পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (প্রথম খণ্ড).pdf/৪৫৭

বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ প্রথম খণ্ড

8৩২

 Emulsion and Glaxo are sold at Dacca at a much higher rate than at Karachi. The whole sale rate at Chittagong and the wholesale rate at Karachi varies from 6 per cent to 12 per cent. That is the variation that is the difference. Why, Sir? Because articles imported from foreign countries by the exchange, by our foreign exchange earned by our jute, are in the first instance brought to Karachi for the benefit not of the people but for the benefit of some dealers who earn profit here in one point and then in another point at Chittagong. They earn twice, while the Government earns customs duty only once. Therefore, Sir, this Karachi has been built up from the wealth earned by East Pakistan. Now, Sir, I will refer you to another point. Step-motherly treatment has been moted out to the majority people of Pakistan by persons who were in power and who are in power now the people as you know, Sir, by their free franchise have dislodged them from East Pakistan gaddi but they have not been able to do that here. They continue to be in power and, Sir, we do not know what we shall get from them. There has been no re-orientation of their policy towards East Pakistan, towards the People of West Pakistan. We are greatly suspicious about their movements. We were rightly and sincerely inspired by a genuine feeling of equality which brought us together and closer to each other and, Sir, we on the East, this time after accepting parity, showed to our friends on the West that we are ready to accept the Constitution on the basis of equality in every respect and we accepted that the capital can remain away from us leaving all the benefits accruing from the neighborhood and the nearness to the Capital to our Western brothers. We are always deprived of that benefit physically and geographically Sir, we are unanimous in voicing our demand that regional autonomy should be given both to West Pakistan and East Pakistan. Sir, again I bring you back to the provisions made in clause 4 which, as I have already submitted, is a replica of section 9 of Indian Independence Act, 1947 that all powers should be given to Governor-General for an indefinite period. No mention of autonomy has been made. There is no possibility of having it if this Bill is accepted by this House. Sir this has given rise to a suspicion, a bona fide and genuine suspicion, in the minds of the people of East Pakistan because we believed the demand of integration of West Pakistan was a demand of the people for they said that this would enable West Pakistan to put themselves on the same footing with ourselves of the East Pakistan. We are one region, the entire East Pakistan is one compact geographical and political unit, let West Pakistan also get itself into one compact political area so that we should be two brothers, two eyes of Pakistan, two ears of Pakistan, two hands of Pakistan. How beautifully said, how nicely described- that let us be two hands, two eyes, two nostrils, two ears of Pakistan So that we may depend on each other. How beautiful! But, Sir, we find that arrangements have been made, attempts are being made, to give no democratic rights, no autonomy to West Pakistan People. Instead of democracy they are giving to West Pakistan people an “officiocracy”. West Pakistan people must think that if they are not granted regional autonomy, naturally East Pakistan people will not get autonomy. We cannot claim autonomy alone we cannot take ourselves away from our West Pakistan brethren and say that leave aside the question of granting autonomy, for the present, to West Pakistan, but give us autonomy. Or we cannot say that let it be decided afterwards. No; Sir, we are not one of those. We, the East Pakistan people, shall not have autonomy unless we can make those in power grant autonomy to West Pakistan people also....... One wing of Pakistan to have democracy and the other “officiocracy”-that cannot be the position.