Bangladesh prior to its independence on 16th December 1971 was a part of Pakistan as it was then known as East Pakistan while the current Pakistan was known as West Pakistan but both the wings known as Pakistan under one sovereignty and one national flag. Though it was under one Pakistan yet East Pakistani people were not happy to remain under one Pakistan. Since independence from the British, East Pakistanis were clamouring for separate homeland for them, independent of West Pakistan. East Pakistanis always felt that under united Pakistan where West’s influence was more dominant, they were likely to lose their Bengali culture, tradition and everything related to Bengali including their mother tongue Bengali, the language of the great Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Hence they decided to secede from the West and establish their own independent country as Bangladesh.
To form their own independent nation, on 26th March 1971 under their patriotic leader Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, gave a call to all East Pakistani people to revolt against West Pakistan to create an independent sovereign nation known as Bangladesh. Within East Pakistan revolution took place and thousands of East Pakistani people to avoid atrocities committed on to them by the West Pakistani troops, fled to India. Indian States bordering East Pakistan flooded with refugees coming from East Pakistan. To support them physically India under Premier Indira Gandhi had to face lot of problems major being financial. To raise adequate finance for this cause India taxed its citizens by way of 25 Paise Stamp Tax for the every financial transaction carried on by the Indians in India. This was the big financial burden on Indians to support the cause of Bangladesh and its people.
Additionally when every opportunity failed to settle the dispute peacefully between East Pakistan and West Pakistan, India in support of East Pakistan’s claim for the total independence, waged a war against Pakistani Armed Forces based in East Pakistan and within a few days of most bloody war, liberated East Pakistan from the sovereignty of West Pakistan leading for an independent sovereign East Pakistan known as Bangladesh.
In this war for the liberation of Bangladesh India lost in millions financially plus thousands of its soldiers. It was a big sacrifice on the part of India for the sake of Bangladesh’s liberation. Additionally which is the worst result of this war, India created a Pakistani front for itself in Kashmir bordering West Pakistan. As a revenge for helping East Pakistani Bengalis for the creation of Bangladesh and splitting one united Pakistan into two parts, Pakistan is supporting secessionist movement in Indian Kashmir with arms and ammunitions and finance. This is the biggest set-back for India for its earlier support for the creation of Bangladesh.
Some political analysts said India in the first place should not have involved in the internal affairs of Pakistan in its dispute with East Pakistan. Because of this one wrong decision of Congress Party under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, India is now facing the onslaught of Pakistan in Indian Kashmir. Because of this one small spot the entire India is bleeding and suffering and it will go on bleeding thus forever. According to the events going on in Indian Kashmir now, with the clandestine support from Pakistan, Kashmiri people in Indian Kashmir will never stop fighting with Indian government until Indian Kashmir is reunited with the Pakistani Kashmir for the final establishment of one sovereign independent Kashmir. The way India helped East Pakistan to secede from West Pakistan earlier in the same way now Pakistan is helping Indian Kashmiris to secede from India for the creation of separate independent Kashmir. It is a ‘Tit – for – Tat’ war where India is totally at the mercy of Pakistani terrorism.
Now, coming back to Bangladesh, on 26th of this month it marked its National and Independence Day by remembering everyone who helped Bangladesh to free itself from Pakistan but never making any mention of India and its heroic role in liberating it from West Pakistan. If it was not for India, Bangladesh would never come into existence.
Are all the current leaders of Bangladesh including its Premier, President and Ambassador in Kuwait gone blind to what India done for its liberation? In the local Press in Kuwait their messages have been published but without mentioning India’s name. Is it a sign of INGRATITUDE? It looks like!! After all it was said by Shakespeare "the good that man does often interred with the bones while evil always remains after him".
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
.
