Monday | 13 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Monday | 13 January 2025 | Epaper

Winning a war by a 'non-martial' race!

Published : Wednesday, 2 November, 2016 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1006
Mahbubar Rahman
Bengalis were labelled acerbically as a 'non-martial' and 'non-sporting' race perhaps because of their physical stature and colour and were abominably looked down by the Pakistani ruling class during the period of 23 years of subjugation under Pakistan. The former eastern wing of Pakistan what is now independent Bangladesh represented 56 per cent of total population of Pakistan. Pakistan was created on the basis of two nation theory with the plea that Muslims and Hindus are two different nations with separate religious identity who could not live together in undivided India. Despite the fact that Lahore Resolution proposing a separate state for Muslims was put on the table by the Bengali leader Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq and other Bengali political stalwarts, Bengalis were continuously undermined after the creation of Pakistan by the Pakistani ruling class. A seed of discontentment was sown in Bengali psyche ever since the state of Pakistan came into being, because of the step-motherly attitude of the ruling class toward Bengalis. With myriad disparity in the country's economic sector, Bengalis were not given chance to represent equally in the Pakistan's civil and military services in the false and concocted pretext that Bengalis come from 'non- martial' ethnicity. Pakistani rulers went to the extent of audaciously branding Bengalis as descendents of Hindus and other inferior race and according to them be ethnically cleansed, Pakistani rulers' insolent attitude and mind-set infested in racial discrimination was acrimoniously demonstrated during Pakistani rule, when by way of fulfilling the agenda of ethnic cleansing, they advanced their steps and launched direct attack on Bengali language and proposed a lingua-franca---an admixer of Bengali, Urdu, Arabic and Farsi in order to purify Bengali language in so called Islamic spirit. As branded, so called 'non-martial' Bengalis raised their voices like the roars of tigers against the Pakistan's vile attack on language and culminated in securing the Bengali language in right earnest after shedding the bloods of the martyrs of historic Language Movement in 1952.
The wider the disparity in economic sector was becoming, the stronger the movement was forging toward realizing Bengali's due share in economic and other social issues. At the crux of the situation, historic Six Point program---a program for economic and political emancipation for Bengalis was launched by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966. In response to Six Points Movement, Pakistan's 'iron man' Field Marshal Muhammad Aiyub Khan, with his inborn feeling of racial supremacy and equally undermining Bengalis as lacking martial spirit declared that Bengalis would be dealt in the language of weapons. Historic Six Points Movement followed by fierce political agitations against Pakistani rule in 1969 and all onward political movements culminated into all out liberation war when Pakistani military replied to Bengalis in the language of weapons after unleashing barbaric armed attack on the fateful night of 25 March 1971 causing deaths in thousands in one single night in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh. The genocide unleashed by the Pakistani military on 25 March 1971, created a seismic jolt in Bengali psyche which led Bengalis to erupt like a razing volcano and take up arms in hands and wage an all-out war against Pakistani marauders after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence in the first hour of 26 March 1971. Pakistan military believed that Bengalis were incapable of driving out the armed bandits of the Pakistan's military or could not handle arms themselves. Pakistan's military would not know that Bengalis could indeed wage war and with valour too. Their facile presumptions were duly dazed and traumatized in 1971 when they witnessed surrender in great ignominy to a 'non-martial' Bengali race with their eyes down and heads bowed at Race Course Maiden (Suhrawardy Udyan) on 16 Dec, 1971.
Standing on alluvial soils shaping a delta, landmass of Bangladesh is soft and fecund for harvesting throughout the season. In scorching summer heat, soft and muddy grounds turns like solid rocks with cracks. Likewise the softness of Bengali mind-set turns strong and solid rocks at time it is abused or attacked by the enemies. Basically a docile and peace loving race, Bengalis rose to the occasions in full valour and martial spirit when their lands were invaded by the alien force.
No Bengalis can forget how Titumeer fought valiantly against the forces of British Raj by building a Bamboo fort and embraced martyrdom for freeing motherland from foreign occupation. Names of Bengali freedom fighters and exponents of 'quit India', like Masterda Surja Sen, Pritilata Wahddadar, Khudi Ram Basu, Profulla Chaki, Bagha Jatin, Kazem Ali Master, Lokman Khan Sherwani, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed and lot more other unknown radicals who fought against British Raj are still afresh in memory and occupy a special place in the glorious history of Bengal. It is not out of place, at this point, to mention that Lokman Khan Sherwani and Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed were distant relation of mine who lived in the same neighborhood of Chittagong City I belonged to. I have had the opportunity to interact with them in my boyhood/youthful days. Having completed a military training under Hyderabad Regiment of Fort William Territorial Force, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed joined the 'quit India' movement and successfully carried out mission with comrades in arms. After joining Muslim League in 1945, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed was appointed District Commander (Salar-e-Zila) of Chittagong District National Guard. He joined Awami Muslim League in 1949 and was appointed founding president of Chittagong District Awami Muslim League. An elderly man by age (Born in 1908) and an ardent disciple of Hussain Shahid Suhrawardy, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed was a close ally of young and dashing Sheikh Mujib in those days and has had the pleasant memory of visiting China with Bangabandhu in 1953. At old age, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed joined the Liberation War and along with his second son Sheikh Alamgir, was murdered by Pakistan army after he and his son were held by an infamous war criminal and his goons at Hathazari, Chittagong in April 1971. A true revolutionary from the days of British Raj, Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed ultimately sacrificed his life in the altar of Bangladesh Liberation War and remained an unsung hero.
Who forgets the episode which glaringly tells the defeat of Mogul Emperor Akbar's invincible Commander-in-Chief Raja Maan Singh with robust army in the Bengal's soil? Legendary Bengali radical leader Netajee Subhash Bose's Azad Hind Force still haunts the psyche of the successors of the British Raj in the Sub-continent and Great Britain. History further testifies that a battalion belonging to Bengal regiment composed of valiant Bengali soldiers defended Lahore in 1965 war in contrast to Pakistan's so called strong army which could not exhibit any bravery in winning a single battle or war against their archrival ever since they have been engaged in collision after the partition of the sub-continent in 1947. Instead they have indulged in usurping power and taking their civilian population under their jack-boots over the years. This perhaps had prompted Pakistan's iconic figure in the justice system, Justice Kayani who once mocked-up the bravery of Pakistan's military and said that the bravery of Pakistan army was to conquer their own country again and again. With so called martial spirit, Pakistan army could not so far exhibit any bravery in any battle or war field other than bashing its own people and meddling over the civilian government in Pakistan. Whereas so far 'non-martial' Bengali race have been able to create an independent Bangladesh after gallantly fighting a war in 1971 with bringing the Pakistan army boastfully belonging to 'martial race', to their knees. The knee jerking humiliating defeat suffered by Pakistan's military junta in 1971 from a 'non-martial' Bengali race which caused festering wound and deep scar on their faces, still refuses to heal consequent upon which, trampling over all niceties of the civilized norms, Pakistan government still indulge in meddling over the issue on occasions when the war criminals in Bangladesh walk the gallows for their war crimes in 1971. While giving my strong piece of mind and deep resentment to the Pakistan government's unbecoming and hostile attitude toward Bangladesh, at this point, I have my apology to all decent and conscientious people of Pakistan including the intellectuals, academics, culturally enlightened people and the mainstream population whose conscious equally remain incarcerated by the machination of evil hands; firmly hinged over the shoulders of Pakistani people like a dead albatross, steering the destiny of their country through the blind alleys.  
Vehemently refuting the contention that Bengalis are non- sporting race, it goes without exaggeration that Bengalis are sports-loving race from time immemorial. Native games and  sports like hadudu, dariabandha, nowka baich (boat race) gorur lorai (bull fight) moroger lorai (cock fight) boli khela (wrestling) etc still bears the great legacy of Bengali's great love for games and sports. Bengalis have great craze for football and cricket ever since these games were introduced in this part of the world. Name of legendary footballer Samad dubbed footballer judukor (football wizard) and his likes still remain shinning in the world of football in this part of the world. Football is played in every nook of corner of Bangladesh in almost all seasons including in wet weather in muddy fields. There was hardly any Bengali of by-gone days who has not kicked the football in his life time in rain-soaked muddy field. In cricket, Bengali players have been now often creating havoc in the field by outsmarting the reigning champions in the world of cricket. Bangladeshi cricketers have been bringing in laurels and accolades and have created a niche in international cricket. Bengalis have warded-off long before the irrationally labelled bad name of being a non-sporting people. Every area of Bangladesh irrespective of urban and rural areas bubbles with cheering large crowd when the games are set in place on occasions. What really makes Bengali people so cheering in games and sports? It is the fact that Bengalis are ethnically games and sports loving race. What really makes Bengali people shaping a nation after enduring long political movements turn armed struggle to achieve freedom? It is equally the facts that Bengalis are freedom loving race and the seeds of freedom are deeply ingrained in the genetic system and psychic order of the Bengali race. Faculties of mind and intellectual ability of Bengali race are equally far superior to the race who labels Bengalis as being lacking martial spirit. Superiority of Bengali intellect was duly recognized by a British statesman who once said: "What Bengal thinks today, rest of India thinks tomorrow."
Liberating the country after an armed struggle against the robust Pakistan army amply testifies the fact that Bengalis do not lack martial spirit by any measure. Making laudable records in contemporary cricket by our young agile and nimble cricketers equally proves that Bengalis do not lack spirit in games and sports either.
It goes without saying that the young generation with both strong physical and mental health is the engine of the power-house that keeps the wheel of nation moving. It is necessary to upgrade the engine of this power-house---young generation by constant nurturing and nourishment in terms of physical exercise and exertion through games and sports, side by side with mental up-liftman in equal pace. Like other national priorities, adequate opportunities by the direct and indirect initiative of the government are to be created for young generation to practice games and sports with inexhaustible zeal and enthusiasm.
It is a matter of great concern that due to rapid urbanization, numbers of playgrounds are fast dwindling thus reducing the scope of games and sports in open air. Government and NGO's and society as a whole must come forward to create playgrounds and other facilities like gyms, area wise, in both urban and rural Bangladesh for enabling youths to take interest in games & sports in a greater magnitude than ever before. We have to remember that a healthy body can only make a healthy mind which can shape a great nation.r  
Mahbubar Rahman is a former civil servant


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