Fifty-four years after the surrender of the Pakistan Army at the Racecourse Ground in Dhaka before the joint Indian and Mukti Bahini command, the wounds of separation still haunt those who cherished a united Pakistan as a unique state, separated by geography and culture but integrated through a religious bond.

Paradoxically, December 16 is mourned in Pakistan for the loss of East Pakistan, but in Bangladesh it is celebrated as Victory Day. Images of surrender were marred with humiliation and shame, raising the question of how Muslim Bengalese, who had actively fought during the Pakistan Movement, separated and formed an independent state of Bangladesh. Seldom in human history has the majority province of a country seceded from the minority.

A great deal has been written and said about the fateful day of December 16, but no lessons appear to have been learned in present-day Pakistan. The relationship between East and West Pakistan from the very beginning was fraught with issues of economic exploitation, disempowerment of the Bengalese, the language question, and the imposition of martial law, which further marginalised the people of East Pakistan. When the East–West relationship was not based on justice and the results of the December 7, 1970, general elections were not accepted by denying the majority party its right to form the government, the die was cast with the launching of a brutal military operation in the then East Pakistan.

After 54 years, there is rationale in the argument that the separation of East Pakistan was correct because, in a united Pakistan, the Bengalese would have been treated as second-class citizens. The feelings of discrimination in the smaller provinces of present-day Pakistan are a reminder of how, for 25 years, East Pakistan was treated, which compelled its people to seek separation.

The narrative that the Awami League and the Six Points of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman were seditious was myopic. Had they planned to establish Bangladesh from the outset, why was the Awami League allowed to contest the December 1970 general elections? Why, out of 300 seats in the National Assembly, was a party securing 160 seats not allowed to form the government? With only 81 seats out of 300, how did the Pakistan Peoples Party of Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto claim the right to form the government, a stance that ultimately led to the dismemberment of Pakistan?

Why Pakistan’s Eastern Garrison Collapsed Within Two Weeks In December 1971

It makes sense for Bangladesh to celebrate December 16........

© The Friday Times