No room to pay homage to Arora
Mohammad Zianal Abedin
An article in an Indian magazine 'Frontline' (Volume 22 - Issue 13, Jun 18 - Jul 01, 2005, http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2213/stories/20050701001405300.htm) , contributed by Haroon Habib,under the caption 'Homage to a hero' drew my attention. My fellow-journalist Harron Habib left no stone unturned to praise Gen. Arora for his heroic (?) deeds. Haroon expressed his anguish seeing the passive mood of many quarters, including the ruling elites, for their failure inpaying homage to Arora who died on May 3.
The write-up of Haroon Habib could be excellent one, if he could be impartial and could also try to explore and unearth the reason, why the Bangladeshis in general refrained from paying sincere tribute to Arora. The reason is this that the role of Arora and his associates was heroic for India, but not for Bangladesh, rather it was a curse for Bangladesh and its people. His death was condoled by those who are known in Bangladesh as pro-Indian elements.
Observers, who monitored those condolence meetings, found the speakers engaged in competitions in pleasing India more than paying homage to Arora. Indian High Commission in Dhaka is alleged to have sponsored almost all the meetings orgrainsed by various parties and groups. None of the condolence meetings was spontaneous. Most of the organisers and speakers were supposed to do so, as they are overtly and covertly aligned to and benefited by India.
Haroon Habib praised Arora for his unique command over his troops in keeping them disciplined. But his comment is beyond reality. There is no evidence as to what the General did to stop his soldiers from looting. He was either a failed commander who miserably failed to impose discipline and supervision in the conduct of his troops when they resorted to stealing the assets of the country they allegedly came to liberate.
The failure to prevent this full scale looting actually planted the first seed of anti-India feeling in the hearts of the Bangladeshis. One expatiate Bangladeshi, Tuhin Reza,alleged that he failed to impose discipline on his troops that paved the way for looting. But the ground reality that I saw in Dhaka just after December 16, 1971, shows that the looting was open and concerted, something, as if,by official instruction. It was not a failure.
It was his instruction. Not only the dwelling houses or shops of Dhaka and other major urban areas of Bangladesh, were looted, but also mills and factories, stores of jute, cotton and food grains, and all other things. The looted materials were sent to India loading hundreds of thousands of military lorries and trucks and ship. Individual soldier could steal one or two fancy or attractive items, but how thousands of trucks and vessels loaded with different types of articles and goods could ply to India, if Arora and his bosses in New Delhi had not instructed to do so.
Haoon Habib regretfully said that the role of Arora was distorted in Bangladesh. Haroon Habib opined, "Despite the distortions, one particular photograph of the country's history cannot be erased. The historic picture shows Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi signing the instrument of surrender in front of Lt. Gen. J.S.
Arora at Dhaka's Ramna Race Course." But Mr. Haroon failed to comprehend that this very picture of singing ceremony also itself is the evidence and document of Indian conspiracy in denying the role and sacrifice of freedom fighters of Bangladesh and its people. Where was the representation of Bangladesh in the signing ceremony?
Why Gen. M. A. G. Osmany, the commamander in chief of the Banglasesh forces was not allowed to remain present in the signing ceremony, who could be co-signatories? Denying the signature of Osmany or any other legalrepresentative of the then Revolutionary government of Bangladesh, India itself denied our liberation war. It is alleged that Gen. Osmany was not allowed to reach Dhaka even to attend the ceremony. India instructed
Arora to goalone to sign the surrendering instrument wanted to establish its claim
that it was a war between India and Pakistan.India denied our sacrifice in the very dawn of ourliberation. India wants to claim that our independence was a gift of India.
Those who pay homage to a looter named Arora, indirectly tune to Indian line and accept Indian claim. Mr. Hroon should have known that Indian Army celebrates the 16th December as Vijay Divas(victory day) of the Eastern command of India over Pakistan. By doing so India denies the victory day of Bangladesh. Arora was sent to invade and capture Bangladesh, to pave the way for unhindered looting and the Indian soldiers under the command of Arora did it for days.
For this reason no representation was allowed in he signing ceremony. To a real patriotic Bangladesh Arora and Indian soldiers in 1971 in Bangladesh were invaders and looters not savier or liberator as claimed by Haroon Habib. Arora and his Indian associates assisted the liberation war not to liberate us, but to crush the Muslim power in the subcontinent and enslave us under Indian cage.
Indian Army fought in 1971 to invade and capture Bangladesh and keep it under occupation. I would request Mr. Haroon to collect the last interview of Indian late President Zail Singh published in the 'Sunday' magazine (now defunct) of Calcutta, where he said, that withdrawl of the Indian soldiers from Bangladesh was a blunder.
During the war of liberation I was trained in India. I was twenty years in 1971 and the Vice president of a government college student's union. I wrote and staged a drama at Halflong Camp of Assam in India.I enjoyed close confidence of many leading Awami League and Chattra League some of whom were unfortunately infiltrated by RAW to float Mujib Bahini. I rushed to Dhaka five days after the surrender to visit my elder brother's house in Kachukhat area (adjucent to Dhaka Cantonment).
I personally saw the looting of the Indian soldiers. Elderly people of Dhaka
of those days still alive and they can give vivid description how massive
looting occurred after December 16. Those who praise India or Arora can
talk to them to get the real picture of looting. They may like to study the descriptions of looting provided by many eyewitnesses, including a Sector commander Major Abdul Jalil, who bid to deter shipment of Bangladeshi goods to India.
Jalil was arrested and put to Indian jail for his offence of obstructing the undindered plundering of Bangladeshi assets. Curfews were imposed in the name of security to coverthe looting. Indian soldiers looted whatever they got even the taps of wash basins and spoons. Harrun Habib and others, who paid homage to Arora and treat India as a friend of 1971, are well aware of the looting, but they buried those memories and evidence to secure their self-interest. I humbly request this group of people to ask their conscience a question. Where did the arms,ammunition , military vehicles , equipment, warplanes etc of Pakistan Army go? By looting the costly military hardware India crippled the nacsent Bangladesh army. India did it to make us permanently dependent on India.
Indian conspiracy did not end there. Her subsequent behaviour with Bangladesh since 1972 was more heinous and open that proves that she cannot be our real and trusted friend. The envious and inimical, expansionist and big brotherly attitude of the India for the last 34 years manifest the covert plan and design why the Aroras showed their overt friendliness in 1971.
Other than plundering in 1971, India's post-'71 anti-Bangladesh steps prove that the Aroras did not help us, but made the way to exploit and squeeze us, to grab and annex us finally in their bid to make 'Akhand Bharat'. India illegally blockades the water of the international rivers during the dry season and floods Bangladesh in the rainy season to cause it economically, ecologically and environmentally devasted. India's hidden and open role in sheltering and nursing the Bangladeshi terrorists and secessionists, creating unrest and insatiability in political and educational arenas, constructing barbed wire fence and killing inocent people along the international border, smuggling etc are some of her friendy attitude towards Bangladesh. Indian ruined our basic industries to make Bangladesh her bonded market.
Besides, the atrocities of BSF (Border Security Forces) in the border,procrastination in resolving the bilateral disputes ,violating the bilateral treaties and agreements, undue influence in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, sabotage and subversive activities, anti-Bangladesh propaganda only branded India as an unfriendly country. How all these ugly anti-Bangladesh activities could inspire a patriot to pay homage to Arora or Indira Gandhi?
But the common people of Bangladesh do not find any logic to praise the Indians. Even the illiterate Bangladeshis understand the overt and covet designs of India against Bangladesh. It is strange why some literate persons who even claim themselves as the champions and vanguards of liberation war and its spirit failed to comprehend the heinous designs of India against Bangladesh. India nurses such people in Bangladesh to implement her nefarious blueprints. I feel pity for these people.
http://bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2006-03-23&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000096648
General Aurora and the looting by Indian Soldiers
Tuhin Reza from UK
Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora, the commander of the Indo-Bangla Joint Forces in 1971 has recently passed away. In this article I am going to share some comments with the readers regarding the late General's financial impropriety following the Bangladesh war of independence that I learnt in the Indian Capital.
In 1990 I went to Delhi to attend the wedding of a Sikh friend. This friend is a relative of Aurora. The wedding reception took place at the famous Gymkhana Club and was attended by many dignitaries. If I am not mistaken, the Lt. Governor of Delhi and the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Saeed (it was the time of V P Singh) also attended briefly.
General Aurora, however, missed the reception, as he was taken ill. His daughter attended and my friend introduced me to her. She invited me to meet her famous father and said that 'daddy' would be home the next morning to receive and talk to me. Unfortunately, I could not take this invitation as the next day was my last full day in India and I was faced with two options, either to stay in Delhi and meet the General for breakfast and talk about 1971, or to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I opted for the latter.
At the wedding reception, my friend also introduced me to General Jacob. Gen. Jacob was Aurora's second-in-command in the Eastern Command in 1971 and as many people say, was probably the chief architect of the 1971 Indian invasion and war plan in the eastern theatre. Although the General knew a few more people at the reception than I did, he to some extent like me felt stranger in that gathering. For some unknown reasons, the General liked me a lot and spent the next couple of hours in my company. He also introduced me to few people that he knew at the party. Drinks were served. While I opted for a coke, the general settled for a small beer.
We kept on talking. It was mainly about 1971. The General was very passionate about the whole thing. He spoke about his role and experience during the entire conflict. He did not like General Osmani that much. He found it difficult to work with him. On the other hand, the General was full of praises for Zia and Khondhker (the deputy commander in chief of Bangladesh forces during the 1971 campaign and the first Air Force Chief). The General said that these two were professionals and brilliant officers and that he had really enjoyed working with them.
I asked General Jacob, did he not want to visit Bangladesh, the country that he helped to liberate? The General sounded very disappointed and hurt. In an emotionally choked voice, the General said. "How I can I go to Bangladesh when no one has ever invited me?
I was never invited to Bangladesh." The General continued, "I have never taken anything from Bangladesh. There are many who took a lot. Someone brought me some bananas. I even paid for them. I have never taken a thing, even General Aurora …" The General stopped and did not complete his sentence. As it was a sensitive topic, I did not want to press the General what did he mean by 'even General Aurora." However, one does not need to be a genius to appreciate the meaning of General Jacob's comments.
Later, the day I was leaving India I was talking to my friend's father, a relative of General Aurora. He wanted to know why did the Indo-Bangla relationship turn sour? I apprised him of what I thought the main reasons, including Tin Bigha Corridor, Farakkha, Chakhma problems and even the lootings by the Indian forces following the occupation of Bangladesh by them.
My friend's father said that even in India there were talks about lootings and appropriation of Bangladeshi properties and assets by the Indian forces and that the Indian government had also commissioned an investigation. He then said that there was wide perception that even General Aurora had received a lot from Bangladesh.
Although these comments by two close associates do not establish conclusively that General Aurora had actually received any shares of the booty personally, but it may lead at least one to question the propriety and integrity of the General. Sadly, the General is now dead and will not be able to answer these allegations and clear his name.
General Aurora might not have ordered his troops to go for high scale looting, and one may argue that this might have happened because of lack of discipline and supervision among individual members of Indian armed forces.
However, there is no evidence as to what the General did to stop his soldiers from looting. History will probably remember General Aurora not only as the military commander who successfully negotiated the surrender of the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh without much bloodshed and thus paved the way for an independent Bangladesh, but also as a failed commander who miserably failed to impose discipline and supervision in the conduct of his troops when they resorted to stealing the assets of the country they allegedly came to liberate. The failure to prevent this full scale looting actually planted the first seed of discontent in the hearts of the Bangladeshis.
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2005-05-24&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=45804
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