Dr. Umar Khan

khanmomar@hotmail.com

Dr. Khan belongs to a Lahore based Think Tank.

12-12-23

 

 

Our appalling and deafening silence vis-à-vis, 16^th December, 1971!

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

 

Decembers brings painful memories for Pakistanis of my generation. 16th December 1971 was the most painful day for us when our newly created beloved Pakistan got dismembered, but the way it happened was even more painful. 90 thousand proud Pakistanis surrendered in front of people we considered our enemy and inferiors and had to endure years of humiliation in captivity. In addition to this humiliation the basic message of two nation theory, the basis of creation of Pakistan came under serious threat. No wonder the nation still mourns this tragedy and many vow to avenge it.

 

I see a still greater tragedy associated with 16th December 1971 than the fall of Dhaka.

The greatest tragedy was when East Pakistanis were being mass murdered and gang raped for months, nearly whole of West Pakistan along with me remained silent and didn’t resist or speak up. These silent people were the better one’s because many supported this carnage justifying it as patriotism. There might be an even bigger tragedy involved; after 73 years we still haven’t understood or corrected anything and might be repeating it.

 

“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” Montesuieu.

 

Dismemberment of Pakistan just didn’t happen by chance on that fateful day as our mistakes for a quarter century had culminated in that surrender. First of all West Pakistan harbored an irrational sense of superiority over the East Pakistanis which had a significant aspect of racism because of West’s stronger built and fairer complexion. This color complex was hammered into our minds over centuries where we were discriminated against by British and were even more brutal against slightly darker shades. West Pakistan also considered East’s language unimportant and tried to force Urdu while discriminating in jobs and development too. Politically they were forced to give up their majority to maintain equality with the West. Still can’t understand why East Pakistan agreed to the unfair parity principal forced upon in 1956’s constitution? After all this a military government was forced upon with people who were mostly from West Pakistan. Political liberties, basic rights and the constitution were repeatedly trampled at whims with no recourse.

 

After all this, things still remained under control till the 1970 election results were unilaterally defied although East Pakistan had given a very clear mandate that couldn’t have been any clearer. Unfortunately the military government mostly composed of West Pakistanis in power out of their arrogance and foolishness couldn’t understand it and resorted to violence trying to control and subdue the East Pakistanis. It wasn’t to work and there was resistance starting a vicious cycle of increase in the intensity and scale of violence.

 

This war against our own people ultimately resulted in the number of deaths between 50000-3million, depending upon the reporting source, and numerous rapes and frank dacoities by the state officials, most of them uniformed. Finally this tragedy ended in another tragedy of a horrendous military surrender.

 

While all this happened the West Pakistanis stayed mostly silent although a few people did speak against these atrocities but were mostly hushed up or simply slapped down.

 

Political liberties and civil rights vanished, collective punishment and religious profiling became a routine and the state apparatus developed a near complete impunity over treating its citizens.

 

During these shameful times when heinous crimes were being committed there was an appalling and deafening silence in West Pakistan.

 

This tragic situation ended in the only possible scenario it could have, absolute disaster with surrender in front of the enemy who turned saviors of the perpetrators as the newly independent Bangladeshis were revengeful.

 

More than the arrogance and insanity of the generals in power it was the indifference and lack of resistance of the decent West Pakistanis that let it happen making them abettors to the crime.

 

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” Haile Selassie

 

 

After this great tragedy we tried to bury it under the rug and started life as usual but it was not to be. We got involved repeatedly in many abrogations of the constitution, military takeovers, wars, strange form of extremism and militarism while ignoring our people and the country while enriching some who routinely launder the meager resources abroad.

 

 This sorry state of affairs made Pakistan into an example of a failed state and a classic example of what not to do. Now we are at the bottom of all human development indexes with perpetually faltering economy impoverishing the 250 million even more. Our rulers are always begging abroad and our passport lies at the bottom. Interestingly during all this we remain proud of being a nuclear power or more appropriately, “Nuclear power surviving on charities”.

 

Our acceptance of the 1971 tragedy had started rolling the chain of events that had to cause further disasters. It established that the state apparatus was sacred and enjoyed absolute impunity about how it treats its citizens. Rule of law became subservient to the whims of the state officials and violence became an acceptable, rather preferred way of solving problems. This impunity of state officials was conveyed to India by East India Company as the foreign exploitative rulers needed this dreadful aura and fear for it to operate and exploit. All this was an absolute recipe for disaster.

 

State and its institutions are for the people and not otherwise. While the world was converging on the need for the state to be subservient to the people with the sole aim of serving them, we are stuck in the bad old times. The state retains the right to subjugate and humiliate its citizens despite our apparent gaining of independence.

 

Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it; we in Pakistan just can afford to let it happen again.

 

We must commit to ourselves never ever to allow anyone to abrogate our constitution. Every person and institution must always follow laws and stay subservient to them. Human liberties the constitution imparts upon its citizens must be guarded jealously and we must stop the habit of saving our skin when under pressure while others are being trampled upon; just can’t afford this indifference anymore.

 

As a self-respecting nation we must protect our rights and defy all the illegal orders that might be forced down our throats. For this we must turn vocal and refuse to cow down to any tyrant. We must come out and if we do it in significant numbers it won’t be possible for future tyrants to try bullying us. Must remember that no one can abuse you without your consent and we must revoke this privilege given to aspiring tin pot dictators.

 

Having said that although it isn’t possible to undo the history we must take initiative and apologize with the depth of our hearts to our Bengali brethren whom we did wrong. We should consider rehabilitating Mujeebur Rehman and others who fought for their just rights. After all he services in the Pakistan movement and support of Fatima Jinnah are well known. Then we must punish the perpetrators of these crimes as severely as we can even posthumously. After declaring the perpetrators of this tragedy like Yahya, Justice Muneer or Gen Niazi as villains, punishments suggested by the late Justice Waqar Seth and the British treatment of Cromwell might be considered. We have to send a clear message to aspiring dictators that the nation won’t take it anymore, so don’t try.

 

One thing is for sure, as Pakistanis we just can’t afford this apathy and indifference towards highhandedness of the state apparatus anymore.

 

“First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

By Martin Niemöller

 

 

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