everyone, every child, every boy, every man and woman in Bengal shall have Bengali as one of the State languages of Pakistan. Now what is the attitude of the people here-a complete condemnation and disregard. They did not consider it worthwhile. I will tell you one single instance about the attitude of the mind of the people. I was in Lahore with Moulana Bhashani. Moulana Bhashani was lying on a Khat and I was just saying my prayers by the side of his Khat. In the meantime three or four gentlemen came. They were leaders of the Punjab-not leaders like Mr. Gurmani or Mr. Daultana. They were leaders of the public opinion in Punjab. They came to me and said, “Mr. Ataur Rahman, it seems that you are a Muslim because you are saying prayer and:
“To yell Bangla wangla ki bat chhoro.”
(Then brother, give up this talk of Bengali.)
I was surprised to find this. That means that if I am a Musalman and say my prayers and call the name of Allah, I should not be allowed to talk about Bengali language. You say that Bengali is a language of Hindu culture. Who told you that? I had a long discussion on this issue with Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, lasting for ninety minutes; I had almost a fight with him for about 90 minutes. He was also saying the same thing. I said that you have been completely misinformed about it; you do not know anything about it. Our people who came to Karachi must have misreported and must have been given a wrong impression about the Bengali language, its development, its origin and its culture and its exposition. He said it might be.
Don't you realize when you go over to East Bengal, how we are neglected; how that language is trampled down; no regard is paid to that language. Take even small things. At the Airport of Dacca the announcements are made in English and Urdu as if no Bengali travels by air; have 'you ever marked it? Not a word is uttered in Bengali and things are announced either in English or in Urdu. Then look at the Passports. I think, Sir, you have got a passport yourself. There is inscription in English, in Urdu and even in French but, there not a word in Bengali...........Then take the forms and records. They are either in English or in Urdu-not a word of Bengali language. In the matter of currency apologetically one word is written in Bengali. What do we find in the National Anthemnot one word is there of Bengali! No translation is possible! What do we find in the official gazette? In the Dacca Gazette also there is not a word of Bengali. In this office we have the Seal of “Majlis-i-Dastur Saz” and the “Constituent Assembly of Pakistan” and again there is not a word of Bengali. If there is English as also Urdu, why not an additional language........... All this shows a complete disregard to the sentiments of the people and a total absence of sympathy for the language as also to those people who fell as martyrs and whom you prefer to call as rioter. Call them by any name but you did not dare to hold a proper enquiry into the matter. You know how that matter came up before Mr. Ellis. A tribunal was set up and the terms of reference said whether the firing was justified. We appealed to the Government and to all other persons to bring within the scope of the enquiry all the relevant matters. Nothing was done and the judgment of Mr. Ellis was that firing was justified. That is all. That was not the point of issue. The point at issue was
