservations regarding Pak china ties. But the visit of Henry kissinger at China with the help of Pakistan disturbed both USSR and Britain. in this geopolitics Gromyko told Rao that if we would signe treaty than it would translate as an act for breakage of Pakistan. In reaction Pakistan would react and it would disturb whole region. Ideological position was more complex. USSR had treaties either with socialist countries or with countries who opted for non capitalist path of development. India fall in neither situation but a capitalist country. So polit bureau of USSR was divided on that issue of treaty with India. So Rao could not convince USSR. Afterward Indira gandhi used her State to state influence and treaty was signed in August 1971. After two months Indian army entered East Pakistan. In Indian cabinet Haskar like people thought that treaty would be a total departure from India's long opted position of non alignment founded by the founder Pandat Nehru. was Pakistani authorities aware of those positions?
Question remains unresolved that are we ready to accept our
own faults. Expecting sanity for regional and international players is another
issue but who gave them chance to play is the important issue. Centralist
mindset and 13 years of Marshalas are the basic reasons which laid down
foundations for breakage.
Now read the article here
Last year in same month i wrote a piece on December 16th, so you better read it too. it will taste you a double shot.
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2013/12/16th-december-1971.html
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