Through Democracy We Committed Suicide In 1971

There can be no denying the fact that the Fall of Dhaka was a great tragedy. Some are right in regarding it as a huge blow to the two-nation theory that had triggered the Pakistan Movement, and resulted in the birth of this Nation-State. But I no longer subscribe to the theory that either Z.A. Bhutto’s ‘lust’ for power or General Yahya Khan’s desire to remain in control had been the cause behind the break –up of Pakistan on December 16, 1971 when our forces laid down their arms before Jagjeet Singh Arora, and more than 90000 soldiers of this proud nation became India’s prisoners.
In my opinion, the fall of Dacca occurred as a consequence of our ill-timed and ill-intended elections. Our obscene passion for Democracy led to the electoral results that were celebrated in New Delhi and provided the enemies of this Nation, a launching pad for the Conspiracy and the linked Movement to tear asunder this country.
We had not paid heed to the Agartala Conspiracy case and dubbed it as Ayub Khan’s ploy to consolidate his power. Infact (as recent revelations have proved) Sheikh Mujeebur Rahman had been New Delhi’s man since 1954, and as a frontline Awami League leader had promoted the ideas required for Dhaka’s eventual secession from Islamabad. His six points were the ammunition and the fuel that powered the Conspiracy.
General Yaha, after takeover should not have hastened to please the torch-bearers of ‘Pure Democracy’ and not undone the One-Unit (West Pakistan), and then promised ‘free and fair’ elections. He should have made all the political forces to agree on a ‘Realistic Constitution’ that would ensure the continuity of Pakistan whatever the electoral results. Perhaps proportional representation would have given the truly National political parties much-needed say in the regions where linguistic and racial/ethnic madness had begun to flourish.
The standard West Minister model of Parliamentary democracy was created for UK—-not for a country that had such a huge plurality in languages, races, and regional identities.
Through Democracy we committed suicide in 1971.