The Separation of East Pakistan [1971]

[asq]

I'd like to read comments of BD members here on this.

Hay third eye why are you inciting Bengalis, why don't you reply, if you think you have answer.

"Again Indian way of PATRONIZING PEOPLE NOW BENGALI'S".

 

[third eye]

Hay third eye why are you inciting Bengalis, why don't you reply, if you think you have answer.

"Again Indian way of PATRONIZING PEOPLE NOW BENGALI'S".

My view is that the portion highlighted in post # 15 is wrong. It is common knowledege that the PM in Pak carries no weight, its only the Pres ( read military) that calls the shots.

I do not wish to comment on the affairs of what happened in '71. It's done & over with.

 

[asq]

My view is that the portion highlighted in post # 15 is wrong. It is common knowledege that the PM in Pak carries no weight, its only the Pres ( read military) that calls the shots.

I do not wish to comment on the affairs of what happened in '71. It's done & over with.

Very clever, now that I have brought the facts out, you do not want to talk about it, typical Indian answer, when you know that India did wrong. you do not want to talk about it but when it comes to Pakistan, its Atomic assets or history you will talk a storm, What a hypocritical attitude.

 

[qsaark]

Not only the Bengalis were among the first of the standard bearers of the Pakistan movement, they also saved us from the ultimate humiliation by not annexing into India after 1971. There are several accounts suggesting that East Pakistanis were not treated equally by the military and civil bureaucracy of the West Pakistan. Memoirs from General Ayub's press secretary, Mr. Altaf Gouhar and Mr. Qudrat Ullah Shahab (another high ranking civil servant) give us ample insight. There should be no two opinions on that at least. It is and will always remain debatable however, whether Bengalis should have gone for an independent country.

Bengalis have historically been more enlightened, educated and democratic, totally opposite to what we find on the western side. I think, they had finally realized that partition was in their best interest since things were not going to change in West Pakistan. And indeed, they were right. Pakistan (of present day) has all the same old and several new problems and the root causes of all these problems are the same i.e. feudalism, no democracy, dominance of one ethnic group, uneven distribution of wealth etc.

It was possible to avoid the separation. There were many people on both the sides who didn't want the partition. I have read the 6 points of Mr Mujib. And I don’t find a single point that was not workable. However, it was clear from those points that if his demands were accepted, the West Pakistani feudals and military big shots would loose their grip for ever. Something, they simply couldn't afford. It was acceptable for them to let the half country go, but no their powers. The same thing we find even today. The unrest in Balochistan, in Sindh, in Sarhad (NWFP or more recently PashtoonKhwa) is because of the very same mentality.

India was definitely responsible for the separation of East Pakistan, but the leaders of the West Pakistan were far more responsible for that fateful episode.

 

[third eye]

Very clever, now that I have brought the facts out, you do not want to talk about it, typical Indian answer, when you know that India did wrong. you do not want to talk about it but when it comes to Pakistan, its Atomic assets or history you will talk a storm, What a hypocritical attitude.

How can seeking comments be ' inciting" ?

India did no wrong in '71.. that there is no doubt. It merely corrected a situation which may have gone wrong given the aura the Pak Def forces & dictators like self promoted FM Ayub had built around themselves by " Gibraltar" & the like. It dispelled doubts all over on the capbilities of IA more so after the ' 62 debacle. Relevant lessons learnt were put into practice. The results are history.

I was merely commenting on the point raised that Bengalies were in control for most of the period 47-71 in Pak & hence they had no reason to be upset with how they were treated during the same period.

 

[Al-zakir]

Not only the Bengalis were among the first of the standard bearers of the Pakistan movement, they also saved us from the ultimate humiliation by not annexing into India after 1971. There are several accounts suggesting that East Pakistanis were not treated equally by the military and civil bureaucracy of the West Pakistan. Memoirs from General Ayub's press secretary, Mr. Altaf Gouhar and Mr. Qudrat Ullah Shahab (another high ranking civil servant) give us ample insight. There should be no two opinions on that at least. It is and will always remain debatable however, whether Bengalis should have gone for an independent country.

Bengalis have historically been more enlightened, educated and democratic, totally opposite to what we find on the western side. I think, they had finally realized that partition was in their best interest since things were not going to change in West Pakistan. And indeed, they were right. Pakistan (of present day) has all the same old and several new problems and the root causes of all these problems are the same i.e. feudalism, no democracy, dominance of one ethnic group, uneven distribution of wealth etc.

It was possible to avoid the separation. There were many people on both the sides who didn't want the partition. I have read the 6 points of Mr Mujib. And I don’t find a single point that was not workable. However, it was clear from those points that if his demands were accepted, the West Pakistani feudals and military big shots would loose their grip for ever. Something, they simply couldn't afford. It was acceptable for them to let the half country go, but no their powers. The same thing we find even today. The unrest in Balochistan, in Sindh, in Sarhad (NWFP or more recently PashtoonKhwa) is because of the very same mentality.

India was definitely responsible for the separation of East Pakistan, but the leaders of the West Pakistan were far more responsible for that fateful episode.

Excellent analysis and neutral observation. I appreciate your input. East Pakistan didn't want to separate but circumstances changed the whole equation. What's done can not be undone however we can learn form the fast and make it more workable for the future. East Pakistan may became Bangladesh but loved for Pakistan and Pakistani's still exist today and will be there in the days ahead. Overwhelm Bangladeshi wish only the best for Pakistan whom we still think brothers form another mother.....

 

[asq]

How can seeking comments be ' inciting" ?

India did no wrong in '71.. that there is no doubt. It merely corrected a situation which may have gone wrong given the aura the Pak Def forces & dictators like self promoted FM Ayub had built around themselves by " Gibraltar" & the like. It dispelled doubts all over on the capbilities of IA more so after the ' 62 debacle. Relevant lessons learnt were put into practice. The results are history.

I was merely commenting on the point raised that Bengalis were in control for most of the period 47-71 in Pak & hence they had no reason to be upset with how they were treated during the same period.

Again u r using nonsense to poison the minds of our Bengali friends here on the forum, I said that there were quite a few Bengalis in power in United Pakistan, and why they did not do any thing but than India was well its way to train Mukti buhini to do subversive activities long before elections.

 

[paritosh]

the video mentions that the indian army protected the pakistani officails from the bangladeshis...wha??
did that $hit happn?

 

[srijeesh]

the video mentions that the indian army protected the pakistani officails from the bangladeshis...wha??
did that happn?

maybe we did, after all gandhiji is our father of nation.
I wonder wat would those bangladeshis would have done to them.

 

[qsaark]

maybe we did, after all gandhiji is our father of nation.

Who was murdered by one of his sons.

 

[rubyjackass]

Is that supposed to be an insult?
DOesn't even sound like one...

 

[rubyjackass]

Again u r using nonsense to poison the minds of our Bengali friends here on the forum, I said that there were quite a few Bengalis in power in United Pakistan, and why they did not do any thing but than India was well its way to train Mukti buhini to do subversive activities long before elections.

It does not matter to what extent they were subjugated.
Only the perceptions of Bengalis matter. Search yourselves and your history to find what wrong happened that marginalised them.
Bengali members are as sane you and me. Don't worry...

 

[zombie]

the video mentions that the indian army protected the pakistani officails from the bangladeshis...wha??
did that happn?

This is true. Once the Bengalis(with Indian help) started getting the upper hand of the Pakistani army, it was very obvious that they were just waiting to take revenge on Pakistani army the wanton killing of their people and raping of their women.

No wonder the Mukti Bahini was quickly bought under the control of the Indian army as soon as it was felt this would happen to bring things in control. Else no one knows what might have happened to the 90,000 Pakistani soldiers who surrendered.

Know that is kind of twisted but in some sense the families of those Pakistani soldiers have quite a bit to thank India for saving their lives. In some sense Bangladeshis must be angry with India for not allowing them to take their revenge till today.

 

[qsaark]

You know what. In this game, both, the West Pakistan and the India lost. We lost because East Pakistan became Bangladesh; you lost, because East Pakistan did not become the part of the greater India "Akhand Bharat". All other things are really irrelevant. Bangladesh is still a Muslim majority country, is still a part of Islamic Ummah. It is still proving the ‘two nation’ concept quite contrary to what Indira said “We have sunk the Two- Nation Theory in the Bay of Bengal”.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

You know what. In this game, both, the West Pakistan and the India lost. We lost because East Pakistan became Bangladesh; you lost, because East Pakistan did not become the part of the greater India "Akhand Bharat". All other things are really irrelevant. Bangladesh is still a Muslim majority country, is still a part of Islamic Ummah. It is still proving the ‘two nation’ concept quite contrary to what Indira said “We have sunk the Two- Nation Theory in the Bay of Bengal”.

Two excellent analysis by qsaark.

I think most 'Bangladeshis' (Not Bengalis) born after 1971 are bored to death of the subject. We are now having to face the realities of Indian expansionism and hegemony so the situation in 1971 seems now in the distant past. It makes for good academic discussion and is still even useful for political demagoguery but it has little to say about how Bangladesh should proceed in the face of an agressive and interfering India.