The Golden Jubilee of the Magna Carta of Bangladesh
The Lahore resolution in 1940 was the harbinger of the creation of Pakistan and in 1966 the 6 Point demand initiated a war which gave birth to independent Bangladesh
Abdul Gaffar choudhury
February is an eventful month for the Bengali nation. On the 21st of this month some Bengali youths sacrificed their lives to uphold the right of their mother-tongue and to make it one of the state languages of Pakistan. From this language movement the people of Bangladesh were inspired to recover their existence as Bengali and the struggle for establishing a nation-state started. But this February is also memorable for another historic event. On the 5th February 1966 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman pressed his 6 Point proposal in an all-party meeting in Lahore. Afterwards a strong movement for the autonomy of the-then East Pakistan province took place, which eventually became the armed struggle for independence and an independent Bangladesh was born.
It may be a coincidence that in 1940 the proposal for establishing Pakistan was placed in a public meeting of Lahore and the proposal was raised by a Bengali leader A K Fazlul Huq. After 26 years of this meeting, the 6 Point was placed in the same Lahore city by another Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Lahore resolution in 1940 was the harbinger of the creation of Pakistan and in 1966 the 6 Point demand initiated a war which gave birth to independent Bangladesh. Pakistan was created to establish a homeland for Indian Muslims and Bangladesh freed itself from Pakistan for the emancipation of the-then East Pakistan and establish their Nation-state.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the 6 Point Demand. This 6 Point is now considered as a Magna-Carta of Bangladesh. Magna-Carta, a Charter of Rights, was signed almost a thousand years ago by the King of England which curbed the power of the King and vested that power on the elected representatives of the parliament. The 6 Point of Bangladesh was a demand to replace the arbitrary unitary form of government in Pakistan and to replace it by autonomy for the provinces and more autonomy for the-then East Pakistan. The military Junta did not accept the proposal and tried to suppress the movement with iron hands. Eventually this movement transformed into an armed struggle of independence and the people of Bangladesh achieved it. So in a way the 6 Point movement is more significant than Magna Carta.
Recently a Dhaka daily arranged a discussion on historical importance of the 6 Point movement. Some prominent intellectuals and politicians, among whom some were involved in the 6 Point movement like Rehman Sobhan, Tofail Ahmed, Mujahidul Islam Selim and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka AAMS Arefin, participated in the discussion. They emphasized that the appeal of the 6 Point still remains a guiding force in our national life. This 6 Point created the base for our independence. If the nation forgets this day then they will forget the significance of our fight for national existence. The English nation still celebrates the Magna Carta day and last year the original copy of Magna Carta was put for public viewing. This Charter still strengthen the belief in the mind of the English people about the values of democracy and self-rule.
This seminar on 6 arranged by a Dhaka daily, is significant for the reason that it will rekindle the spirit of Bengali nationalism in the mind of our young generation. Those who opposed our independence and wants to destroy the core-ideals of that independence are still active to create controversy and confusion in the public mind. This type of seminar will foil those propaganda and conspiracies.
Recently a strong controversy started about the number of martyrs in the war of independence. This propaganda is helping Pakistani rulers, who tried to deny that they had master-minded genocide in Bangladesh and killed 30 lakhs people. Political parties like BNP and Jamaat are creating this confusion and controversy which is very derogatory for the history of our independence war.
Pakistan was created on the basis of religion. But it could not provide the people of different faiths in Pakistan equal rights and opportunities. The founder of Pakistan M A Jinnah wanted to establish a Muslim majority country, to run with the democratic procedure. But the ultra-nationalism based on religion became rapidly a medieval fundamentalism which snatched away peoples rights and dignity. Sheikh Mujib announced his 6 Point to end this medieval tyranny and to help the people of the-then East Pakistan to return to their secular Bengali identity. The independent Bangladesh was created on the basis of this secular nationalism with its roots firmly embedded in democratic process.
The Language Movement of 1952 ushered the spirit of this secular nationalism and also provided momentum for 6 Point Movement of 1966 later on. Inspired to establish their identity on this secular basis the people of the-then East Pakistan fought for the secularism which was rooted in their thousand year old language, culture and civilization. The enemies of our independence and secular identity inspired by religious bigotry patronized by Pakistan is still trying to destroy this secular base of Bangladesh.
In the past our secular language and culture thwarted this onslaught. At present the history of our national liberation beginning from the Language Movement to 6 Point Demand are engaged in constant war against this fundamentalist demon which is now known as Jihadist.
We must rekindle the secular and democratic spirit of our Independence and must preserve it and draw the attention of the new generation regularly so that they are not misled by the Goebbelsians propaganda against our real national identity. Magna Carta is almost thousand year old. But still it is part of textbooks in the schools and colleges of England so the new generation can know about their past heroic democratic struggle. The 6 Point and its background and the history of its movement should be included in the textbooks of our schools and colleges also. In Suhrawardy Uddayn where memorials of independence war is being erected, there should be another monument in which 6 Point and its significance should be inscribed. This will be a strong pillar against the tide of the propaganda of the axis of evil.
A true history always stands against the distortion and vilification of a nations glory. We, in Bangladesh, must ensure that the history of our national struggle is not distorted or falsified. In the past the enemies of the people also tried to distort the history of language movement. They even tried to destroy the Shaheed Minar of the martyrs. Their conspiracy at different times failed. If we can uphold the truth of our secular national identity and its history of survival like remembering 6 Point demand the nation will not be misled and truth will prevail.
London, Friday 05 February, 2016
