Re: [mukto-mona]

Your recollection seems to have withered away with time, Dr. Roy!  The General was Sam H. F. J. Manekshaw, and not Manik Shah as you mentioned.  Hindu participation in the liberation war was proportionately higher than the population percentage would allow.  Keep in mind that the liberation war was not won by the warriors and the sector commanders but those who acted under the commands of Indira Gandhi. Only a rajaker mindset would not see any Hindu participation.  While the war spoils by looting the Beharis and Hindus enriched the Bengali Muslims, contribution by the Hindus were conveniently forgotten.  Since then, the country is drifting towards pan Islamism.  A Pakistani can opt to be a Bangladeshi, though not vice versa, but an Indian can't. 

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On Jul 12, 2014, at 6:52 AM, "Jiten Roy jnrsr53@yahoo.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Dr. Bain, Hindus were not politically inactive during the political movement based on 6-point demands. I am saying this with full confidence that 100% Hindu population was active during the uprising against West Pakistani regime. In fact, that was the first time Hindus started to feel that - they had the same rights and aspirations as millions of others. But, it is true that - a large portion of the Muslim population remained politically inactive during that movement.

I can also confidently say that - 100% Hindu population became directly affected either physically or psychologically, emotionally, and economically by the liberation struggle, whereas, a large portion of the Muslim population was not. As a result, most Hindus crossed the border at the very onset of the military operation. As a result, most of those people did not take up arms. But, their contribution towards independence of Bangladesh was huge, because - it was the burden of one crore refugees, mostly Hindus, that facilitated the Indian invasion of East Pakistan, without which Bangladesh may not be a reality today. No one should forget this piece of critical historical information for political expediency.

 
I fully agree with Dr. A. Rahman - it was a good thing that Hindus
did not lead the liberation struggle or take up arms in large number; that could have derailed or jeopardize the whole movement. As we know - even without it, West Pakistani regime propagandized the notion that "Malauns" were behind the movement in the East Pakistan, and used that propaganda to motivate West Pakistani soldiers and to mobilize public sentiment for their brutal crackdown in the East Pakistan.  As a result, West Pakistani soldiers targeted only Hindus at the beginning.

 
I do remember all these nitty-gritty details – because I went through all these experiences, and remember them all, like yesterday's news.

 
I watched movement of Indian Army towards the border of East Pakistan from a border-town in the West Dinajpur. I tracked their progress on radio, and, subsequently, I heard frequent radio-broadcast from General Manik Shah, if my recollection is correct, for surrender warnings to all Pakistani soldiers in the East Pakistan. What I am trying to say is – Indian Army started a psychological warfare at the beginning before any attacks, and Pakistani soldiers caved in in that psychological warfare. That's how Indian soldiers liberated Bangladesh mostly without fight or casualty. It was an unprecedented historic warfare, but barely ever mentioned in the media. 

I also watched Indian soldiers returning home after the liberation of Bangladesh. Thousands of people, mostly Bangladeshi refugees, along their way welcoming them back by hurling flowers at them. I have all these vivid memories, so I do not need to learn these facts from Historians or from the foreign journalists.

 
I know full well - whatever is the number of death during 9 months of  liberation struggle, be that 30 thousand or 3 million, it was all caused by the Pakistani Army and Bengali collaborators. Most of these are not casualty of liberation war; they were cold blooded indiscriminate murders, which is called genocide. Pakistani army caused a pre-meditated Bengali-genocide during that time.

Jiten Roy

On Friday, July 11, 2014 5:23 AM, "ANISUR RAHMAN anisur.rahman1@btinternet.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

I fully concur with the views of Dr Bain that :- (1) the Bengali Muslims were divided into two groups, although the first group constituted the overwhelming majority and the second group was a pitiful minority. But the second group caused a disproportionate damage with the help of the Pakistani Army. (2) Hindus were not active in the independence struggle. I may add that that was good in the sense that, had Hindus been active, our cause and moral standing would have weakened, as Pakistanis would then claim that we are doing this only because of Hindu and Indian conspiracy (which was not the case).  (3) India's help and crucial role is undeniable. Without India, we would now be speaking Urdu and Taliban would be rampaging our homeland as they are doing in Pakistan. 

Now coming back to the mendacious claim of three million fatality, I would say that it is an insult to the memory of 40,000 or 50,000 people who actually laid their lives for the liberation of the country. It is, as if, their sacrifices were  not adequate and had to be jacked up to look worthwhile. However, those traders of lies and deceit do not understand the inner sanctum of decency and human dignity. We should all respect and remember with pride the sacrifices of those 40 thousand to 50 thousand brave souls. They are the heroes, not the lying, depraved and deceitful individuals who exaggerate the numbers for their selfish ends.

- AR 

From: "Sukhamaya Bain subain1@yahoo.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 9 July 2014, 1:42
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona]

 

"The Bengalis never surrendered." True! But there were at least three kinds of Bengalis. 1) People whose sense of self-respect, honor, dignity and humanity was greater than their sense of being part of a bigger 'Muslim' country. Those Muslims fought for independence. 2) People whose non-sense of the 'Muslim Ummah' overwhelmed their sense of self-respect, honor, dignity and humanity. Those Muslims did all kinds of heinous crimes to uphold their 'Muslim Ummah'. 3) Innocent and politically inactive Hindus whose only viable option for survival was to migrate to India.

Due to the nonviolent (some people would call it "cowardly") nature of the Hindus, the number of Hindu freedom fighters were negligible compared to the scale of atrocities that the Hindus were facing.

I am quite convinced that without India being a big land mass between the two parts of Pakistan, and without India helping Bangladesh, there would not be a Bangladesh today. The Pakistani military, along with the second category of Muslims that I mentioned above, would have prevailed. That is the honest statement of the reality; never mind the emotion of truly appreciating the bravery of a lot of the first category Muslims.

Sukhamaya Bain 

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On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 6:10 PM, "Subimal Chakrabarty subimal@yahoo.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Situation never became normal. An uneasy situation prevailed all along. Killings, rape and arson continued. People went out but were never sure that they would come back safe. Guerrilla operations and gun battles were happening on daily basis. Any one who was inside the country knew it. 

Two and a half cubit-long bamboo stick is not a myth. What else could they do? It took time to get organized. Many of those who had bamboo sticks in their hands subsequently had grenades or fire arms in their hands. But the Bengalis never surrendered. 

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