From: kazi@dobie.cis.udel.edu (Zunaid Kazi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Re: The word "liberation"
Date: 2 Oct 92 18:55:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: udel.1992Oct2.185551.14137
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark

In article <1992Oct2.175912.7198@sol.cs.wmich.edu> hossain@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Moazzem) writes:
>In article <1992Oct2.151021.20843@udel.edu> kazi@dobie.cis.udel.edu (Zunaid Kazi) writes:
>>
>>Since we are on this thread, here's an interesting but little known fact:
>>
>>On the airport dias which was set up to receive Sheikh Mujib, (on his truimphant
>>return to freedom and free Bangladesh in 1972), one of the first words that
>>Sheikh Mujib uttered were to the then Prime Minsister Tajul Islam. He said,
>>"A tomrA ki korlay? Desh takey bhengay dilay?" [What have you done? You broke
>>up the country?]. This is based on a first hand account from someone who was
>>standing next to Sheikh Mujib at that time. I have no doubts as to the
>>veracity of the quote; though the actual wordings might have been slightly
>>different.
>>
>This is the first time I am hearing this. Zunaid, can you please give
>the actual reference of the quote. At this point, I find it very hard to 
>believe this. If this were true, we would have heard it at least million 
>times by this time. After 1975, the way Sheikh Mujib was portrayed to the
>people by the later governmets, not to mention by Jamate-Islam, this could 
>have been a very good point for them. So, I would like to see more on this.

This was a private comment made by the Bangobondhu which was overheard by
this highly placed official who was standing next to him. This was never
publicised, and this same "highly placed official" only told this story
to a few members of his family/friends. I have no reason to doubt the
veracity of his story; but since I have no proof of the quote other than
having heard it first hand from that offcial, I can only say is that what
I have written is a conjecture based on a statement of some dubious nature. :)
I hope this satisfies most people.

>>What is the implication of the quote? I don't think his intention was the
>>creation of an independance Bangladesh. I believe he would have been quite
>>satisfied to work within the framework of a federated Pakistan, that was
>>spelled out in AL`s 6-point program. The high degree of autonomy that was
>>inherent in that plan would have sufficed for him. 
>>
>First of I would like to see the actual quote and its proper reference.

That is something I am unfortunately unable to do.

>I do not agree with your hypothesis. You are right, the 6-point movement 
>did not have any word on liberation. I don't think starting the movement right
>from the beginning with liberation would have been a good political movement.
>Although the then movement started with the autonomy and then 
>Pakistan government started the war, Pakistan govt. was trying to display 
>to the whole world that it was a civil unrest that was started by few 
>"terrorists" of then east pakistan. Now we would have been real terrorists!
>From that point, I would give an A to then AL leaders for their vision.

I doubt whether this was a visionary act by the Awami League. While there
was always a concurrent nascent nationalism running in Bangladesh's body
politic while under Pakistan's yoke, I do not think that the AL's main
intention when they started out the whole movement was outright independence.
I believe autonomy was the initial goal, but succeeding events made absolute
independence the only acceptable goal. 

>I would say, it was a liberation movement started with the 6-point movement.

I agree. The 6-point movement, and prior to that anti-Ayub, and the Bangla
Bhasha Andolon, were all precursors to the ultimate movement that gave us
our independence. The question I am asking is, did Awami League have the
independence of Bangladesh in bind when they formulated the 6-point plan?
Somehow, I do not think so. 

>>But events unfolded too quickly. Even though Sheikh Mujib and the Awami League
>>would have balked at outright secession (inspite of the speeches; "Ebarer
>>shongram, shadhinotar shongram"), to many, autonomy was one step shy from
>>the actual goal. This was especially true of the students, who would stop
>>at nothing but outright independance. 
>>
>Autonomy does not mean shadhinota.

I agree. Nothing less than absolute secession would have been ideal for
our situation. But as I have been saying, I do not think outright inde-
pendence was the initial goal of the 6-point program. Though the so called
"quote" adds to this hypothesis of mine, maybe we should discuss this
aspect without considering something for which I have no tangible proof.

>>But after the terror of the night of March 25, all such discussion is moot.
>>Too much has happened to ever consider the possibility that there is any path 
>>other than outright independence. I presume the 10 month long incarceration
>>of Mujib prevented him from realizing the enormity of the genocide and
>>destruction inflicted on us. Had he known, the words would never have been
>>uttered.
>>
>I can not agree on this either. The killing did not just happen in between 
>march 25, 1971-dec. 1971. It started from 1952. And Sheikh Mujib was not 
>out of those incident. 

I did not say that the only killings that happened were during 1971. The
whole history of post-partition Bangladesh is replete with the many sacrifices
made by so many for our liberation. What I implied in my statement was that
the enormity of the Pakistani barbarity precluded any sort of compromise
that might have occurred prior to March 1971 had there not been the Pak
Army Blue-Print to drag the negotiations along until they were ready to
decimate the Bangali Nation.

>--Moazzem

-- Zunaid
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh