পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৫১৪

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8brbr বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খন্ড Sitabdiara, March 27, 1971 In a recent statement I had hoped that the military and bureaucratic leaders of Pakistan world have wisdom enough not to push Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the people of East Pakistan beyond the point of no-return. Events have belied the hope and President Yahya Khan has ordered what is euphemistically called stringent martial law but what in reality is a military subjugation of a whole people..... Some aspects of the situation should particularly weigh with democratic peoples and governments of the world, namely that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman having won a majority of the seats in the Pakistan National Assembly and 98.8 percent of the seats in the Easter wing, is by all canons of democracy the rightful ruler of Pakistan and further that since Bangladesh contains 58 per cent of the people of Pakistan it is really a minority in the united Pakistan that is trying to suppress the majority. The minority must in reality be very small because except for the paranoiac West Punjabi Muslims, the peoples of Sind, North-West Frontier and Baluchistan do not appear to be so united behind the military dictatorship and have themselves, been demanding various degrees o autonomy...... April 2, 1971 The time has, however, come when it must be realised that not much useful purpose will be served by mere expressions of resolve and promises of sympathy. What the occasion cries for is the immediate implementation of the promises made. Material support in the shape of relief of every kind and the opening of the borders to all those who might cross over has, of course, to be arranged ............... But it is as much required to ensure that the struggle for liberation for Bangladesh is not crushed by the Army of West Pakistan. All help required for this purpose should be made available without further delay. What that help could be, what concrete form our active support should take, may best be left to the Government to decide. I have only to say that my sense of history and knowledge of international affairs tell me that it will not be any violation of international law to accord immediate recognition to Bangladesh. Eminent international jurists like Mr. Chagla and Mr. Krishna Menon have also taken the same view. Another factor to be taken into account is the proven fact of legitimacy of Government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. There is no parallel outside of the communist states in which any political party at a free and fair election was able to achieve the kind of near-total victory as the Sheikh's Awami League was able to register. From the democratic standpoint Shiekh Mujibur Rahmna's Government is unquestionably much more legitimate than the military rules of President Yahya Khan, whose only sanction is force. Therefore, those who are supporting West Pakistan in the name of unity and constitutionality are indeed strengthening the causes of social reaction colonialism and militarism. The countries of the third world, especially of Africa and Asia, who talk so much of revolution and the people are, therefore, on trial today. Will it not be major tragedy of history if this great example of