From: indu@iss700.Columbia.NCR.COM ()
Subject: Secularism to Islamisation - Cong(I) report on Bangla. Problem
Originator: indu@iss700
Organization: NCR Corp, E&M-Columbia, Columbia, SC
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 22:56:11 GMT


                ***************************************
    Present  Foriegn  Minister  of  Bangladesh announced in a seminar
    inaugarated by the Ambassador of Saudi  Arabia,  "the  First  and
    Foremost  concern  of  new  parliament will  be to enact the laws
    based on the Quran and Sunnah".    -1979, eve of Bangladeshi Elections
                ***************************************

Friends!
 This is a continuation of  the Previous posting  "In the Begining ..".
 Find  the details how the Islamic fundamentalism  which was active  
 during the 1947 partition time acted in Bangladesh, and its UPS and
 downs.  Islamic fundamentalism which has been having the tacit support
 of Pakistan, was  kept under check till 1980. Then it surfaced back.
 These fundamentalists, HAVE BEEN following this pattern. The ugly question
 of Partitioning the country is surfacing again and again.  WHY ARE THESE
 FUNDAMENTALISTS SO AGAINST INDIA? ARE WE WRONG SOME WHERE ?

 The following are the contents of the CONGRESS COMMITTE report, which was 
 presented to the Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao. The P.M. is pressed to
 act upon this immediately by  his party's General Secretaries.

-Indu


Congress-I  report on Infiltration from Bangladesh

    Migration   -   Secularism vs  Fundamentalism  
    ----------------------------------------------
    
    1.Migration is a natural phenomena in history.But during the last
    four  and  half  decades the populations movements in Indian sub-
    Continent across the International borders have been anything but
    natural. In the eastern region the population movement across the
    borders in its natural form remains  a  disturbing  fact  of  our
    Social  life  with   a  threat  that  it   may  become even  more
    disturbing in not too distant future.
    
    2. The assumption that partition  would  solve  the  Hindu-Muslim
    question,  and  that  on  both sides, Hindus and Muslims would be
    able to live peacefully and unity, proved to be  unreal.  In  the
    eastern there could be virtually no-exchange of Population, as in
    the western section. The size of the population was too  big  for
    such a course.
    
    3. With the graudal decline in the power of  Muslim league  which
    had  been  palying  the fundamentalist role, and with the growing
    resistance  of  the people  of the Eastern Bengal  to attacks  on
    their  Language  and  culture  and  to Economic exploitation, the
    intensity and frequency of Communal riots to evict  the  Minority
    declined.  Progressive  and  secular forces among muslims came to
    the defence   of  the  minorities.  The  movement   for  autonomy
    although fanatically resisted  by the  fundamentalists culminated
    in the liberation of East Pakistan  and  Republic  of  Bangladesh
    came into existence.
    
    India's Moral and material support to the cause of the revolution
    was  based  on  yet another assumption that in the  new republic,
    the remaining minority population would find amity and  peace.  A
    secular  atmosphere  on  both  sides  of the bordeer would act as
    safety valve  for  sustained  economic  cooperation   and  ensure
    prosperity  and  growth  and  prevent  migration  of  people from
    Eastern bengal to  Indias Eastern region, which between 1947  and
    1971  had  to absorb at a terrible cost History's largest exodus.
    To remind ourselves the religious minorities which accounted  for
    29.72  of  population  in  the area comprising East Pakistan (now
    Bangladesh) in 1947  were  reduced  to  14.6  %   of   the  total
    population in 1974, the  exodus period being 1947-1971.
    
    4. Quick on the heels of liberation  Bangladesh  became  secular
    democratic republic. All communal and religion based parties were
    banned. The four major fundamentalist  parties affected  by   the
    ban were Jamat-e-Islami, Nisan-e-Islam, Pakistan Democratic party
    and Muslim league.
    
    5. After the  assassination  of  Sheikh  Mujhib  in  August  1975
    Khondkar Mushtaq Ahmed tried to lift the ban but did not succeed.
    At the social level, however these parties were busy  propogating
    their  cause.  Mosques were the focal points in  this  excercise.
    It was at this  time  the  fundamentalists  scored  their   first
    victory.  The unifying slogan of "Joy Bangladesh" was replaced by
    "Bangladesh Zindabad". Similarly the name "Bangladesh Betar"  was
    replaced   by  "Radio  Bangladesh".  These  were  very subtle and
    sophisticated moves  remniscent of East  Pakistan days away  from
    "Bengali Nationalism" to "Bangladeshi Nationalism".
    
    6. On April 21  1976,  the   first  action  of  General  Zia(-ur-
    Rehman)  as  president was to erase secularism from the directive
    principles of the constituition. Ordinances and rules were passed
    to provide opputunities to the fundamentalist parties to function
    openly and legally.
    
    7. Blessaed by the Military rule,  the  fundamentalists  lost  no
    time   to  entrench  and  emerge as a force. In 1979 elections an
    alliance of Pro-pakistan and Islamic fundamentalist forces  which
    had opposed the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 had won 20 seats
    in the parliament. In 1986 the Jamat got 10 seats  while  it  had
    won  anly  6   seats  under  the  protective  banner  of  Islamic
    Democratic League(IDL). In the 1991 elections the Jamat  and  its
    associates  won  18  seats,  and  occupied  second position in 24
    constituencies. They polled 11.73% of the total votes cast.
    
    8.  It is instructive to note that in the pre-liberation era, the
    Jamat  never  gained as many seats. In 1970 elections they failed
    even  to open their account. Between 1979 and 1988 the persistent
    efforts of fundamentalism to wean away people from Secularism and
    socialism and democracy in favour  of  Islamic  ethos   continued
    unabated. It  was essential to get the student support because of
    the  revolutionary role they have been playing.
    
     It  was also  essential that the  constituition be made  Islamic
    sealing the path of  Progressive  forces. In 1979 just on the eve
    of the  general elections, Lt.  Col   Mustafir  Ur  Rehaman,  the
    present  foriegn  minister  of  Bangladesh announced in a seminar
    inaugarated by the Ambassador of Saudi  Arabia,  "the  First  and
    Foremost  concern  of  new  parliament will  be to enact the laws
    based on the Quran and Sunnah".
    
                                 **** Cong(I) report Part2 Completed ******
-Indu.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  My  views expressed above are made on a PERSONAL basis              |
|  No Group or  Organization   can be held responsible                 |
|                                ( for those in quest of truth .......)|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian