Of three million
But being mired in an extremely emotional tumult (once aptly described as Abeger Hujug or Hujuger Abeg by a friend of mine) we failed to discuss the issue. Emotion is undeniable, but emotional exuberance that overwhelms a reasoned discussion needs to be denied.
Undoubtedly a genocide of massive proportion happened in the then-East Pakistan, while many of civilized governments of the now-vocal civilizations kept mum. Political expediency overwhelmed reason and justice. The perpetrators of the heinous crime were let loose.
A nascent nation, as expected, was rife with pressing problems. Bongobondhu, probably did not pursue hard enough. But how much of power did he have! And we should not forget that the defeated Pakistani Army surrendered to India for all practical purpose. Indira Gandhi was the sole arbiter and she acted in her national interest. Should we blame her for not pressing the issue with Bhutto and with the international community?
One and a half score of years later justifiably we seek justice. A crime does not get lighter with time, only our memory does. Incessantly, we must press for justice. However, we should mind that WE (Bangladeshis) alone cannot bring the Pakistani junta (legally responsible ones) to justice. We also should mind that the international community is not as emotional as we are. Only facts are going to pursue them. We, who seek justice, are obliged to provide the facts. If the facts are muddied, our plea, whatever emotionally reverberating, is not going to move too many souls.
We need history exactly as it unfolded. A history written in anecdotes is neither a fact nor a history. If the facts do not add up, opponent's lawyer can easily thwart successful prosecution. Even if we can not punish the perpetrators of genocide today, at least we owe a true history for our posterity. And thus the issue of THREE MILLION remains a poignant one. Once BongoBondhu landed in Dhaka by way of London/Delhi on a December day, he uttered the number THREE MILLION and thus the myth of THREE MILLION got its roots. There was no systematic tally, no survey, no nothing!
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