What sustained this thread so long in this respected and well-moderated forum---despite several cries from members [salman nedian: ‘Bas kar do Bas’ ; Hasnain2009: Stop yaar!!]---is yet to be understood.
Unknown to me the value this thread offers besides (1) spreading further bitterness, and (II) munching on the following wrong theories:
1. IA perpetrated the atrocities and then dumped the accusation on PA.
2. PA is a disciplined Muslim force and never did any atrocity / rape.
Both above are wrong to the core, and I am an witness as an earliest-batch Freedom Fighter. Why not just read (I) the book “East Pakistan: The Endgame An Onlooker's Journal 1969-1971” by Brigadier General A R Siddiqi, the former Chief of Inter Services Public Relations and the former Press Advisor to President Yahya, and (II) Hamudur Rehman Commission Report.
Yet if anyone prefers to argue on & on arrogantly, this respected forum should not be the right place.
May I suggest that this thread is abolished unless someone show effectively the meaningful purpose it will serve. On the other hand, the thread “Bangladesh urges Pakistan apology for 1971 crimes” may continue in stead---not as a site for mud-slinging---but to discuss the issue of apology: (I) If required, why in the name of Islam ? (II) Is it required to advance the cause of Union ? If not, why so. Why not 'No Union - No apology' ? (III) Was Gen Musharraf's apology in 2002 enough ? If yes, why ? If not, why ? etc. etc.
Definitely apology is not necessary (I) to respond to BAL Govt. plea, &/or (II) if we are not required to face Allah, and care about 'ummah' and not to look into the issue of Union.
A dignified person, if done a mistake, has only the ability to make apology. It is not everybody’s job or issue. If we are ‘low category’ people, we could forget ‘apology’ as well, and move on our respective selfish paths---good or bad. But we perhaps can not do so as long as both sides belong to ummah & Islam---driving few souls (Al-zakir, Ahmedzaka etc.) in this forum to work for a possible Union to which many others and myself dutifully subscribe.
We can not also say that since both the parties have committed atrocities ; so, it is even. Now let us shake our dirty hands, and start working for a Union forthwith.
Issue of ummah invariably brings the issue of Islam. In Islam---as you all know---good or bad deeds are not counted in numbers but are weighed to determine gravity, density & implications of each deed. A matchbox full of earth will weigh 50 gms but the same of solar surface will weigh 7+ tons.
Moreover, a publicly committed misdeed require invariably public apology in Islam.
Further, it is not atrocity alone but (1) Years of disparity; (2) Denying Sk. Mujib his premiership (3) No strong & effective protest by Pakistani mass during the atrocity period (4) Denial of due share of state-owned assets & liability.
Surely, we have done serious crimes among ourselves and to Islam too. Before the issue of a possible union proceeds further, we must clean ourselves from the crimes committed to each other and Islam. If one has done more, it has to be admitted and addressed appropriately too. If we can not , we are not capable of taking another chance for the 2nd time for any Union or intimate co-operation. Or are we ?
India has succeeded in maintaining the unity of their much bigger population by doing right things to their people whereas the then-Pakistan has failed. If India as a secular state could maintain satisfactory parity among around 20 states and could transfer state-power several times, why we---as Muslims---could not do it even once in 23 years ? Shall we always blame India only for any opportunist role or Should we have the courage and pain to find, admit and aboslve ours, too ?
Unless we find answer to that ‘WHY’ and get our hearts cleaned by ‘tears of apology’, we do not have any great agenda at our hand---at least for the time being and for our new generation.
