The mentality of the deep state establishment in Pakistan has always been to crush and use brutal force against innocent civilians, be it in Pakistan, Kashmir, or Balochistan.
London: On 26 March 2022, The Republic of Bangladesh celebrated the 51st anniversary of its freedom. Independence from the reign of tyranny and oppression inflicted directly by the West Pakistani military-industrial complex alliance which led to probably one of the bloodiest and most horrific conflicts in the Subcontinent. Interestingly this year also marks the centenary celebrations of “Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubir Rahman”, who single-handedly stood firm against the dictatorship committing atrocities, and had the vision to carve out an independent Bangladesh, keeping alive the core principles of democracy and freedom of the Bengali people at its heart.
In 1947 the bifurcation of the Indian subcontinent was based on religion and it was deemed appropriate that the two communities cannot live together hence the creation of the Islamic State of Pakistan with its Western and Eastern wings. However soon after its insecure inception, it became very apparent that the West Pakistani administration including its law enforcement and military organs were disproportionately represented by the Punjabi community from West Pakistan. This disproportionate and deliberate over-representation to become the top creamy layer of the Pakistani establishment had deep fault lines for the newborn republic. It also became even more obvious when it came to the declaration of the national language of Pakistan and Urdu was selected, even though an insignificant minority of the population of Pakistan (both in East and West) spoke Urdu as their mother tongue. The President of Pakistan Muhamad Ali Jinnah, on his maiden voyage to East Pakistan, announced the first sharp striking blow when he proclaimed that “Urdu and only Urdu would be the state language of Pakistan” completely undermining the sentiments and aspirations of more than half of the population of Pakistan which in turn was the majority share of Pakistan’s human collective capital. The students of Dhaka University and civilians peacefully protested on the streets. This was one of the most non-violent demonstrations for the pure love and appreciation of their mother language. The protesters were met with bullets and batons by the military establishment.
The seeds of Bengali cultural identity in national politics were sown by this irresponsible and narrow-minded approach of the West Pakistani regime. The population in the East was up in arms as their thousands of years old lineage of the Bengali language and culture was completely undermined with the imposition of an alien language which was considered to be the language of Pakistan. Innocent students were attacked by the West Pakistani regime in an act of cold-blooded murder in broad daylight just because they were protesting for their right to speak their mother tongue. They paid the price on 21st February 1952 when heavy-handed law enforcement agencies opened fire on peaceful protesters in a trigger happy exercise. Since that gruesome day, even the United Nations has acknowledged 21st February as International Mother Language Day in recognition of the martyrs who struggled for the Bengali language.
The foundations of this newly founded fragile republic, separated by thousands of miles were always colonial in nature. The realization of an uneasy marriage was probably heading towards a catastrophic departure in the next twenty years to come. There was an attitude of gross bias, bigotry, and intolerance for the residents of East Pakistan in comparison to their Western compatriots who enjoyed the lion’s share of the resources, revenues, and riches (especially the jute dollar cash crop revenues). The West Pakistani population, predominantly Punjabi military establishment had an iron grip on the entire country. This resulted in the erosion of democratic forces and the emergence of military might.
The population of East Pakistan felt even more marginalized. During the military Junta, Ayub Khan’s reign almost all of the foreign revenue earnings from the East and any foreign aid coming into Pakistan were siphoned off and channelised towards the province of Punjab for its beautification and uplift. Heavy Industries including those of jute processing were set up predominantly in the Western part, thus depriving the East of its due share not only of employment creation but profits from its hard-earned labour in the form of exports. On the military front, it was almost unequivocally manned by members of the Western part—predominantly Punjabi. Thus again undermining the aspirations and hopes of other ethnic communities in Pakistan. Balochistan and other provinces like Sindh were also ignored. They were excluded when it came to resource allocation from the central government including employment in government jobs.
As luck would have it, in November 1970 the worst possible Cyclone Bhola in recorded history struck the shores of East Pakistan, wiping out almost half a million souls at landfall. Utter ignorance and gross lack of activation of state and international resources to aid and rescue the aftermath of such a natural calamity further cemented the deep divide between the East and the West. In the 1970s the first free and possibly only fair general elections in Pakistan saw the Awami League under the leadership of the charismatic Sheikh Mujubir Rahman win an overwhelming absolute majority. Getting 160 seats in a 300-member Assembly, he was poised to form the next government of Pakistan. However, a deep-seated conspiracy to obstruct the flow of democracy was hatched and thus changed the direction of history forever.
The West Pakistani establishment including the deep state at its core, was fiercely against the opinion of a Bengali being the supreme leader of Pakistan with an absolute democratic mandate behind him. They formulated a heinous conspiracy to crush the Bengali unity and to ensure that their hopes and liberation were forgotten forever. A military crackdown codenamed Operation Searchlight was launched on 26 March 1971. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, men women and children were mercilessly murdered and ravaged throughout East Pakistan. It is estimated as high as 10 million refugees fled across the borders into neighbouring India to seek refuge from absolutism and the reign of terror which lasted in East Pakistan from 26 March up to 16th December 1971. Under the joint synergistic forces off the Mukti Bahini (Bengali Liberation forces) and Indian Armed Forces, the West Pakistani military establishment capitulated. The myth of an elite martial race as it was projected by the Punjabi establishment burst, just within a mere 12 days of a full-scale invasion by the synergistic forces. This is probably the biggest surrender of military and other officials numbering as high as 90 thousand, after the Second World War. It also demonstrates how two nations with brotherly and deep-rooted cultural connect stood thick and thin, side by side in their greatest hour of need.
Sheikh Mujubir Rahman was arrested on the night of Operation Searchlight and was rumoured to have his grave dug out and faced imminent liquidation by the West Pakistani establishment. He stood sturdy and intrepid even when death was imminent. On his side stood shoulder to shoulder the iron lady Mrs Indira Gandhi of India who vouched that she would do whatever was possible and necessary to ensure that the people of Bangladesh got what they had struggled for and would never give up her resolve to free the Sheikh so that he returned to his people as their true leader.
The mentality of the deep state establishment in Pakistan has always been to crush and use brutal force against innocent civilians be it in Pakistan, Kashmir , or Balochistan. They have always relied on paramilitary militia under the direct supervision of the military establishment to conduct its operations.
Bangladesh has evolved as one of the most resilient and fastest developing economies in the world and under Prime Minister Hasina the country has grown leaps and bounds. She has kept her father’s legacy alive by ensuring a steady and sustainable trajectory of mass human improvement. Both Bangladesh and India enjoy not only stupendous opportunities for growth and development together but also this historic bond that will last forever, irrespective of the global geopolitical dynamics. The two countries are natural allies, who can only augment and cement their destinies together for a brighter and better future shared by many.
The writer is an author and a geopolitical analyst. Views expressed are the writer’s personal.