BENGALI MUSLIMS AS A CATALYST IN PAKISTAN MOVEMENT BY DR. MOONIS AHMAR. PUBLISHED IN PAKISTAN DAY SUPPLEMENT IN DAILY DAWN, KARACHI, MARCH 23, 2020.

On the occasion of 27th annual session of All India Muslim League held in Minto park Lahore on March 23, 1940, the first Prime Minister of Bengal A.K. Fazlul Haq (the lion of Bengal) presented the historic resolution which called for constituting independent ‘states’ of Muslim majority Northwestern and eastern zones of India. Nowhere in the Lahore resolution there was any mention of the word ‘Pakistan’ which however emerged as a slogan during the movement for independent Muslim ‘states’.

           Perhaps the present generation of Pakistan is not aware of the fact that the Muslims of Bengal were a catalyst and in the forefront of Pakistan movement all the way since the proclamation of Lahore resolution till the accomplishment of an independent Muslim state on August 14, 1947. But the first outbreak of ethnic nationalism was in East Bengal over language issue to give equal status to Bengali along with Urdu. Why Bengali Muslims, who were in the forefront of movement of Pakistan launched by the Muslim League, felt bitter and discriminated against those who dominated the power structure of the country ultimately leading to the break-up of Pakistan and transformation of majority province of Pakistan as Bangladesh? Why Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, who was a vocal student leader during the Pakistan movement was dubbed as a ‘traitor’ and ‘secessionist’ in Agartala conspiracy case filed during the regime of President Ayub Khan in June 1968?  

           It was not only Sheikh Mujibur Rehman whose loyalty was suspected by the West Pakistani military-bureaucratic elite but senior leaders of Muslim League like A. K. Fazlul Haq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy who was the Prime Minister of Bengal and later on also Prime Minister of Pakistan bore the brunt of persecution by the state of Pakistan. As a result, disillusionment in East Pakistan against discrimination and exploitation done by the minority province of West Pakistan compelled Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the head of Awami League to announce six points on February 5 1966 during a press conference in Lahore demanding provincial autonomy. Nowhere Mujib and his Awami League in six points called for an independent country but sustained their struggle within the framework of united Pakistan. It is another story that how they were forced to seek independence by the West Pakistani elites when December 1970 election results were not accepted by them and power was not transferred to the majority party Awami League. A brutal military operation launched in the night of March 25, 1971 destroyed Jinnah’s Pakistan.

           A leaf from history will reflect some of the facts that how committed Mujib was for the creation of Pakistan and along with his mentor Suhrawardy was in the forefront of movement for an independent Muslim homeland in the Indian sub-continent. The book Sheikh Mujibur Rehman The Unfinished Memoirs (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2012) provides a comprehensive account about how Bengali Muslims and Mujib fought for the accomplishment of Pakistan. For instance, Mujib narrates his journey when he was a college student to participate in All India Muslim League conference to be held in Delhi in 1943. According to him: “I came to Calcutta and found out that I would have to set out for Delhi to participate in the All India Muslim League Conference (1943). There was great interest in the conference. But anyone wanting to take part in it would have to bear all expenses himself. Mir. Ashrafuddin, secretary of the Islamia College Union, and I decided that we would go to Delhi on our own. We had already been made delegates to the conference. I told Mr. Suhrawardy that we would join to the Delhi conference. He said that it was a good idea and that it would enable us to see leading Muslim leaders of India. At the end of the first day of the conference a huge procession came out with Mr. Jinnah leading it, seated on an elephant. We followed him.”

           Mujib’s obsession with Pakistan movement continued and became more strengthened after the Delhi conference and he along with his fellow students and others went an extra mile to convince the Muslims of Bengal to struggle for an independent Muslim homeland because of double jeopardy which they were facing: colonization by the British and exploitation by Hindu landlords and merchants from Calcutta. The slogan of Pakistan had got huge support after the Lahore resolution and the Delhi conference among the Muslims of Bengal as for them it was the only hope for a better future. Ironically, Mujib and his counterparts in the Bengal Muslim league vehemently supported the idea of Pakistan but got disillusioned when they witnessed the colonization of British replaced with internal colonization by West Pakistan. Not only the federal capital was in West Pakistan but the centers of power were also located in the Western wing. Although, the Bengalese of East Pakistan had demographic edge over West Pakistan and contributed the bulk of foreign exchange earnings the focus of development and industrialization was in West Pakistan. The share of East Pakistan in bureaucracy and armed forces was negligible and Islam which was the only common bond between the two geographically and culturally diverse wings of Pakistan got overshadowed with the rise of Bengali nationalism.

           During 1946 elections, Muslim League was able to form its government on its own led by Mr. Suhrawardy in Bengal whereas in other Muslim majority provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Frontier, Muslim League was in opposition. Sheikh Mujib in his unfinished memoirs recounts another landmark event galvanizing Pakistan movement when, “all of a sudden we came to know that Mr. Jinnah had summoned a convention of all members of the Muslim League’s central and provincial councils from all over India at Delhi on April 7-9, 1946. Mr. Suhrawardy gave orders to make arrangements for a special train to carry Muslim League MLAs from Bengal and Assam to Delhi. The train named East Pakistan Special, was to leave from Howrah station in Calcutta. The whole train was draped in the Muslim League flag and was decorated with flowers. We reached the meeting site while raising slogans in Bengali. We were given place to sit next to Mr. Jinnah. Whenever a slogan was raised in Urdu we responded with one in Bengali. Mr. Jinnah stood up to speak. The entire audience listened to his speech intently and in silence. It seemed that everyone present shared the same thought: Pakistan would have to be achieved at any cost.”

           Such was the emotional and sentimental response of Bengali Muslims on the occasion of Muslim League’s central and provincial council meeting held in Delhi in April 1946. Mr. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy requested Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah to submit the proposal since he was the prime minister of Bengal and in fact the only Muslim League prime minister of India. It was in that meeting that Lahore resolution was amended in the following words: “That the zones comprising Bengal and Assam in the North-East and the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Buluchistan in the North West of India, namely Pakistan Zones, where the Muslims are in a dominant majority, be constituted into one sovereign independent state and that an unequivocal undertaking be given to implement the establishment of Pakistan without delay.” The fact that the delegation from Bengal gave consent for the amendment of Pakistan resolution in Delhi meeting of Muslim League is however contested. Mr. Abul Hashim who was general secretary of Bengal Muslim League expressed his reservation the manner in which the word ‘states’ as mentioned in Lahore resolution was dropped with the word ‘state.’

           As mentioned in an article, “Abul Hashim: the unsung hero of Freedom Movement” by Asma Ziaullah and published in Pakistaniaat A Journal of Pakistan Studies published in Vol. 5, No. 2, 2013 that, “What most East Pakistanis viewed as an intransigent behavior of Abul Hashim during the time of all India Muslim league Legislators Convention in Delhi on April 9th 1946, was more a reflection of his acute observation and genius for seeing the far off consequences of the word states versus state, when he raised an objection that Lahore resolution envisaged the creation of two sovereign states, not a state, Jinnah tried to dismiss it as a topographical error. Sajjad Hussein writes that Abul Hashim realized that in the changed circumstances the demand for separate state meant not only weakening the demand for Pakistan but virtually counteracting it. Since the demand for Pakistan was less a territorial than an ideological concept.”

           The generation of Bengali Muslims who had played a pivotal role in Pakistan movement was gradually disappointed over the manner in which East Pakistan was treated by the West Pakistan dominated political, business, military and bureaucratic elite but were hopeful for some betterment in future. But, the generation which was born in 1947 in East Pakistan refused to accept the domination and exploitation of West Pakistan and became convinced that without having full provincial autonomy they will never be able to live with dignity and honor in the federation of Pakistan.

           Mujib in his unfinished memoirs lamented how things got messed up after the death of Jinnah. He regretted that, “Jinnah’s death had seen the birth of cliques and the beginning of the politics of conspiracy. The people of East Bengal had loved and respected Jinnah. People had his name on their lips everywhere. I was angry at the Muslim League leaders. What they were doing with Pakistan was contrary to the Pakistan I had dreamed of. Muslim League leaders seemed unwilling to accept Bengali as the state language. East Pakistan was being ignored.”

Mujib also mentioned an unfortunate incident which took place outside the office of newspaper The Pakistan Times, Rawalpindi in early 1949 where he had gone to meet Mr. Mia. According to Mujib “Mr. Mia was not in his office. I waited for him but had to meet with Mr. Subrawardy in the high court. After I sat three or four people confronted me and asked me where I was from. I said from East Pakistan. Suddenly, one of them grabbed me by my hand while another one held on to my short and yelled, you are Pakistan’s enemy.” Ridiculing the people of East Pakistan during those days was common in the western wing which triggered animosity and grudge among Bengalese and as a reaction against disrespectful behavior reinforced their Bengali identity. The transformation of Mujib from an ardent supporter of Muslim League to a Bengali nationalist striving for an autonomous status of East Pakistan was the outcome of three reasons. First, the erosion of Muslim league and the nexus of bureaucracy and military which led to the imposition of martial law. The inadequate representation of Bengalese in armed forces and bureaucracy further accentuated sense of deprivation among the people of East Pakistan. Second, industrialization, progress and development of West Pakistan at the expense of the resources of East Pakistan further compounded frustration and anger among the people of the eastern province. Third, the rise of educated Bengali middle class which was confident that the future state of Bangladesh can survive and excel after getting rid of the exploitation of West Pakistan. When the elites of West Pakistan refused to hand over power to the majority party Awami League led by Sheikh Mujibur Rehman following December 1970 elections, the hope of united Pakistan was over.

           In its essence, the history of Pakistan movement would remain incomplete without acknowledging the vital role of Bengali Muslims because not only Muslim League was formed in Dhaka in 1906 but Bengali Muslim leaders acted as a catalyst in the proclamation of Lahore resolution and the subsequent struggle for Pakistan. Ironically, the majority province of Pakistan got transformed as Bangladesh when neither Islamic principles of social justice, equality and fairness were followed by the West Pakistani elite nor there was any hope for the people of East Pakistan after December 1970 general elections that power will be transferred to the majority party which happened to be Awami League led by Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Certainly, 48 years after seeking independence Bangladesh is better off than Pakistan in all the indicators of human, economic and social development which perhaps wouldn’t have been possible had they lived in exploitive, abusive and unequal relationship with their west Pakistani counterparts.

(The writer is Meritorious Professor of International Relations and former Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi. E. Mail: [email protected]).