THE other day, as members of the Pakistani delegation were signing six agreements in Dhaka, all the conspiracies of India and its close ally, Hasina Wajid, came to an end and the Two-Nation Theory was revived once again in Bangladesh. This is the same Two-Nation Theory that Indira Gandhi had claimed to have drowned in 1971.
When a key leader of the Awami League, Sheikh Tajuddin, along with some companions, fled to India and declared a government-in-exile for Bangladesh and India’s intelligence agency RAW formed the Mukti Bahini, the matter escalated to the point of breaking the country. At that time, all the parties of united Pakistan stood with the army to save the country.
The militias of the Mukti Bahini, in the guise of the Awami League, were committing massacres of non-Bengalis and these parties wanted to stop it. When Hasina Wajid came to power, she systematically executed those individuals who had struggled to prevent the tragedy of partition. Their only ‘crime’ was their loyalty to the Two-Nation Theory. Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties are engaged in the struggle for the survival of Muslim identity. They want to liberate their country from Indian subjugation. This very idea of Muslim nationalism is the Two-Nation Theory, the same theory on which the Muslims of the subcontinent fought against the British and Hindus and won a separate homeland. What the Awami League has called a “freedom war” of Bangladesh was, in reality, a war of slavery to India.
The unprecedented uprising of the people against Hasina Wajid’s authoritarian policies and oppressive rule, especially the rebellion of the younger generation, is clear evidence that narratives based on oppression and lies do not last long and truth eventually prevails. The politics and rule of Sheikh Mujib’s daughter have always relied on hatred against Pakistan, baseless accusations, lies and the patronage and servitude of India. From before 1971 until now, India has continuously poisoned the minds of Bangladesh’s youth against Pakistan and the ideology of Islam. Through Hasina Wajid, India has tried to teach a lesson to those who still support the Two-Nation Theory and has tried to suppress the rise of Islamic forces in Bangladesh. But India has not been successful in this.
After the end of Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s government, the political changes occurring in Bangladesh are leading to very positive developments. A new dawn is rising after a long dark night in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and its light is spreading in all directions. These relations, that have experienced many ups and downs since the events of 1971, are now entering a new chapter. From the perspective of global politics, this development is tied to the emergence of a new balance of power in South Asia. India’s aggressive policies and its obsession with regional dominance have become a major threat to peace and security in the region. In this context, closer ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh can create a balancing force.
In this regard, we must not forget that for over half a century, our common enemy—India—has left no stone unturned in creating misunderstandings and spreading venom in our minds. Now that we are coming closer again, we must wholeheartedly forget the bitterness of the past, focus on the future and work to improve our present.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Faisalabad.
