1971: A Forgotten Story

Dear Farzana,

Sure, nobody should join the Armed Forces. How many soldiers does the Pope have?

regards,

Veeresh

How do we respond to this, Farzana? You`ve raised a lot of sensitive issues and their resolution doesn`t come that easily, at least not for me. I don`t know what to say.

And that`s not because I am a Pakistani but as a Muslim, and I use that term as it is meant to be used, ie, someone who enjoins the right and forbids the wrong and has faith in God, I find it a horror to think that we have these people suffering in our jails for a politically-motivated crime that wasn`t theirs to begin with.

I am reminded of an incident in the early days of Islam, when the Muslims had successfully warded off the Meccan army in the Battle of Badr. The Meccan prisoners of war feared for their lives for these were real criminals who had perpetrated the worst cruelty against the Muslims in their early Meccan days. However, their anxiety was in vain. With characteristic generosity and largeheartedness, the Prophet of Islam ordered that they be treated with kindness and that the victors, the Muslims, share equal mouthfuls of food with their prisoners.

Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian writer who won the Nobel Prize, said in his Nobel lecture, delivered to a distinguished audience in Stockholm:

``...As for Islamic civilization I will not talk about its call for the establishment of a union between all Mankind under the guardianship of the Creator, based on freedom, equality and forgiveness. Nor will I talk about the greatness of its prophet. For among your thinkers there are those who regard him the greatest man in history. I will not talk of its conquests which have planted thousands of minarets calling for worship, devoutness and good throughout great expanses of land from the environs of India and China to the boundaries of France. Nor will I talk of the fraternity between religions and races that has been achieved in its embrace in a spirit of tolerance unknown to Mankind neither before nor since.

I will, instead, introduce that civilization in a moving dramatic situation summarizing one of its most conspicuous traits: In one victorious battle against Byzantium it has given back its prisoners of war in return for a number of books of the ancient Greek heritage in philosophy, medicine and mathematics. This is a testimony of value for the human spirit in its demand for knowledge, even though the demander was a believer in God and the demanded a fruit of a pagan civilization.``

Should you meet them again, please convey my deepest condolences to the affected families and loved ones.

Regards,

Aamir

Farzana:

A very poignant and heart-breaking story. I commend you for taking the effort to highlight the plight of families for whom the world has moved on without any concern. You have done the nation a service by bringing attention to an issue that suffers from official and private apathy.

that is a haunting article. If even half of it is true and Pakistan refuses to have international authorities verify her denials, then India can morally have no second choice: get the men out no matter what it takes.

Nice article Farzana.

There is another struggle in our country where it seems our impotent and corrupt govt is basically working against victims of biggest corporate terrorism ever happened, yes thats Bhopal gas tragedy. Warren Anderson, Ex-CEO of Union Carbide is wanted on criminal charges related to Bhopal Gas tragedy, but our Americono-phile impotent govt does not even have guts to ask USA to extradite Warren Anderson. A court case is also being fought on behalf of victims in USA but the basic hurdle for them is that Indian govt itself is hindering the work of activists to get proper documents. Not surprisingly you would find many of our NRI bhais (who always hold moral high ground) working for Dow chemical (which acquired Union Carbide). I find this worse than working for D-gang.

My memory of 71 is so fuzzy ,excuse me ,if i seem too young for everyone else but

1/ was it Niazi who dropped the bomb on Kolai kund at the Army base in Barrackpore near Calcutta ?I faintly remember somthing like that

2/ Or was it that Pakistan at that time East Pakistan captured Birubari & triggered war?

3/ or they dropped a bomb on Howrah bridge ,that was very act of war ,must be why would india then bother to put its Son in the harm way .?

I think i ll never know why india ever was doing inside East Pakistan much before the 71 making Mukti Bahmini fight like the Americans did first with Taleban Then the Northern Alliance .