Destination FreedomDestination FreedomEvents preceding the warAwami Leagues unprecedented victory in the National Assembly election on 7 December 1970 came as a massive blow for the ruling military junta of West Pakistan. It was the first National Assembly election in 23 years, after the formation of Pakistan in 1947. The result was upsetting for the Pakistani rulers as it was beyond their calculation. Out of 300 National Assembly seats Awami League won 167. Even Awami League gained sweeping victory in the Provincial Assembly election of December 17 as well, winning all but 2 of the 162 seats. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, being the lawful claimant, was in the potential position to form a government. Consequently the people from all corners desired transfer of power to the elected representatives of East Pakistan. But it was unlikely to happen as the military rulers planned otherwise.
The outcome of the elections was seen as an important point of political history. As a result, the ruling party was able to mobilize an army that could fight both the insurgents and the Pakistanis. The Pakistani army and special forces were seen by the West as the future of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, both on land and on sea. This fact became known as the Great Battle over the Somme, known as the “Great War”. This was the final stage of the war in which Pakistan faced the “two mighty armies” – the Pakistan-Afghanistan border control road and the South Pakistan Railway (SPS).
It is easy to see what the two armies were doing and what the West wanted to be doing. This was an opportunity for their statesmen to win the war by fighting a close war, as well as to achieve international military dominance on their countries. It was a time of victory that began in 1947, when the military in the former Soviet Union were completely out of Africa and that was the beginning of the end. At that time the government in Pakistan, headed by a military government headed by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was able to win control of one of the two important strategic military zones between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This area encompassed a few thousand kilometers around Kabul. It did not give it much help in keeping the Taliban at bay.
The Taliban was unable to enter Afghanistan until the start of 1968, when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the area when the situation began to deteriorate considerably. Nehru told his Afghan counterpart General Muhammad Abdullah Jinnah in April 1974 that India and the Pakistan government were prepared to fight the Taliban. But the fight had not yet gone to the West. Although Nehru told his Pakistani counterpart General Bihari Vajpayee in 1972 that India was ready to step up and fight the Taliban, the Western allies had only a few days to intervene to restore the peace.
The fight had not yet begun, however. The British had left Afghanistan for the British-administered Frontier Fields. The Indian military moved to Srinagar to counter the Taliban attack and the Pakistani Army moved to the Afghan border, which was controlled by the British-controlled Srinagar Post. The Pakistani Army and the British were unable to enter Srinagar and their military forces retreated from the area. The situation was further worsened when the military government of Afghanistan declared troops for the Afghan Army in an attempt to counter the rise of the Taliban within the region with help from both Israel and Pakistan.(2)
The Pakistani Army and Britain were not on the same page. The British government in Islamabad had to deal with a difficult situation involving the Taliban, which the military forces of Pakistan had to make the very decision to stay inside Afghanistan – either to attack the Taliban or to stand by Afghan border, especially since they were not fighting in a peaceful but responsible way in the southern part of India or to return to Pakistan at the very least to take part in the peace talks and to negotiate more bilateral relations during the three years that Pakistan was in the Indian orbit.
India and Pakistan were unable to agree on a political position until October of 1974, when the British moved towards making their presence in Srinagar permanent while the Indian Defense Force entered the Afghan border. The Pakistani military’s decision that they were not “ready to fight the Taliban” was not recognized by Islamabad, but by the British. In that time, a second war broke out. In November 1974, the British withdrew from Srinagar to confront the Taliban. The Indian Army had to enter the Afghan border in order
Few days after the election result, clouds started to darken the sky. Political scene became intense as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto firmly opposed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibs six-point demand declared in 1966. Bhuttos thoughts were shared by the West Pakistani military generals. Six-point demand, which alluded to the autonomy of East Pakistan, immediately became very popular among the mass people. This announcement displeased the West Pakistani rulers at that time. They viewed it as a sign of defiance.
Negotiations beginPakistani generals feared that Awami League now being in a powerful position after the election result might try to execute the six-point demand. Amidst this intense situation, President Yahya Khan visited Dhaka on 11 January 1971. He even addressed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib as the would be Prime Minister” of Pakistan. Negotiations took place and Yahya stipulated on the cutback of demand for autonomy. Mujib boldly refused any concession on the issue. Yahya went back to Pakistan.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Dhaka on 27 January 1971. More negotiations took place. However, Bhutto-Mujib talks failed to resolve the situation. On 12 February President Yahya announced that the National Assembly is to be held on March 3rd in Dhaka.
Events afterwards substantiated the fact that the negotiation and the subsequent announcement were merely a formality. But On 13th February 1971, just after Yahyas announcement of the National Assembly date, Bhutto stunned everyone at the political scene. He announced that his party would not go to Dhaka to join the Assembly. Political leaders of Pakistan criticised Bhutto for this statement. Elected representatives of West Pakistan including Wali Khan, G. M. Syad and Maolana Mufti later arrived in Dhaka even after Bhuttos announcement. They called on Mujib and expressed their support for the democratic cause.
Traitor Pakistanis and defiant BangaleesBhutto threatened to launch a general strike throughout Pakistan if the Assembly was held in scheduled time. By now the people of East Pakistan was convinced that the Pakistani rulers would not let a Bengali rule the country. West Pakistans positive response to Bhuttos threat was yet another proof of this presumption. On 1st March Yahya postponed the assembly. The declaration ignited the fire. Eventually tension escalated. People burst out on the streets with protest rallies. Continuous slogans condemning Pakistani rulers echoed in the streets of Dhaka. They chanted Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, tomar amar thikana.
On 2nd March, Hartal was observed by the entire nation. Red and green flag with yellow map of Bangladesh in centre flapped in the air on this day. Students of Dhaka University hoist it up at Bot tola, in front of the Kala Bhavan. They burned Pakistani flag. Army killed two young demonstrators; thousands continued marching the streets of Dhaka and other cities, raising militant slogans, Bir bangali austro dhoro Bangladesh swadhin koro. A curfew was imposed. Troops armed with latest weapons moved around the city to enforce it. Agitated demonstrators defied the curfew and clashed with the troops, losing six persons. More hartals followed. Six-point demand was gradually turning into a one-point demand among the mass. Freedom became the one and only obsession for the entire nation.
Non cooperation movementNon-cooperation movement was called on March 3rd. Complete shut down of the entire nation was the response. No one went to the office from this day. Schools were closed. Black flag fluttered on the rooftop of every building. Cultural organisations such as Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, Betar-Television Shilpi Shangshad, Mohila Parishad, arranged street drama, gono shangit, and meetings, conveying the message of freedom to the general people. Lawyers of