Time to forget & forgive and go beyond ‘Bangladesh Syndrome,’ says Gen Ehsan
Zubair Qureshi
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff Committee (JCSC) Gen (R) Ehsanul Haq on Tuesday made a glowing ovation and complimented Group Captain (R) SM Hali for writing down a well-researched and timely book exposing and shattering a number of myths related with 1971 War.
He expressed these views while addressing as chief guest the launching ceremony of the book “Tormented Truth 1971 & Beyond” by Group Captain Hali.
The book launching was organized by India Study Centre (ISC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). The event was attended by diplomats, dignitaries, scholars, students, journalists, and people from all walks of life.
He said we should adopt the policy of forget and forgive. Gen Ehsan also urged that the people of Pakistan should come out of the “Bangladesh Syndrome” and should move ahead by learning from the past mistakes.
Earlier, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, welcomed the Chief Guest Gen (R) Ehsanul Haq, the distinguished panelists and the participants.
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry recalled his teenage years when the unfortunate event of 1971 unfolded. He said that it was a tormented history and Gen Yahya, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto shared the responsibility.
Their actions provided India an opportunity to dismember Pakistan. However, the DG ISSI Amb Chaudhry did condemn the illegal and immoral Indian intervention in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
Group Captain Hali, SI (M) while shedding lights on his book said that his research and title of the book speaks the truth about the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971.
The myth of 3 million Bengalis genocide is a part of Bangladeshi syllabus. Hali said that he had realized that the truth must be told to the world.
We acknowledge that Bangladesh is a reality, and it has been thriving and we Pakistan are proud of their success but still the truth must be told and every few years the old wounds are opened that Pakistan Army has to apologize and the people of Pakistan have to apologize. In the end, he said that let’s move forward with a message of friendship.
Ex-Senator Javed Jabbar articulated why truth was associated with torment and truth is supposed to be beautiful and supreme revealing everything.
Truth he said could be a source of great pain and the truth sometimes could not be born. Sometimes the truth is distorted as it has been since 1971, said the former senator. He said 1971 would remain a source of disturbing memory.
Hali has made an extensively researched effort and added to our literature. The creation of Bangladesh did not reject the reality of the Muslim nationalism in South Asia.
