History can often be distorted. In order to know the truth, one has to have the ability to separate facts from fiction
THE generation that witnessed the great divide, and formation of Pakistan in 1947, is on the verge of extinction. They are eyewitnesses to the most horrendous riots in the history of mankind. It is only a matter of time, and time flies. After the extinction of the eyewitnesses no one will be around to narrate an accurate account of the phenomenal mayhem in the annals of the subcontinent. The coming generations will be obliged to digest custom-made episodes from a concocted history. The rulers, all along, have made a mockery of democracy and history. They toy with the universally accepted norms of governance and authentic record of historical happenings. Generations after generations are nurtured on fiction.
Facts are forbidden entity for our children. They are brought up on the hate syndrome. They are systematically fed that in the wake of partition of India the Muslims alone were subjected to the atrocities and genocide, whereas no Hindu or Sikh was touched. They remained safe and sound. It is a blatant lie. They too were devastated and annihilated. Instead of saying that the Hindus and the Muslims were killed in riots, why cannot we say human beings killed each other in abundance? The rulers of Pakistan abhor each other. But, in the unholy alliance of playing havoc with history and democracy, they have remained committed comrades.
The rulers of Pakistan are oblivious to the universal truth that the history of a country is not necessarily written within the confines of that country alone. Most authentic histories have been written in exile. Apart from India and Pakistan, a substantial versions of the history of partition of India, and coming into being of Pakistan, were written in European countries, particularly Britain. Even after 58 years of the great divide, the historians abroad have continually conducted research on the partition of India. Back home, in Pakistan facts are not only concealed, they are swapped with brazen lies.
Do our children, who were born after 1970, know the actual factors responsible for the disintegration of Pakistan in 1971? Our history blatantly absolves West Pakistan rulers from their crimes they committed against East Pakistan continually till the eastern wing of the country opted for separation in 1971. It was a violent parting of ways between the brothers.
I don’t think any curricula honestly divulges actual facts about the language controversy in East Pakistan in 1948 that sowed the seed for separation, and left considerable number of writers, scholars, teachers and students gunned down in the streets of Dhaka. Bengali language is one of the complete languages of the subcontinent adorned with rich literary heritage. It is the language of Rabendranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam. In the name of national integration and ‘one language, one nation’, West Pakistan rulers relegated the language of the majority people in their own province, East Pakistan. Then, who would forget the sinister One Unit, the united front of the West Pakistani ruling clique against East Pakistan? In their nefarious design they were hand in glove with the Waderas, Choudhries, Jagirdars, Khans and Sardars, the powerful feudal aristocracy of the western Wing of the country. East Pakistan revolted against the One Unit, the merger of four provinces for ultimate formation of the formidable united front against the Bengalis. The revolt baffled the rulers. They couldn’t contain it.
As if inventory of evil intentions was incomplete the incompetent West Pakistan politicians prompted General Ayub Khan to step in, and take over the country, safeguard the One Unit, and save the country from disintegration. General Ayub Khan obliged them and took over the country in 1958 and clamped martial law. In his quest to save the One Unit, the general went on committing horrendous blunders for 10 years. In order to salvage elements within West Pakistan who had subjugated and terrorized the Bengalis ever since Pakistan came into being in 1947 the government of Pakistan dished out different versions of the secession of the eastern wing from the rest of the country. No textbook of history commissioned by the rulers would reveal the real facts. To know exactly what happened in East Pakistan read poetry, short stories and novels the Bengali writers wrote in the wake of their struggle for independence.
I was on the threshold of my teens when the movement for Pakistan was at its peak. One of the most popular slogans that caught the attention of the masses was: Le kay rahain gay Pakitstan (we will achieve Pakistan). After 58 years the vanishing generation wonders, for whom did they raise the slogan of Le kay rahain gay Pakistan?
While campaigning for Pakistan our leaders had vowed that Pakistan would be a model country that many would envy in the world. Pakistan is there, but where is the role model that the world could envy? While motivating the masses our leaders including, the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan, had assured the Muslims of the subcontinent that Pakistan would be a modern, progressive and a democratic country. Pakistan is there, but where is the modern, progressive and democratic country?
Would Mr Jinnah, if alive, approve of Pakistan as he had envisaged?
