পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (পঞ্চম খণ্ড).pdf/৪৮০

456 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ পঞ্চম খন্ড secularism. For the first lime in known history-Moslems and Hindus faced a common enemy without a trace of internal dissension. Both suffered equally and both are now resolved to destroy the enemy once and for all so that they would be able to live in a free land where social relations particularly the relation between religious communities would be founded on a totally new economic base that would guarantee inter-community peace. The emergence of secularism that has now been irreversibly consolidated actually found a popular base during the Language Movement of 1952. This is probably the only movement that has been almost exclusively interested by students and later nourished by the intelligentsia. The communal riots that occurred in East Bengal were almost always provoked by the ruling clique with the aid of a section of non-Bengali refugees. These refugees, being bitter victims of the partition always proved willing collaborators in the hope of expropriating the property belonging to minority community if they could be forced to leave for India, In the communal frenzy of 1950 a section of Bengali Muslims were also tempted by the then Muslim League into believing in similar material gains. The main grievance that the Muslim community put forward to build a case for Pakistan in Bengal was the economic dominance of the Hindu community. After partition the situation reversed abruptly in East Bengal but the vested interests continued to use the old bogey for their own ends. The Kashmir issue proved very handy for a time. Then came the beginning of the great awakening, Soon Bengali Moslems began to recognize the real forces of economic exploitation that were tightening their grip on the rich soil of East Bengal. Soon after the creation of Pakistan the blue-print for transforming East Bengal into a virtual colony had been drawn up by the vicious military-capitalist-bureaucratic entente based in West Pakistan. The first onslaught came through the embargo over Bengali language. The aim was that if Urdu could be imposed on the people as the only State Language the cultural, political and economic dominance would automatically pass to the 3 per cent of the population whose mother tongue happened to be Urdu. Bengalees smothered the design successfully. But communalism still remained a lever in the hands of the ruling clique, After 1952, East Bengalees felt the need for a sane, normal relationship with neighboring India. This frightened the rulers because anti-Indian jingoism had helped them so much in their political deception and economic exploitation of the people. They made a desperate attempt at reviving communalism in East Bengal in 1964 in the wake of the communal disturbances that took place in India over that missing prophet's heir from a shrine in Kashmir. This time the division was clear. One side, aided by the military regime of Ayub Khan, those non-Bengalis were all set to create a bloodbath. Opposing them came out the entire Bengali Moslem community led by the intelligentsia. Newspapers came out with 8-column banners urging people to counter the vicious design, For the first time in history Moslems died trying to save Hindus from murderous knives. The outcome was spectacular. The riot was quelled