Opinion: Bangladesh is feeling chilly since India’s ‘Victory Day’! You should read your own history once.

New Delhi : victory Day. Proud day. Memorial of India’s historic victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. On 16 December 1971, around 4:30 pm Indian time, 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan laid down their arms before the Indian Army. A new history of India’s bravery story was created. The geography was changed. An independent country named Bangladesh was born, part of Pakistan known as East Pakistan. See the irony, the country which was born because of India, for the realization of which more than 3 and a half thousand Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives and about 10 thousand soldiers were injured, an advisor to the government of Bangladesh was appointed from the same India. There is an objection. Objection on why Vijay Diwas is being celebrated. Objection on why PM Modi remembered the brave men of India on Vijay Diwas. The fallacy is that the victory of 1971 was of Bangladesh and India was just an ally in it.

One can only laugh at the sophistry of Asif Nazrul, the legal advisor of the puppet government of fundamentalists in Bangladesh. But one will also cry over the fact that what has happened to Bangladesh? Would those who sacrificed their lives for the independence of Bangladesh even dream that after a few decades a day would come when their country would forget its own heroes? Will deny his/her own past. Will falsify history. Will celebrate by pulling down the statue of its own founder. But now this is the reality. Such has become the dominance of fundamentalists. Well, those who do not respect their own ancestors, do not respect their own history, then how will they value friendship or feelings like gratitude.

If Nazrul does not remember his/her history, he/she should read it. How India broke into pieces in 1947. The country got divided into two parts – one was India and the other was Pakistan. What is two parts, geographically divided into three parts. Pakistan on both sides of India. One is West Pakistan and one is East Pakistan. But since coming into existence, Pakistan started oppressing its people living in East Pakistan. There too, majority 85 percent of the population was Muslim but discrimination against them started on the basis of language. When students in East Pakistan protested for the respect of Bengali language, bullets were fired on them on 21 February 1952. 7 students died. Later the United Nations declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day. Jinnah’s country, built on the foundation of religion, hated the culture of Bengalis. he/she felt that the people of East Pakistan were Muslims only in name, but Hindus at heart. That is why the Pakistan government maintained a vicious cycle of suppressing them. Economic, social, linguistic… every kind of oppression.

East Pakistan was the engine of Pakistan till the 60s. East Pakistan had 70 percent share in its total exports. But in return he/she got only 25 percent of the amount received from exports. Pakistan gradually started closing the factories of East Pakistan. Started shifting them to West Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan continued to tolerate all kinds of oppression including discrimination.

In 1970, after the devastation caused by cyclone ‘Bhola’, East Pakistan’s patience burst. The storm took 5 lakh lives there. There was huge economic loss but the Pakistan government remained idle. The people of East Pakistan were left to fend for themselves. Adequate arrangements for relief and rescue as well as reconstruction were not made. Due to this the people of East Pakistan started feeling cheated.

The remaining gap was filled by depriving East Pakistan of its rights after the 1971 national elections. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League won the majority by winning 160 seats. For the first time, a Bengali speaking person was going to occupy the top power of Pakistan but he/she was not allowed to become the Prime Minister. After this Sheikh Mujib announced the movement on 7 March 1971. People were called upon to fight by converting their homes into forts. Before the assembly meeting on March 25, an ultimatum was given for transfer of power.

After this, the orgy of Pakistani Army started in East Pakistan. On the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army created a ruckus in East Pakistan. Attackers also attacked Dhaka University. Mujib was arrested on 26 March and on the same day he/she signed a manifesto declaring the independence of Bangladesh. That is why Bangladesh celebrates its Independence Day on 26 March. However, after the arrival of the puppet government of fundamentalists, it is possible that Bangladesh may also change its Independence Day.

The war for independence of Bangladesh started. The Pakistani Army made every possible effort to suppress it through repression. The army started a series of murders, rapes, kidnappings and many other inhuman tortures. Thousands and lakhs of people from East Pakistan fled to India to save their lives.

Nazrul should read history instead of giving lectures. How India then gave shelter to millions of refugees from East Pakistan. Gave training in guerrilla warfare to Mukti Bahini fighters fighting for the independence of Bangladesh. Made it capable of facing the barbaric Pakistani army. The Pakistani Army also formed a militia of Razakars to counter the Mukti Bahini but failed. Pakistani army crossed the limits of barbarity on East Pakistanis. Not only this, he/she also started attacking many parts of India. After this, on 3 December 1971, India also jumped into the war. In just two weeks the Pakistani army surrendered before India. On 16 December 1971, at 4:31 pm Indian time, 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan surrendered to the Indian Army.

If Nazrul does not know the history then he/she should find out. Bangladesh would not have come into existence without the bravery of India. Nazrul should be ashamed of making such comments about a country that freed its people from tyranny, oppression and slavery-like life. How can one feel ashamed? Those who have forgotten their ancestors, have forgotten the past, have forgotten the atrocities committed on them by the Pakistani Army, who are proud of breaking the statues of the heroes who gave freedom to the country, how will they feel ashamed.

When Bangladesh became independent, Razakars and all the fundamentalist elements did not want independence from Pakistan. Unfortunately, after 5-6 decades, today Bangladesh is trapped in the clutches of fundamentalist elements. The interim government led by Mohammad Yunus remains a puppet of fundamentalists. It seems as if there is a flood of incidents of killing of Hindus and other minorities, burning of their houses and terrorizing them and the interim government is silent. Many leaders there are continuously spewing venom to provoke India. Amidst all this, India has still remained calm. But the Bangladesh government, which has become a puppet of fundamentalists, should not test India’s patience. Whether you accept the favor or not, if you impose enmity, you will pay the price for it in the form of your own destruction. Hopefully, things will improve after the interim government leaves.