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Who broke Pakistan ?
I disagree with the views of Dr. Meekal Ahmed, Major (r) Zahid Salam, and Dr. Najeeb A Khan.
Ayub Khan ruled East Pakistan as a colony, and his Viceroy like bureaucrats Aziz Ahmed and others were the tools he used. Yaha Khan’s rule was merrily an extension of Ayub’s rule. Bhutto was very much part of that rule as Ayub’s minister, and later as a strong influence on Yaha.
Not just imposition of Urdu, but keeping Bengalis out of higher ranks of state services, giving them no say in decision making, releasing development funds for East Pakistan as late as May of the financial year so they can go unutilized and laps, as no worthwhile work was possible in East Pakistan because of monsoon, are just a few tricks used for that colonial rule.
But not even all that was enough to kill the political tolerance of Bengalis. There struggle remained centered only around gaining their legitimate political rights. And they thought they have succeeded when Awami League swept the poles and Bengalis expected that Mujeeb will takeover as the Prime Minister.
Of course Mujeeb as the Prime Minister of Pakistan was totally unpalatable to the West’s colonial rulers, and held no hope for Bhutto’s rule as a sole master. “… agar voh (Bengalis) hamare sath nahin rahna chahatay to sooar kay bachchay chalay jain!” – a Bhutto’s public address on utube, telling the majority population of the country to secede! (…if they don’t want to stay with us then let the piglets go away)
It was Tikka Khan – the renowned slave whipping master’s crackdown that finally convinced Bengalis that they have no future for them in Pakistan other than as colonial subjects – their choice was either to yield or struggle to get out.
I see no point in revisiting the same hypocrisy of our dictators’ apologists every few years, when they come out to blame every thing under the sun for the debacle – except their masters. If we are really interested in the truth, why not go and talk to the old timers of Awami League in Bangladesh ?
Khaled Ahmed
Islamabad .
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