Seminars call for analysis of Dhaka debacle

By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE - The creation of Bangladesh as a new state is a thought-provoking lesson for us and we should analyse the causes behind the debacle of Dhaka. It was stated by Justice (R) Mian Allah Nawaz at a seminar organised by the Nazria-i-Pakistan foundation here on Thursday.

He said that ideology of Pakistan or two-nation theory meant that the Muslims and the Hindus were two nations who had totally different culture and cannot live together. He said that Pakistan was divided into two parts due to the policies of the despotic ruler.

Brig (R) Zaffar Iqbal alleged that rulers had already made up their minds to divide Pakistan.

Dr. Muniruddin Chughtai said we still consider Bengalis as our brothers. He also said that real problem was created by the Hindus in the East Pakistan when they stirred the issue of language. 

Dr Rafiq Ahmad thanked the participants and said that two-nation theory still has its relevance.

HIZB BLAMES IMPERIALIST POWERS FOR DHAKA FALL: Naveed Butt, official spokesman of the Hizbut Tahrir in Pakistan, said on Thursday that creation of Bangladesh was one of the planned episodes of the imperialist policy.
He said a Christian state had been established in East Timor, previously a part of Indonesia and a pact had been signed under the auspices of the UN to create another Christian state in southern Sudan, while the America was planning to divide Iraq into three states.

DAWA URGES ARMY TO AVENGE debacle: Speakers at a seminar on ‘East Pakistan tragedy’ said that taking revenge of the country’s division was due on Pakistan army and the masses. The seminar was organised by ‘Jamatud Dawa at Jamia al-Qudsia. 

Party chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Rafique Ghauri, Amir Hamza and Yousaf Tayyabi spoke on the occasion.

Hafiz Saeed said that the army could not retrieve its honour and pride unless it avenges India.

Daily Pakistan’s Chief Editor Mujeebur Rehman Shami said that the rulers separated the land and slaughtered the masses in 1971, which was their biggest mistake. The country could not be saved that way. He said that the USA would not be that mighty in the next few years. Afghanistan and Iraq were proving a cancer for America.

Hafiz Makkii said that a vulgarity culture was being introduced in the army, as a conspiracy against the army. He said that the Muslim army should not get training in the non-Muslim countries.

Rafique Ghauri said same Generals, who surrendered before India, were ruling the country. He urged to seek guidance from Allah and not from America.

Army and politicians blamed for 1971 tragedy: Both politicians and military rulers were responsible for the loss of East Pakistan, said some speakers at a seminar, organised by the Punjab University’s Islami Jamiat Talaba on Thursday.

Those who addressed the seminar included JI MNA Fareed Ahmed Piracha and others.
LHC BAR: Meanwhile, the LHC Bar Association through a resolution adopted in a special meeting Thursday called for displaying names of those persons on the face of National Assembly building who had been held responsible for Dhaka fall of 1971 in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. 

Bengal's Islamic Identity and tragedy of East Pakistan.

Voice of Islam, Dec 2004

Bengal was the largest Province of India regarding land and population. Hindu Historian, Dr. Tara chand has written in his book that Islam spread most rapidly in Bengal as compared to the other provinces of India making Muslims a majority over Hindus.

As per Lord Macely, "Bengal was understood as a garden of the heaven amongst the eastern countries. Grain was grown in abundance and was transported to far flung India. The ladies of the richest families of London and Paris used to wear the beautiful and high quality clothes that were prepared in Bengal on the handlooms. A Muslim merchant of Bengal named Abdul Ghaffoor had more capital than that of East India Company.

"According to major Basu, "there was such merchants in Bengal whose buisness and capital were equal to that of Bank of England. The merchants and nobles of Bengal had great wealth and consequently farmers, workmen, artisans and skilled laborers were paid reasonably. Bengal was far ahead of other provinces in respect of knowledge and education as well. There were more than 80 thousand schools (Madrassas) in Bengal before British Raj making an average of one madrissa for 400 hundered men.

Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula was the legend and one of the most brave sons of Bengal. He fought bravely with British army for a long period and gave them a really tough time. The family which led the Jihad after the martyrdom of Sayyed Ahmed and Shah Ismail was also related to Bengal. Due to the countinuous struggle of Maulana Walayet Ali and Mulana Anayat Ali, the number of Mujahideen from Bengal were in the overwhelming majority in Tehreek-e-Jihad as compared to other provinces.

W.Band Pays tribute to the Bengali Mujahiden in the following words:

"The Muslims of the land of Bengal who appeared to be week physically but regarding their faith they were mountains of courage, dare and valour. Despite of their specific thin physical appearance they use to travel thousands of miles to reach the centre of Mujahideen at the borders by deceiving British Government. And in the battle these lean looking Mujahideen use to jump like leopard/tigers and to cut open our army like lions.

Hunter says that the Province of Bengal continued to remain a sheer troubling state for us for a long time. We hanged and assassinated more than 2 lac Bengali Mujahideen and Ulma but despite of this we failed to crub the strong religious faith of Bengali Muslims. And when British Raj failed to get its goals from this naked atrocity as well then they decided to entangle and captivate the Muslims of Bengal into poverty, hunger and scantiness by plundering the wealth of Bengal, by using wicked, malignant and shrewd moves and trappings. Industry, trade and Agriculture of the province were ruined and centers of knowledge wretched. Such policies were adopted that made Bengal a land of worst famine stricken. Dearth overtook the Province of Bengal and nearly 40 lac Bengali Muslims died due to it. But despite of this Bengal never stopped responding its original strong faith of Muslim religion. British totally failed to break up Bengali Muslims and to weaken their iron faith despite of using all these brutual and avenging tactics.

In this gloomy secene of sheer scantiness, trial and misfortune, appeared Mr. TITO Meer who led the Muslims, helped them to recapture their powers and enlightened their souls with the never diminishing true faith of Islam. All India Muslim league, the party which carried all of the Muslims of India under its flag and succeed to win a homeland for them which was the largest in Muslim states was constituted on 31st Dec 1906 in Dhaka. All India Muslim Students Federation which played the role of front brigade in Pakistan movement held its first meeting in Bengal. It was Calcutta where Pakistan students party came into being whose slogan was, "Strive to make Pakistan or die."

The fact, that partition of Bengal in 1905 created the basis of the Partition of India in 1947, can not be denied. It was Bangal's Maulvi A.K. Fazul-ul-Haq who presented Lahore Resolution in the historical meeting of 23rd march 1940 in Lahore. It was the Lahore resolution which afterwards got fame as Pakistan resolution. The lion of Bengal strived for the approval of Dhaka university act and got it sanctioned in 1921. As a result this university came into being as a solid and renowned Muslims educational institution. It was the only university in sub-continent in which Aima-Ikrams, were appointed, who used to call for prayers five times a day and collective Namaz was performed in the university hall.

Bengal's Muslims were committed so much to the cause of Islam and Pakistan that when lion of Bengal Maulvi A.K.Fazl-ul-Haq constituted its own political party by the name of "Kurshuk Proja Party" and made a solo flight in the elections held in 1946, was succeeded to get only 6 seats out of 200. This was so because the Muslims of Bengal took Pakistan and Muslim league as Islam and Kalma. Agha Shurash Kashmiri has written in his book, "that when we were on our tour of Bengal for the 1946 election campaign we travelled to the last corner of Bengal which was situated with the borders of Burma, there we asked a farmer, who was ploughing his fields, "Baba, to whom you will vote". He answered, "I will cast my vote in favour of kalma. When we asked him that what it was meant by kalma, he answered,: "kalma means Pakistan."

Quaid-e-Azam toured Bengal many times but when he toured Dhaka again in 1948 after Pakistan came into being, it happened to be a Historical tour. Jubelient people from all the far flung areas of east Pakistan poured in pultoon ground Dhaka to welcome him. At this historical and unforgettable occasion, Bengalis raised their voices with that of Quaid-e-Azam's and vowed their ever love and promise with Pakistan and repeated their settled purpose and firm determination, that for the beloved country they will never hesitate to sacrifice any thing even their lives. And all the conspiracies on the basis of colour, race, language and region made by the enemies would be knocked down. But, what happened…………..

Only after a period of 25 years, circumstances and thoughts changed altogather. Gone with the wind were promises and love for Islam and country, and further vows to sacrifice anything even their lives for the sake of Islam and Pakistan were forgotten too.

History will ever remember the scenario that when thousands of Muslims of "Bahar" were brefet of their homes at the hands of Hindus. It was Sh. Mujeeb-ur- Rehman who led the very first relief mission to help these Muslims. Bengal's Prime minister Hussein Shaheed Soharwardi opened free the govt exchequer to help the Mujahideen of Bihar. When the leader of "Hindu Maha Sabahi" Party and Member of Bengal assembly, Shiana Parshad Mukar Ji opposed this, Prime minister of Bengal, Hussain Shaheed Soharwardi Said,

"if I had to sell even the building of Assembly for the purpose I will never mind it."

On one side these scenes of love, sacrifices and Muslim brother hood and on the other side just after 25 years whole world witnessed the terrible and dreadful atrocities made by Muslims with their brothers. They cut the throats of their own brothers. They burned alive to their own brothers and they cut the bellies of pregnant women, who were from their own religions mothers, sisters and daughters and took out their premature children and raised them on the tips of spears. Can one believe that this was done by the Muslims of Pakistan, who fought for a separate homeland together, shoulder by shoulder in the name of Islam with their fellow Muslims and Pakistani brothers. Here the question is that what happened that only after 25 years trook such a big change in their minds and character that they forgot their past altogether in which they fought together with their enemies and helped and vowed to help and sacrifice their lives even for one another.

Experts have described many causes for it. These few basic are as under:

1. Issue of language (Urdu and Bangla)

2. Understandings of the Muslim of Bengal that their political and economic rights are being confiscated by the West Pakistan

3. Adoption of diverting policies from constitution of Pakistan.

There is no doubt that Urdu language was the one of the strong weapon of the Muslims in their struggle for independence and it was a part of their national and historical civilization. But importance of Bengali language was undeniable as well. The Bengla was a language of 4 and half crore Muslims of East Pakistan that were nearly half of the whole population of Pakistan. Before partition of India to mention Urdu the sole language of Muslims of India against Hindi was right but after partition to announce Urdu the only national language of Pakistan and ignoring Bangla altogether cannot be considered a wise decision.

Available facts confirm understanding of the Bengali Muslims that they were not being treated equally. During 1947-48 and 1959-60 the total Government expenses in developing and non developing sector was 2750 million rupee in East Paksitan whereas in West Pakistan the total expenditure was 8017 million rupee. In private sector, only 20 percent of the total development expenditures were made in East Pakistan. Like wise, politically the Prime Minister of the country from East Pakistan often was ousted from the power in un-typical ways. The high civil officers posted at the key posts in East Pakistan were always used to be from West Pakistan. These all things resulted into an understanding for the Bengali Muslims that they were being ruled by the West Pakistan, who is not giving their right to them. India took advantage of this situation and gave wind to the propaganda amongst Bengali Muslims that for political and economic freedom they will have to part ways with West Pakistan. Unluckily Governor Generals Ghulam Muhammad, Sikandar Mirza and General Ayub failed to understand, handle and keep track of the situation. Their policies lacked in wisdom and it was due to these wrong policies that Bengali nationalists obsessed with Indian agenda came in front of the political scene of Bengal and the leaders who could play an important role for a sovereign Pakistan gradually became insignificant.

Basic cause of tragedy was deviation and inversion from Islam:

All the causes of tragedy of East Pakistan mentioned above are correct but they are of secondary nature. The primary and basic cause which engulfs all of other causes of this tragedy was the deviation from the reason for which was Pakistan achieved. And who does not know that this reason was Islam! The struggle for Pakistan was made in the name of Islam and the same Islam was the most neglected thing after Pakistan was achieved, so how could one expect the tragedy not to happen?

Before partition 90 percent of educational institutions i.e. schools and colleges were in the control of Hindus. After partition no steps were taken to redeem the education institutions from the Hindu control and to adopt an Islamic course of teachings. It was the result of this criminal deviation from Islam and Islamic mode of education that the thoughts and intentions of the young Bengali generation changed with months and after few years these young Bengalis whose elder were in the forefront of the struggle for Pakistan in the name of Islam were tired of Pakistan and wanted partition once again.

It is a sad state of affairs that to day our country is once again poised with the same situation. The present rulers of Pakistan are adopting the policies fully divergent from Islam. And not only this, they are at open war with Allah, His Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and Islam. After the tragedy of East Pakistan, Indra Gandhi proudly said, "we have submerged two nation theory into the Bay of Bengal". If it was Indra Gandhi who submerged two nation theory into the Bay of Bengal, then now it is our present ruler who have acted ahead of it and had thrown ideology of Pakistan into the open Indian ocean. The slogan which is being carried by the present rulers of the country is, "Pakistan First", which means the Pakistan only belongs to Pakistanis. This is the same slogan which Bengali used, i.e. Bengal is only of Bengalis. And this was when lesson of Muslim brother hood was forgotten and the wicked genie of nationalism overcame and the whole world saw that Muslims became worst enemies of Muslims. They cut throat of each other. Any one who took the name of Pakistan was beaten to death. Thousands copies of Quran were strangled and mosques were filled with the blood of Muslims who were killed by their fellow Muslim brothers. And first time in the fourteen hundred years of history of Islam 90 thousand Muslim soldiers were captured by the Pagan forces. In the present scenario, the ruler of Pakistan General Pervaiz Musharaf is acting likewise General Yahya. The dead body of the Pakistan ideology has been wrapped into the Tranga i.e. Indian national flag and is ready to be buried. In 1971 Pakistan army who surrendered to India's at least after half-hearted battle but now this stage nation is not only being forced but its mind is being compelled to accept defeat without the least opposition.

The defeat of 1971 war was only of army's. Neither Muslims of west Pakistan nor of east Pakistan accepted this defeat. Had it been accepted by the nation, India had not felt the need today to stretch barded wires at its Bangladesh border. Rule and Rulership are not perpetual and everlasting thing. Muslim nation was very much alive in 1971 and it is now as well. If any thing is needed, it is that General Pervaiz Musharaf must reconsider and revise his national character and behaviour towards Islamic and Pakistan ideology. He will have to decide, if he wants his place in history with Tipu Sultan or Jafar Sadiq, with Major Aziz Bhati Shaheed or Yahya Khan. If he does not adopt the Islamic ideology, that is needed most at the moment, he will have to blame himself for scourge that is waiting for him and he will have to face it. Islam was alive and will ever remain, it dominated and will dominate. If it will not be Musharaf who cares about it, Nature is come up with some one else but then General Muaharaf's place in the history will never be with Tipu Sultan or Major Aziz Bhati.

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