REMORSE. by Inayet Ullah
Something tragic happened in our country in December 1971 as a result of which one of our two
arms (East wing) was separated.
Pakistan was created as a Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1947 by referendum with majority
votes coming from Bengal.
Although the people of East Wing played an important part in creation of Pakistan with their
majority votes, with the passage of time, East Pakistan had genuine grievances of being
neglected economically, politically and in all spheres of life, so much so that Sheikh Mujeebur
Rehman, the head of East Pakistan’s political party Awami League, at the end of his complaints
against grievances and injustices to East Pakistan, said: “Please behave like brothers, not like
rulers”.
In December 1971 general elections, which perhaps was the most transparent election in the
history of Pakistan, Sheiks Mujeeb-ur-Rehman’s Awami League swept the elections with
overwhelming majority. As a rule, following the elections, a National Assembly meeting was to
be called and the winner party had to form a new government. But the then west Pakistani
rulers continuously delayed and postponed to do so and finally abandoned it completely causing
wide range protests and uproar throughout East Pakistan. The intent of this was obviously to
deny Awami League its rights to form a new government.
If we did not like the people of East Pakistan why did we seek their votes in referendum in
favour of Pakistan? Is it not unfair and selfish to use their majority votes for creation of Pakistan
as a homeland for us and after completing the task to deny them even equal rights?
Then what happened? When they asked for justice and their legal and constitutional rights to
form a new government, they were brutally killed, innocent women raped, and their life and
property put to arson. Pakistan was made to provide a safe haven for muslims of India, but what
was happening was muslims against muslims.
Unfortunately, our the then rulers, for political gains and for lust of power, did no care even to put
the survival of our country at stake, and where we ended up is history. What happened in 1971
in our country is a blot, not only on our national history but also on the face of international
affairs.
We should be ashamed of ourselves for the heartless tyranny unleashed to our own brothers
and sisters, if our conscience is not yet dead. The guilt is great, and so is remorse. The
perpetrators were our forefathers. Nevertheless, we, the existing generation, have the feeling
that we owe them an apology. I think an official apology should be sent to them and diplomatic
relations with trade and cultural relations established between the two brother independent
nations.
I quote the following opening line of his poem poet Naseer Turabi wrote on the day of the East
Pakistan tragic event which truly interprets the popular feelings of all patriots of Pakistan:
Wo hamsafar tha magar us se hamnawai na thi
