WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/48555
Mr. Aslam
Thanks a lot. No, I am no authority on this great leader. Like many I come from a mufussil town and as a resident of Dhaka city I am simply an witness (and sometimes an insignificant participant) to many great historical events viz., mass upsurge of 1969, liberation struggle of 1971, and so on.
1. First, let me comment on the Time magazine article. It is a well written article except that I don't agree to the caption. I will not call Bhasani a prophet of violence. This article is a good example of orientalism. A western journalist does not see any thing but violence in a mass movement that brings down a dictator like Ayub Khan, that happened in the oriental world. Althogh interpretation will vary from person to person, the article is based on facts.
2. Looks like, like Gandhi Bhasani had no personal ambition for the highest state power. But politicians (extreme leftists and extreme rightists who took shelter under his umbrella) tried to capture state power using his influence and charisma. After his death many of them succeeded in fulfilling their personal ambitions. Even many leftists resorted to opportunism and joined hands with rightist dictators to fulfill their ambitions.
3. In 1968 (?), in response to a call from Bhasani, people in many rural areas of the then East Pakistan started attacking petty thieves, notorious thieves, dacoits, and their agents in their own areas. Law and order situation deteriorated. Probably that movement gave him a bad reputation that his policy was a policy of "jwaalaau-podaau" (torch and burn.) The author of the Time article might have named his article after that event of violence.
4. Who did Bhasani represent? Hard to say. One common attribute among the leftists and the rightists under his leadership was their anti-Indianism. Leftists' favorite was China because of ideological reasons while China was a favorite of the rightists because of the rivalry between India and China. So, it was not a linear equation. However, as long as Bhasani was anti-Indian and pro-Chinese both the factions were happy. But there is a limit to every thing. Although initially he promoted Ayub, it was he (and obviously others also) who caused Ayub's fall. It was he who pioneered in splitting Pakistan, a best friend of China.
5. We tend to have extreme views about anybody and any thing. There should be an objective study of this great leader. As a nation we owe a lot to him.
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