পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (প্রথম খণ্ড).pdf/৪৮

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ প্রথম খণ্ড
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Bengal which can only be undertaken if there is a substantial majority in its favour. It is these fundamental factors peculiar to Bengal which differentiate the question of partition of Bengal from the Muslim demand for the division of India, apart from such factors as economic integrity, mutual reliance and the necessity of creating a strong workable state.

 The lead of partition has been taken by the Hindu Mahasabha which hopes that by whipping up agitation for the partition of Bengal, for the dismissal of the Bengal Ministry, imposition of Sec. 93, establishment regional ministries, by arousing fanaticism against the Muslims of Bengal, by creating disturbances through hartals and violence, they will be able to ingratiate themselves with the Hindu people and destroy the influence of the Congress. The Hindu Mahasabba wishes to stage a comeback, so do sundry politicians who have not been able to find an inch for themselves.

       

 But let us once more consider the validity of the demand itself. Why should the Bengalee Hindus demand a separate homeland?

 Let me proceed on the assumption for the time being that the demand is not limited to a few but is put forward by all caste Hindus, Scheduled Caste and those who have not returned their castes. Nor has their culture, their religion, their language suffered under the present regime and how do they think that in a future set-up they will suffer so that they can only flourish and safeguard their culture and life if they have a small portion of Western Bengal. To my mind, I think, the demand is suicidal from the point of view of the Hindus. Even, if it did happen, an eventuality which I cannot conceive, that the rule passed solely into the hands of Muslims, and attitude which would combine the entire population of Hindus in opposition to Muslims, could such a policy possibly succeed or be put into effect, where any Government of Bengal would have to carry its own servants along with it and most of them belong to the Hindu community? Then again, the industry, business, the professions are in their hands. Their youths are well-advanced and know their rights and know how to achieve their claims. Not only is the present attitude due to sense of impatience, frustration, not only is it short-sighted but is a confession of a defeatism which one hardly expected from the great Hindu Community of Bengal.

 Noakhali is constantly cited as an indication of what might happen in the future setup of an independent state. I have already said that it would be ridiculous to draw conclusions for the future from the present set-up but let us pause here for a moment. Can Noakhali and the incident of that area be considered typical and an augury for the future, and are there not many other districts where the Muslims are in a convincing and overwhelming majority and yet has not peace been preserved in those districts and has not the Hindus carried on exactly as before with all their powers and privileges?

 And let us pause for a moment to consider what Bengal can be if it remains united. It will be a great country, indeed the richest and the most prosperous in India capable of giving to its people a high standard of living, where a great people will be able to rise to the fullest height of their stature, a land that will truly be plentiful. It will be rich in agriculture, rich in industry and commerce and in course of time it will be one of the most