May 30, 1995: Perhaps each trait of the Bangalee has its good and bad sides. But the one peculiarity amongst some of us that is unpardonable is the short-lived memory, particularly with reference to politics. While the emblematic Bangalee will be envious of the Jews hunting down Nazi war criminals and profusely acknowledging their nationalism, the same Bangalee this far has tried to brush under the carpet any suggestions of bringing to book the culprits opposing our liberation at home and abroad.
December 16, 1996: On December 16, 1971 despite our grief and agony, we celebrated as a nation. From Teknaf to Tetulia; in the refugee camps strewn along the border; in the torture camps of Pakistan; from this corner of the earth to another, we rejoiced the victory of Bangalees. All for one and one for all. Twenty-five years later, everything seems to be spinning in a realm of confusion. There is mistrust everywhere. Each of us has our own version of history, distorted immeasurably over the years. One man's belief is another's object of ridicule. The one nation of Bangalees has been shred to pieces. The nokshi kantha has fallen off at the seams.
August 17, 1996: But, perhaps we are no less a Razakar than the gun-toting enemies of the Bengali people; for to this day we have failed to bring to justice the self-proclaimed killers of the symbol of our independence, our liberation struggle, our very existence. Yes, we are but sinners in our own domain!
October 13, 1997: Whereas newspapers in West Pakistan (not in the East) carried pictorial advertisements of their night club dancers; whereas sex, violence and vulgarity were the hallmarks of West Pakistani movies (not of the East), the West Pakistani Muslims had the audacity to call us in the East 'non Muslims' as an excuse to let loose their barbaric armed assailants on our innocent civilians. And, did we not give them a befitting reply? Our glorious War of Liberation was a jihad, yes a holy war, against their blasphemy and non-Islamic demeanour.
April 23, 1997: As the Northern line train of the London Underground disappeared into the tunnel, I opened the book on our Liberation War that I had picked up on Oxford Circus. In it were pictures of Pakistani atrocities, death, fleeing refugees, hunger, triumphant freedom fighters, joy... I was accompanying a relative to meet one of his distant (Bangladeshi) cousins, Keshtu. On introduction Keshtu looked like a decent guy; clean shaven, neatly dressed, etc. As a matter of conversation, I offered Keshtu the book on Liberation. He would not even touch it, saying “There was no liberation war”. What about the millions of martyrs? The women who were raped in their thousands? 14th December? Did none of these happen? Do pictures lie? These are pictures taken by the foreign media. Keshtu was unmoved and summed up his nationalism with the terse comment, "That was all a propaganda by western journalists".
August 26, 1997: In our War of Liberation we had come across many brutes among the Pakistani officers whose actions would have made Dyer* tremble in fear. Yes, many of them today lead a cosy life in havens far from the anguish of the dear ones of their victims for whom every new day is to live yet another in pain. Have we not heard of Bangalee children being flung into the air only to test the sharpness of Pakistani bayonets? Have we not been shamed by the rape of our mothers and sisters? Have we not seen the murder of innocent Bangalees, streets and alleyways littered with our soul and body? Yet, have we ever made a concerted effort to seek an apology from Pakistan?
(*Colonel Reginald Dyer of the British Army, on whose orders 379 unarmed satyagrahis were killed at Jallianwalabagh, April 13, 1919)
February 13, 1998: Md. Siddiq Khan Kanjoo, the Pakistan deputy foreign minister, said that there was no question of asking for forgiveness for the mass killings during the 1971 war. Well, if he has admitted that mass killings took place, it's a big start because, “Deen kaal ja porche”, some Bangladeshis who seem to have lost their memory now sincerely believe that nothing happened in 1971. A Pakistani official also said, “We now need to develop more friendly relations. Bringing up the past will only reflect adversely on the relations.” Do we sniff a veiled threat? At whose cost will relations be spoilt? Perhaps the Pakistanis need reminding that whereas a full-fledged military operation of the savagest brutality could not silence unarmed Bangalees, such hollow attempts of frail intimidation could not even tickle us.
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