FM Manekshaw and Gen AAK Niazi

 

Important characters of 16^th December 1971, FM Manekshaw and Gen AAK Niazi

 

 

“It is important to honor the patriotic heroes but equally important to censure the traitors in whatever form and shape they come.”

 

Manekshaw and Niazi fighting in the north eastern part of Indian subcontinent weren’t new to the area or combat there. On 15 December 1944, 27 years and a day earlier Lord Wavell, Viceroy of India, flew to Imphal and after honoring British soldiers chose to decorate only two British India Army officers at that ceremony— one was Lt. Niazi and the other was Major Sam Manekshaw. Both of them had fought valiantly for the British who were occupying their country brutally against the Japanese and Indian National Army of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose fighting for freedom and deliverance of India.

 

Indian subcontinent went through a great trauma during 1757-1947 and the following picture explains its suffering and routine humiliations thoroughly.

 

Detailed history of India in one picture 1757-1947

 

During this period India that was the world’s richest country became one of the poorest, most backward and wretched. Racism was institutionalized against the populace who were routinely disgraced and abused in their own land with the help of its own people serving the subjugating occupiers. Tens of millions perished in routine famines and the rest barely clinged to life. Locals were called “Niggers” and “Natives” very derogatively and probably considered subhumans or something between an evolved white man and a beast of burden. It was so bad that some historians call it the Indian holocaust.

 

In addition to all these sufferings probably the worst with most detrimental effects was the absolute butchering of the national self esteem and planting of self hate. Ultimately after going through centuries of abuse and humiliations the locals were convinced of their inferiority more than the Gora sahibs certain of their superiority. They started hating their skin color, language and nearly everything. Acting like the foreign rulers became a status symbol and its remnants are still visible although lessened.

 

But how could a small and poor nation like Britain could overwhelm, subjugate and abuse a rich, developed and massive nation like India makes and interesting study. The reasons can be multiple, but two main reasons were their effective use of divide and rule policy by creating and encouraging cleavages in the society (a reminder, there were massive divisions in Britain too and Scotland had just been included) and then availability of men willing to fight for anyone as long as they were paid. It is the second group these two stars of 16^th December belong to.

 

Fighting for the enemy against one’s own people in humiliating conditions for money is called traitorous collaboration; one of the most disgraceful things one could do. Doing it with valor would be even worse, something both of these men did.

 

But why were they doing it? Following picture might explain,

 

Posture enticing Indians to join the British Indian Army asking “Who will get this money, gun and uniform? Then it answers itself, “Whoever will join the army.”

 

Niazi and Manekshaw wanted money and authority over locals and they got it at a great expense to their nation. Their shortsightedness and blatant selfishness brought great pains and humiliation to their South Asian brethren for centuries. These ill effects weren’t restricted to India but the Empire subjugated many self respecting foreign nations with the help of their power. British also sold drugs with the force of their gun earning the dubious distinction of being the only country in the history of manking officially and institutionally involved in dope pushing. These collaborators also share the burden and guilt of suffering this drug trade must have caused, probably the single biggest crime ever made. All this was done for small personal gains as they were still treated as niggers and “natives”.

 

Understandably both of them developed contempt for the “natives” and considered themselves some superior beings, kind of British ruling the Indians. That can be the only reason for Manekshaw routinely made derogatory comments about the political leadership which allowed his opponents to label him as unpatriotic, and he was charged with sedition. Niazi was worse encouraging rape of E Pakistani women, their own. Sounds like the occupational army he was commissioned in.

 

They were fighting Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army composed of all segments and religious groups of the subcontinent.

 

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose with the Indian National Army

 

These were the dignified men who joined the imperial army who had learnt the fighting techniques but jumped ships at the first opportunity to fight against their tormentors. Netaji, a man of exceptional abilities, could have taken any of the lucrative posts available to the “natives” but he realized the indignity associated with it and chose the tough path instead.

 

He fought his nation’s subjugators as long as he could, leading a tough life and left this world as a dignified human and Indian. He suffered personally along with his family while the collaborators were enjoying the fruits of their delinquency. Unfortunately he lost militarily after the British were again able to summon their big brother, the USA otherwise the horrors of the Empire might have been properly found out and disclosed.

 

After the defeat of Indian National Army due to the valor and efforts of Manekshaw and Niazi the Indian freedom fighters were arrested and brought back. They were tried openly in the Red Fort as British wanted to make an example out of them as they didn’t appear to be in a mood to let their most prized possession go. Probably British were planning to blast them tied to the mouth of canons as they had done earlier.

 

In the first phase three officers were tried for treason (how about that?). Gen Shah Nawaz, Col Prem Kumar Sahgal and Col Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were selected to be made an example and open court martial was held in the Red Fort. British did succeed in making a spectacle out of it but it became of the other type.

 

Now that Netaji had sown the seeds of independence revolts broke out in the navy in Bombay and army in Jabbalpore along with visible lack of subservience of the local soldiers. Indian subjugation and pathetic condition was dependant on these people willing to fight their own for a paltry sum of money and finally the viceroy Wavell who had enjoyed tremendous aura had to acknowledge that he was losing control fast. Without support of the local collaborators the aura and power of the subjugators was finished and they left. Ultimately India was free but massive damages had been caused.

 

British while leaving created many long lasting divisions but the natives who swore to be loyal to them stayed back and retained sufficient power.

 

History can be read but not altered. Still we must be honest about ourselves and our history correctly identifying our heroes and villains. We must categorize who fought for the foreigners against their own people. Those who fired in Jalianwala cant be heroes like the soldiers firing in Qissa khwanni bazaar killing hundreds. Unfortunately no one in Peshwar knows about Hawaldar Major Chander Singh Garhwal, a poor man who sacrificed his career and material benefits for not firing at the protestors. He deserves to rated a hero and not the decorated collaborators.

Veer Chandra Singh, a Garhwali Hindu who refused to fire at unarmed Muslim Pathans and went to jail.

 

Its 73 years since independence and time to get out of the subjugate mindset and call spade a spade. We should reassess our history and stop glamorizing the collaborators whether its Ayub Khan or Yahya Khan or anyone else. The kindest we can be to them would be to rate them as mercenaries, someone who fights for money and not political or other concerns. As mercenaries are not considered respectable anywhere in the world let’s call them what they are and give them what they deserve. In addition let’s stop our military regiments and civil institutions taking pride in committing horrible crimes like fighting Tipu Sultan or aiding British selling drugs across the world.

 

           

           

General Shahnawaz Janjua    Col. Gurbaksh Singh Dillon     Col. Prem Kumar Sahgal

 

We must also honor and glamorize the forgotten undisputed heroes like Netaji, Hawaldar Chander Singh Garhwal, Shah Nawaz, Prem Kumar, Dhillon and many others. Or lets start with Provisional government of free India of 1915 formed by President Mahindra Pratab Singh and PM Maulana Barkatullah in Kabul. Knowing the imperial racist mind I am much in agreement with Dr. Ambedkar where he writes that Indian independence from the British is more due to them rather than non violence of Gandhi/Nehru. This will address and correct many of the apprehensions and misconceptions so carefully planted by the subjugators among the South Asians.

 

We and our generations owe it to them and to ourselves.