The former East Pakistan was able to become Bangladesh only because of independence that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was able to achieve for the Muslims of the subcontinent from both the British as well as the Hindus.
The Sikhs, despite trying for long, have not been able to achieve independence to date. The same would have been the fate of the people of Bengal. There would have been no Bangladesh had there been no Pakistan.
As such, the argument that Bangladesh should celebrate Aug 14 in addition to any other day, does hold water.
Bangladesh came into being only because of wrong decisions taken by the political and military leadership after the fair and free elections of 1970, which was just about the only good thing done by Gen Yahya Khan.
I got a chance to travel in East Pakistan soon after the elections. The Awami League (AL) was celebrating as its victory margin in that part was beyond their own wild imagination. The fact that it had not been able to get a single seat in West Pakistan was of no concern to them.
As per the election results, however, there was every reason to hand over the country’s reins to the AL since it had won the parliamentary majority. If at all, a post of deputy prime minister could have been carved out to accommodate the West Pakistan after making necessary adjustments in the legal framework.
In case of no agreement on power-sharing, all the relevant stakeholders should have sat down and drafted a resolution for separation.
In any of the three scenarios, military action was just not required. The state does not kill its own people. That was a blunder. As for the infamous ‘six points’, things would have settled down in due course of time, and Pakistan would have emerged as a stronger entity.
The military should never take over civil affairs. On their part, politicians must grow up and behave like mature adults.
IMTIAZ HAQUE
LAHORE
