1971: A Forgotten Story

Farzana you wrote:

``Can we get back our soldiers, please?``

If Pakistan still had them what would be the point of keeping them? And believe me I feel for the families of these people who are missing. And
it is good that you brought up this subject here on CHOWK where some people still uphold the causes of humanity.
In the same context could we also see a return of the thousands of Kashmiri youth ``missing`` from
Kashmir?

Pakistan and India have to improve their relationship period. The issue of Indian MIA`s
has been addressed before. If there is still a valid reason to continue to bring up this point then it needs to be within the realm of fact.

You also wrote,
``Zulfikar Ali Bhutto could not sleep. Every night he heard demented cries wafting towards his cell from the other side of the barracks. Where did those loud sobs emanate from? Who was being tortured? In prisons no one asked why. One of his lawyers made enquiries and was told by the jail authorities that they were Indian prisoners held after the 1971 war.


This bit of information comes from BBC correspondent Victoria Scholfied’s book ‘The Bhutto Trial and Execution’.``

I frankly think that this is bunk.
The India-Pakistan war was over in 1971-72. Bhutto Sahib was in Prison from 1977-79. It makes no sense that someone would live under ``torture``
for more than 5 years or last that long. Those were probably PPP supporters or leftists of Pakistani citizenship dubbed ``Indians``. In other words, people who I could relate to.

Victoria Scolfied`s book is really stretching the truth.

In conclusion here, I am in a way glad that you brought up this topic. The India-Pakistan relationship can be based on the human level only if we recognize that such inhumanity is wrong and needs to be corrected. And while we are at it, let us also apply the same yardstick to the plight of the Kashmiris.

Ras

Well Farzana you write really well..

But one really gets confused by the point you try to make, and if one compares two things written by you one gets more confused.. Basically even though you pick up deep touching relevant issues, you seem to dont care abt those issues but rather use those issues to bash your ``enemies``.. So one might get confused by the randomness in selection of these deep touching humane issues, but closer inspection reveals that the main thread across all your articles is bashing your enemy (BJP govt most of the times).. So whatever issue you pick up the target is same... And obviously you dont care to provide solutions for any of the issues you raise.. just put up some tears.. whole article sounds touchy, villain (in most cases BJP govt) gets villified... mission completed.. So in this article you question instead of Dawood why isnt govt going on war for those prisoners(everyone will agree with more humanitarian value of POWs being brought home.. ).. In previous article you were moaning how the dispute created by ``evil`` BJP govt with ``saintly`` nation of Pakistan is stopping you from loving the people across the border. Tommorow if we have some peace treaty between India and Pakistan and somehow Dawood is left off the hook, in your next article you will chronicle the injustices suffered by Bombay blast victims and how come their feelings were betrayed by the Govt.. ( everyone will agree.. target villified.. mission completed...)

To break you the news, all of us know our politicians dont value much the lives of common people getting killed by terrorists, all of us know our beaurocracy is inefficient and insensitive, all of us know political leaders might want to reap some political advantages from wars.. Please tell us something new.. All of us hate BJP and its communal ideology.. Dont make a mockery of deep sensitive issues which touch all of us to carry ur personal vendetta.

Re: Ras Siddiqi

``...If Pakistan still had them what would be the point of keeping them? ..``

It is a vicious cycle -- the belief is that once any side commits a mistake (ie. not handing over prisoners in a timely manner), then any `corrections` later on are made very difficult because it appears to acknowledge the earlier mistake. Ultimately, the lives of the prisoners are less important than the national ego. Thus, we have no return of American Korean war prisoners, or the captivity of Raoul Wallenberg (the Swedish diplomat captured by the Soviets -- he died in a Russian jail some 50 years later), amongst many, many others.

Trojan Colt,

(1)

``My family adorned the uniform of Indian Army``

Yea, Yea...I believe you. Btw, You have to be an indian...to be in the Indian Army.



(2)

``Are you here to score points.Has your family except for waving bjp flag & riding on Majoritism done ANYthing .Or its all yours b/c you happen to be Hindu ?``

The current number of people related to me in our armed forces in is the double figures. My own little contribution was to have worked for a defense research agency.

(3)

``From now on ,i will only CONSUDER the Muslim,christian,Sikh ,Non SAnghi Hindu as real ndian``

To quote amitabh bacchan (Namak Halal ?): ``consudering the consuderation that you are a pakistani, no one gives a consuder to your consuder-ing``!

get yourself a nice night-mare,



While we are all touched by her consuderation...Farzana-ji has not condescended to answer...does she have anyone in the armed forces ???

#: 20

anarayanTrojan Colt,

You must be the steno in the Defence Research Dept. of Indian Army ,my father talked about ,seeing flawless fingers like ladies in your key board skills.You needn`t try to divert discussion by showing that instead of ``i`` my executive hands fell on ``u``.. Big Deal .There is Transcriptist like you to care of that problem or even voice activated typing .I bet you could never do resesrch in Any dept .except type for my fathers colleagues.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

AAmir # 25

Aamir bhai, speaking of democide/genocide, I still shudder to think that (some officers in?)the Pakistani military had issued both verbal and written orders to kill all Hindus...

I mean, we are all familiar with religious biases, and minority members are killed far too frequently in our wonderful countries, but still...to read about such things...is enough to give a sinking feeling in anybody`s stomach.

Really, working for peace is not easy...but we must. We have all been animals at some time or the other...

ANOTHER REMEBERED STORY

Pakistanis are fond of blaming otheres, never to take responsibility for their own actions. Afghan crisis is the source of everything, now even the crime in karach is due to afghans. From dawn of today. Wake up pakistanis, how about the culture that hero worships gaznavi, the looter of the temples, how about the jihadic economic idea. Do you all know why polygamy is in islam, because men are supposed to be on jihad and get killed, the women produce more these jihadists, and that is how the jihadic economies work. Plunder and murder are norms. from dawn of today

``

after the breakdown of the law and order situation in Karachi in mid-1980s, more and more vehicles were being stolen or hijacked for covert operations - for robbing banks, committing dacoities or kidnapping moneyed people for ransom cases. It is a fact of life that some of the gangs operating in Karachi enjoyed the official patronage and support. Carjackers were also active in other cities or towns.

The Afghan jihad had contributed much to promote crime in Karachi and other cities. ``

well, I had the privilege of meeting Roop Lal Sharia in person some days back. For those who dont know this name, Roop Lal is an ex Indian army agent caught in Pakistan some 28 years ago and sentenced to death by hanging but released in 2000 due to intervention of Paki human rights activist Asma Jehangir and now staying in Delhi.

a) Roop Lal confirms presence of 1971 ex Indian armed forces men in Pakistani jails. He said however, in 2002 barely 2/3 were left to the best of his knowledge.

b) He speaks of torture ( but that is quite expected). But, what is interesting to hear from him is that there is no torture for those Sikhs/Hindu prisoners who have converted to Islam in Paki jails.

c) The prisoners are brainwashed into converting coupled with allurments, no torture deals etc etc.

d) Roop Lal suffers from partial paralysis of left side on acount of beatings and stay in prison.

For a country/people to whom killing, maiming, gouging out eyes, etc etc ( a la Lt. Saurabh kalia and others during Kargil) is part of their culture , this article does not sound strange. similar was the experience of Soviet Army at the hands of the afghanis. This is what they have done over the centuries, son killing father, brother mudering brother.... is very common theme in Islamic history.

Farzana Versey never disappoints.

anaryan,

You think that one has to be in the defence services to prove their loyalty to their nation. I am undermining the valour of those who protect their nation in the war front, but one should also acknowledge the effort of those who are into agriculture, production, management, social work, journalism, etc. These common people while getting along with the bussiness of life are also serving their nation in their own small or big way.

Farzana & other who have pointed out the issue of POW been raised earlier

I think what Farzana means is that at the moment when India is putting pressure on Pakistan for handing over the desired terrorists, it should also exert pressure for handing over the POWs. However Farzana, right now if any pressure is at all being exerted on Pakistan, it is only via US, that too only on the issue related to terrorism. If India is to push the issue of POW at this stage, it fears of losing whatever the grounds it might have gained so far. It is cruel but that is what those making the list of 20 terrorists must be thinking or rather they might not be thinking at all about POWs right now. In fact these or some other considerations must have been the reason for the government apathy towards its POWs, right from 71.

It was a very nice article. As an individual, I feel ashamed of myself for not doing anything for the family of POWs and for living in such comfort while those who fought for it have suffered along with their families.

Mona

So, even THIS article is seen as my “personal vendetta”! Please live with your delusions, people. I first wrote about it and met the families when the BJP was not in power. I have questioned every government prior and subsequent to that and hold them responsible. I have used the plural ‘governments’. It is foolish for some to suggest that a war is the only way to get something done. Stop using every trick in the book to incite baser instincts and get excited about it.

This is the result of a war. A war we had no business meddling in. Having said that, we have to find diplomatic solutions for the existing problem. Amnesty International can only pressurize the government. Can the citizens approach an international body like the UN? The legal opinion is this: “There is a certain protocol regarding the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. The Government of India has not ratified a clause which says that citizens can directly approach the UN Commission of Human Rights.”

I would like to address a couple of interesting posts…

Ras (#17):

[If Pakistan still had them what would be the point of keeping them?]

It would be bad PR for the Pak government to now declare that it has those POWS and had merely suffered from amnesia all these years.

[The India-Pakistan war was over in 1971-72. Bhutto Sahib was in Prison from 1977-79. It makes no sense that someone would live under ``torture`` for more than 5 years or last that long.]

The torture need not have been continual; the POWS were being moved regularly from one prison to another.

[In the same context could we also see a return of the thousands of Kashmiri youth ``missing`` from Kashmir?]

Most certainly. You know my views on this subject at least. However, ‘where’ they are returned would be a moot point.

[And it is good that you brought up this subject here on CHOWK where some people still uphold the causes of humanity.]

I brought it up here to see if something can be done, that there might be people around who know how to go about it. Unfortunately, some Indians have decided to be completely impervious to this. I am indeed surprised.

ali1(#12)

If the Pakistani government is certain that there are no POWS, why do they agree to “look into the matter”?

I have stated that this war was none of India’s business, but to say that it had the complete backing of the people is not true. People do not support such movements unless they are directly affected by it (Kashmir, the North East, Telengana). Please remember that the influx of Bangladeshis has always posed a huge problem for most governments in India.

Yes, the Pak side has its side of the story to tell as well. I would like to know if any human rights organizations there are doing something about it. Since we do not get to hear much, I suppose it is not such a major issue. As indeed it is not here. Except for the families. I would feel as much for those families waiting for their sons, husbands, fathers on the other side of the border.

[Maybe someday, some lucky day, when you don`t have to prove your nationalistic credentials to your hindu compatriots, you will be able take up their cause on humanitarian grounds.]

Today is my lucky day. Tell me what I can do. I will. In my small way.

PS: This business about proving my nationalistic credentials to my Hindu compatriots was quite unnecessary, don’t you think, considering how insensitive some of them are even on such an issue? Therefore, the last thing I need is a certificate of my nationality and nationalism from people on an anonymous forum. And most certainly I would not want to prove it to Hindus, because I believe my country is a secular republic.



Regards,

Farzana

Mona-ji,

Don`t mind what I wrote to the arab steed!

I`m not saying anything is wrong about inquiring of our POWs. But knowing Farzana through her articles (did you read her Gadar review), I find it difficult to believe she could be remotely concerned about `our` soldiers. Sikhs particularly, are not high on her list of desirable people. She is the TNT child who got left behind.

Pakistanis on Chowk are writing aricles about how it would be a bad idea to go to war...and farzana is probably doing her bit.

regards,

Trojan Colt,

``You must be the steno in the Defence Research Dept. of Indian Army ,my father talked about ,seeing flawless fingers like ladies in your key board skills.You needn`t try to divert discussion by showing that instead of ``i`` my executive hands fell on ``u``.. Big Deal .There is Transcriptist like you to care of that problem or even voice activated typing .I bet you could never do resesrch in Any dept .except type for my fathers colleagues.``

Colt-senior (that fine arab steed) and his colleagues were last seen riding into the sunset under Osama and his colleagues.