nothing to protect the lives of innocent citizens who were being killed for no crime of their own? It was definitely a matter for the national army and the army is carrying out just that task.
I have a suspicion that a great deal of the emotional response in this country is due to the fact that the Awami League demand is being confused with a demand for mere autonomy of a state government within a federal union, much like statehood in the United States. This is, of course, not so. The Leader of the Awami Leaguc Mujibur Rahman at the end of his negotiations with the President of Pakistan, demanded separation and thus sovereignty, holding out grave threats of civil war if separation was denied. The president held patient and prolonged discussions in Daco with the leaders of different political parties with the aim of achieving a broad political agreement regarding the convening of the National Assembly and the framing of a constitution. Such agreement would have secured for East Pakistan a quantum of autonomy unprecedented in any union. Unfortunately, the last round of talks left little doubt that what the Awami Leaguc was aiming at was dismemberment of the country. In these circumstances, the preservation of the unity and integrity of the country became the overriding consideration. As President Yahya Khan said in his message to President Podgorny:
“No government can condone or fight shy of dealing with subversive elements attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Awami League leaders had no mandate from the people of Pakistan to dismember the country and yet they encourage antinational elements, materially supported by an actively hostile neighbor, to destroy the unity of Pakistan. In a situation in which law and order was being steadily eroded, innocent citizens were being terrorized and large scale arson, loot and murder had become the order of the day, there remained no alternative but to meet the situation. Measures undertaken by the Government are intended to protect the honor, lives and property of the vast majority of East Pakistani citizens who do not agree with the fascist methods that had been put into operation by some Awami League leaders.”
There have been allegations in the American press of hegemony of the West and economic exploitation of East Pakistan. These allegations are based on emotional responses rather than on facts especially so if recent years are taken into account. Ours is a free economy and free economy unfortunately tends to have some flaws. But if one state develops industrially faster than another, if does not necessarily mean that it is exploiting the others. East Pakistan has always had due representation in the Federal Government and the Federal legislatures, as the records would show. In our brief 24 years of existence as an independent country, we have had two Last Pakistanis (Nazimuddin and Iskander Mirza) as presidents of the Nation and three as Prime Ministers. (Nazimuddin, Bogra Mohammed Ali & Suhrawardy). They ruled the whole country without wanting any province or state to secede and these men are in no way considered any less patriotic.
We made a start in this world by sharing between East and West our underdeveloped poverty. Now that foreign aid and our own efforts are helping us to look forward to efficiency, we are bogged down with secessionist demands from disgruntled politicians
