Refocus on the Fall of Dhaka

By Sajjad Shaukat

16th December is the day of tragic memory when Pakistan was dismembered and a new state of Bangladesh was created in 1971 as part of Indian conspiracy which still continues against the integration of Pakistan. However, this very day is known as the Fall of Dhaka.

India has a long-gone history of many centuries, based upon religious prejudice against the Muslims. In this respect, Indian intelligence agency RAW which was founded in 1968, has assumed a significant status as invisible actor in formulation of India’s domestic, regional and global policies, particularly directed against Pakistan.

Hindus give credit to Indira Gandhi who in the late 1970s gave RAW a new role to suit her ‘Indira Doctrine’ specifically asking it to undertake covert operations in neighboring countries, especially Pakistan. RAW was given a green signal to mobilize all its resources by exploiting political turmoil in East Pakistan in 1971 which this agency had created through its agents who provided Bengalis with arms and ammunition for conducting guerrilla acts against the Pakistani defense forces.

In this regard, RAW had unleashed a well-organized plan of psychological warfare, creation of polarization among the armed forces, propaganda by false allegations against West Pakistan, creation of differences between the political parties and religious sects of East and West Pakistan, control of media, manipulating linguistic, political and economic disputes in order to malign the Bengalis against Islamabad.

There is no doubt that one can note political, economic and social disparities almost in every Third World country. India, itself, contains these disparities on larger scale. In more than 13 states of India, separatist movements are at work.

However, RAW has a long history of sinister activities in the East Pakistan, backing secular areas of Hindu minority who had played an important role in motivating Bengali Muslims against West Pakistan. RAW’s well-paid agents had activated themselves in East Pakistan in the 1960’s so as to dismember Pakistan. For this aim, it took the responsibility of funding Sheikh Mujibur Rahmans’ general elections in 1970 and the members of his party, Awami League. It colluded with the pro-Indian persons and had paid full attention in training and arming the Mukti Bahnis (Terrorists). Playing with the bloodshed of Muslims, RAW succeeded in initiating a civil war in East Pakistan. However, huge quantity of arms started entering East Pakistan. Meanwhile, India welcomed the refugees from East Pakistan, providing them with every facility to provocate them against West Pakistan.

Majib was already in connivance with India for separation of East Pakistan. In this connection, Asoka Raina in his book, ‘Inside RAW: The Story of India’s Secret Service’, discloses, “Indian intelligence agencies were involved in erstwhile East Pakistan…its operatives were in touch with Sheikh Mujib as the possible ‘Father’ of a new nation-Bangladesh, who went to Agartala in 1965. The famous Agartala case was unearthed in 1967. In fact, the main purpose of raising RAW in 1968 was to organise covert operations in Bangladesh. Indian army officers and RAW officials used Bengali refugees to set up Mukti Bahini. Using this outfit as a cover, Indian military sneaked deep into East Pakistan…the story of Mukti Bahini and RAW’s role in its creation and training is now well-known.”

Asoka further explained, “Indian sources including journalists have put on record how much RAW had established the network of a separatist movement through ‘cells’ within East Pakistan and military training camps in Indian territory adjoining East Pakistan…carrying out acts of sabotage against communication lines so that Indian forces simply marched in at the ‘right’ time. RAW agents provided valuable information as well as acting as an advance guard for conducting unconventional guerrilla acts against the Pakistani defense forces.”

It is mentionable that before the 1971 war, Mujibur Rahman had announced a separate national flag for East Pakistan in his six points which also included that currency of East Pakistan should be different along with a separate military.

His six points created prejudice among Bengali people especially against West Pakistan. The famous slogan, during his addresses and rallies was, “Punjabi dogs go back.” It was due to Mujib’s instigation that besides Punjabis, Bengalis had also tortured and killed Biharis, Pashtoons and Balochis, while their women were raped.

Now, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid and her ruling party Awami League have continuously been pursuing Indian directions by conducting anti-Pakistan campaign.

Since Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajid came into power; India has been employing various tactics to entrap Bangladesh by exploiting her pro-Indian tilt to fulfill its strategic interests. In this context, after passing of 42 years to the events of 1971, which resulted into the separation of East Pakistan, Abdul Qadir, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) was hanged because of his loyalty to Pakistan. Executions of Mujadid and Chaudry of JI were also part of the same scheme. Regarding all these executions, international community raised doubts and noted flawed proceedings.

People of Pakistan have shared moments of happiness and sorrows with the people of Bangladesh. The tragedy of dismemberment of East Pakistan was aimed at creating a compliant country through Indian trained and financed terrorists (Mukti Bahini) who had killed thousands of Pakistanis in cold blooded activities. In this connection, while addressing a ceremony during his Bangladesh tour, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly stated on June 7, 2015 that Indian forces helped Mukti Bahini to turn East Pakistan into Bangladesh. He elaborated that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had played an active role in separating Bangladesh from Pakistan, and he had also come to Delhi in 1971 to participate in the Satyagraha Movement, launched by Jana Sangh as a volunteer to garner support for the Mukti Bahini members.

At present, India Prime Minister Modi is trying to implement the same job in Balochistan where RAW is supplying arms to the separatist elements and is encouraging the anti-Pakistan Baloch leaders like Brahamdagh Bugti to continue opposing the federation of Pakistan.

Nevertheless, Indian leadership by manipulating the concerns of Bangladesh Army over the raising of “Jatiyo Rakhi Bahini” (National vanguards) in 1972, once again created volatility in Bangladesh by patronizing the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The supplementary purpose of the incident was to make 1974 tripartite agreement dormant, as by the agreement Sheikh Mujib, the father of Bangladesh had wished cordial relations among Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, declaring “Bangladesh knows how to forgive and forget.”

Ironically, Awami League’s purported nationalism is based on fabricated figures about the killing of three million Bengali people in 1971. Sheikh Mujib uttered this figure during an interview with the British broadcaster David Frost. It was not authenticated by independent researchers or international institutions. During the conflict, only two division of Pakistan’s Army with limited small weapons was deployed in East Pakistan and it has no motivation to kill so many people in such a short conflict being fought in unfavorable operational situation.

Nonetheless, genocide committed by Indian trained terrorists in East Pakistan cannot be ruled out. Awami League’s delusions, under Sheikh Hasina’s are expected to create grave problems for Bangladesh. The growing discontent in the country over authoritarian and vindictive rule of Awami League vis-à-vis antagonistic approach towards Pakistan is causing a division in Bangladeshi society.

A regards the so-called genocide of the Bengali people, a famous Bengali journalist Sarmila Bose authored a book, “Dead Reckoning: Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War” after thorough investigation. She terms the number, a gigantic rumor, while Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report considers even 26,000 as an exaggerated figure. Richard Sisson and Leo E. Rose in book titled “War and Secession: Pakistan, India and the Creation of Bangladesh” and Gary Bass in his book “The Blood Telegram” clearly admit that figures about so-called genocide were Indian purported.

It is optimistically suggested to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of Awami League that without indulging into a blame game, creation of Bangladesh may be acknowledged as one of the most tragic chapters in the history of Pakistan—tragedies test the resilience of the nations to survive and progress. Living in past sends the message of hopelessness, leadership must rise to the occasion and guide the nation towards integration and prosperity.

Pakistan’s eagerness in fostering good relations with Bangladesh can be gauged from huge investments in Bangladesh by Pakistani traders.

Bengalis must know that in the backdrop of Modi’s anti-Muslims statements and lockdown in Kashmir, including the recent Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees,[allegedly] facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and role of India in dismemberment of Pakistan through state sponsored terrorism (Insertion of Mukti Bahni) have, clearly, been exposed.

While rectifying the historical record regarding the events of 1971, government of Bangladesh must mention that two Divisions of army (20000, which latter grew to 34000) operating in adverse environment had no motivation to go on civilian killing spree. It must know that if total number of troops was 34000, then how come the much publicized figure of 93,000 troops is true?

People of Bangladesh may identify their real enemies—India and Awami League which are creating conditions for further breakup of Pakistan and has made Pakistanis and Bengalis to fight with each other. Now, they are again active to promote pro-Indian feelings through Awami League and Sheikh Hasina’s government and gag the opposition, so that it can be turned into a fully compliant state.

And as part of old anti-Pakistan campaign, Awami League conceals facts about the Indian conspiracy behind the Fall Dhaka.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com