| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
|---|---|---|
| এক ইউনিট প্রশ্নে বিতর্ক | পাকিস্তান গণপরিষদ | আগষ্ট-সেপ্টেম্বর, ১৯৫৫ |
Excerpts from the Speech by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 011 one-Unit Bill in the Constituted Assembly of Pakistan, 25th August 1955.
······Sir, you will see that they want to place the words “East Pakistan instead of “East Bengal”. We have demanded so many times that you should make it Bengal (Pakistan). The word “Bengal” has a history, has a tradition of its own. You can change it only after the people have been consulted. If you want to change it then we will have to go back to Bengal and ask them whether they accept it. So far as the question of one-Unit is concerned it can come in the Constitution. Why do you want it to take up just now? What about the State Language, Bengali? What about joint electorate? What about autonomy? The people of East Bengal will be prepared to consider one Unit with all these things. So I appeal to my friends on that side to allow the people to give their verdict in any way, in the form of referendum or in the form of plebiscite. Let the people of Frontier say that they want one Unit. At the moment they say that they are against it But Dr. Khan Sahib said the other day that people were in favor of one Unit, but his brother Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Pir Shahib of Manki Sharif said that they were against it. Now, who will judge it? Who should be the judge? If the people of the Frontier say that they are in favor of one-Unit, we have no objection to that. Similarly in Sind, Mr. Khuhro says that they are in favor of it, while Mr. G.M. Syed and others say that people are against one-Unit. All right, if they are in favor let a referendum be held and let the people decide themselves and we will accept it.
As far as Karachi is concerned, there should be no referendum in Karachi because it is the Federal Capital made by Quaid-e-Azam and we will not allow people to insult Quaid-e-Azam and the late Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan. We have no right to take Karachi from the people of Karachi and from the people of East Pakistan. It belongs to us also as it belongs to other parts of Pakistan. We have spent so much money for its development. Why do you want to make another capital and spend hundreds and thousands of rupees and for which you will require at least 50 years.
For these reasons. I appeal to my friends “Zulum mat karo Bhai” (Do not be so cruel). If you will force it upon us then we have to adopt unconstitutional means. You must proceed constitutionally. If you do not allow the people to follow constitutional means, they will perforce adopt unconstitutional means. That is what has happened all over the world and it can be seen from the history of world. So I appeal to them: if you love Pakistan: though unfortunately after the achievement of Pakistan, you are at the helm of affairs and those people who fought for its establishment are no more with us.
So, I will appeal to you, although you have got force at your disposal, that for the sake of Pakistan, for the sake of democracy, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of Quaid-e-Azam, go to the people, let the people give their verdict and we will accept it.
