Was India Foolish?
Friday May 27 2005 18:23:59 PM BDT
Tuhin Reza from UK
This article is in response to Dr. A K Biswass comments (25 May 2005) on my article General Aurora and the looting by Indian Soldiers. Dr. Biswas rejects my account because how could an ordinary mortal like me be invited to a high profile wedding in Delhi? For him, as he implies, it is only people with an impressive designation should be worthy of being regarded as a witness.
The suitability of a witness does not depend on his educational qualifications or the position he holds in the society (unless he is an expert witness) but on how close he was to the scene of occurrence. I narrated clearly what I had heard during my visit to Delhi.
For the record of Dr Biswas, I was in the same dormitory where General Auroras relative was and we became very good friends. My invitation to his wedding came through this connection. It was a high profile wedding. My friends father was a senior civil servant and his father-in-law was a commodore in the Indian Navy. I was well received by my friends relatives and friends. I gracefully acknowledge their hospitality, love and affection.
Before addressing some other points raised by Dr Biswas, I would like to correct him about one point. Yes, there was one Bengali core commander in the Pakistan Army, Lt. Gen. Khaja Wasiuddin. But I accept his point that Bengalis were not given a proper representation in Pakistan Military. Not only that, Bengalis were denied their due representation in other central services. During the days of united Pakistan, Bengalis were very badly treated, and that was the main reason for their discontent.
If the Bengalis were given their fair share in every sphere then there was no need for 1971, no question for receiving Indias help; India could have saved the 30 billion dollars and use it for the development of the country. Had the Pakistani authorities accepted the 1970 election results, allowed Awami League to form a government in Islamabad with Mujib as the prime minister, there would have been no question of proclamation of independence from Pakistan.
The mistreatment suffered by the Bengalis for 24 years and the brutal army crack down in March 1971 left Bangladeshis with no option but to go for the war of independence. The united Pakistan died on the night of 25 march 1971 when the Pakistanis fired the first bullet. One should note that the Bangladeshis did not go to war to change masters; they did not want the Pindiwallas to be replaced by Delhiwallas.
Was India foolish in helping Bangladesh in 1971? No. Dr. Biswas admits that Pakistan is dangerous to India. The central aim of Indias intervention in 1971 was to dismember and weaken Pakistan, which they did. India took full advantage of the Pakistan-Bangladesh conflict. Without the help of the Bangladeshis, it was not possible for India to achieve such an outright victory within such a short span of time. After the surrender of the Pakistani forces at Dhaka, Indian leadership commented, Tarain has been avenged. In the second battle of Tarain (sometimes spelt as Taraori) in 1192 the Muslim Army led by Mohammed Guri (sometimes spelt as Ghurid) defeated the Hindu Army of Prithvi Raj and conquered Delhi. This paved the way for eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Delhi.
So in 1971 India took revenge for the defeat in 1192. However, the way the Pakistanis treated Bengalis, they well deserved to suffer such a humiliating defeat. So India was not foolish, they got what they principally wanted.
If they had spent $30 billions as Dr. Biswas claims, then it was worth for what they had actually got in return. The thing that went wrong in Indias design was that Bangladesh gradually slipped out of her pocket. It is the Bangladeshs stubbornness to accept Indias hegemony that landed her in troubles with successive Indian regimes and some intellectuals and members of the media.
Even if one accepts that Bangladesh had no valuable moveable properties, which the Indian troops could take then one should ask what about the arms and ammunitions left by the Pakistanis? As the successor to the Pakistan State in Bangladesh, the state of Bangladesh should have had the ownership of those. Why not a single rifle was left for Bangladesh? If they were treated as the booties of the war then Bangladesh should have received half of the shares. After all, the Pakistani troops did not surrender to Indian Army, but to the Indo-Bangla joint forces. If one has doubts then one can see the actual document of surrender.
The fact remains that the Indian troops went on a high scale of looting from Industries, Banks, and even from shops and houses. The late Major Jalil, who was one of the sector commanders for Bangladesh during the war, protested Indias action and because of this ended up as the first political prisoner in free Bangladesh.
Dr. Biswas considers Bangladesh more cancerous and dangerous than Pakistan. Irony is that it was only few days ago that Dr. Biswas was the champion of unity of Bengalis (east and west). It looks like that he has now abandoned this noble cause. After all, who would want to graft a cancerous limb to an otherwise healthy (!) body?
Dr. Biswas admitted that in the pre-partition period the wealth in Bangladesh was in the hands of the Hindus. Well, was there not a case then for the Muslims to seek partition as they thought that in a Hindu dominated country poor Muslims would even grow poorer? Should the campaign for a separate homeland for Muslims then be classed as a campaign by the have nots against the haves?
Finally, I wish Dr. Biswas a very good health.
Tuhin Reza
London
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=46274
But my point was.. billitting a country called bangladesh is not the right way..!! And bangladesh is an important neighbour for us.. no matter whatever some people says..!! Respect them and conduct good business with them.. thats what i would say to my government!!! 
