Uzair Ali recounts a separation that left deep scars on
Pakistani psyche
Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947 and it was broken into two on 16 December 1971. The intervening years were a sad tale of never-ending complaints proffered by the Eastern wing of the country against the incessant high-handed and conceited attitude exhibited by the Western part towards it. While analyzing the governance and representation issues in separation of East Pakistan the most crucial reality is often sidelined that it was the powerful flow of circumstances that pushed both wings of Pakistan into coalescing into a sovereign state that was an illogical proposition right from the beginning. The Muslim Bengali leadership spearheaded by leaders such as HS Suhrawardy and AK Fazlul Haq were pushing for a separate Bengali Muslim state before the British departed but it were the British who were not willing to take the risk of further subdividing the country as they realised that they were rendered bereft of the authority to do so. They were otherwise very reluctant to divide British India as they were proud of uniting it under the rule of law and what made them to change their mind was the rising tide of communal violence that they did not have the wherewithal to contain and partition was the only viable option they were left with.
As a sovereign entity both wings of the country had virtually nothing in common except that their people professed the same religion and that too, as time gradually proved, was not a very powerful glue to hold the country together. The only chance of keeping both the wings together was sustained good governance based upon strong representative principles. However, right from the beginning the majority of the participants in governing the country fell into two principal categories: the selected and the elected, or in other words the bureaucrats and the politicians. Curiously, the fact was neglected that representative pattern was stronger in the Eastern wing as the Bengali politicians were well-grounded amongst the population and drew their strength from it. On the other hand, the hold of representative personnel was at best shaky in the Western wing as it was governed like a garrison area by the British relying heavily on district officer who kept the influential figures of the area under his management on a tight leash and they invariably did his bidding.
It was quite obvious that within the bureaucratic ranks East Pakistanis had very little presence as there was only one ICS officer that belonged to the Eastern wing. It was also noted that even East Pakistani politicians were not an effective countervailing group against the dominance of West Pakistani bureaucrats. From the beginning East Pakistanis were not happy about the influx of officials from the western wing, most of whom did not know Bengali. The latter on their part, complained that they were being treated by the East Pakistanis as outsiders, who would neither help themselves nor allow anyone else to help them. Considering the important role played by government officials, it is important that even towards the end the Civil Service of Pakistan included only a very small proportion of Bengalis in the top positions.Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country.Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. The discontent in the Eastern wing increased when the principle of parity was brought to fore that the Bengalis rightfully considered was in contravention of the principle of representation according to population that was a recognised base for the inception of Pakistan whereby the Muslims of the subcontinent elected a political party demanding separate national existence. It was this political diversion that gave the East and West polemics a new dimension that came to fore the introduction of the One Unit scheme, which envisaged the integration of the provinces and other areas of West Pakistan into a single province. The One-Unit scheme aroused tremendous anger not only in the Eastern wing but also amongst the provinces of Western wing that resented deprivation of their status as separate units of the federation. Much of the political anger in East Pakistan was the result of the drift of power towards the West that brought about a sense of common danger which in turn unified the opposition parties in East Pakistan. Thus emerged the United Front, its rallying force was the anti-status quo urge coupled with the Bengali feeling of resentment and revolt against the monopoly of the West and its assertion of power.
These factors remained a constant source of friction between both the wings and though One-Unit was abolished in 1970 but it was too late for the Eastern wing to come back in the national fold. It had become quite clear to the East Pakistanis that the Western wing will also remain their competitor and chances of willing collaboration between them had long evaporated. Adding to the woes was the economic neglect the East Pakistanis accused West Pakistan to have subjected them to and what emerged was a strong desire on their part to go the separate way. It was however unfortunate that separation, when it came, was very bitter and contentious but then no sovereign state can let one of its parts secede willingly. Since there was no desire in either side to arrive at a mutually agreed political settlement, the separation extracted a high price wounding relations between two erstwhile partners that have shown no signs of healing. TW
Governance and representation issues in separation of East Pakistan
ByUzair Ali
He is in the finance sector
Dated
December 24, 2022
Uzair Ali recounts a separation that left deep scars on
Pakistani psyche
Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947 and it was broken into two on 16 December 1971. The intervening years were a sad tale of never-ending complaints proffered by the Eastern wing of the country against the incessant high-handed and conceited attitude exhibited by the Western part towards it. While analyzing the governance and representation issues in separation of East Pakistan the most crucial reality is often sidelined that it was the powerful flow of circumstances that pushed both wings of Pakistan into coalescing into a sovereign state that was an illogical proposition right from the beginning. The Muslim Bengali leadership spearheaded by leaders such as HS Suhrawardy and AK Fazlul Haq were pushing for a separate Bengali Muslim state before the British departed but it were the British who were not willing to take the risk of further subdividing the country as they realised that they were rendered bereft of the authority to do so. They were otherwise very reluctant to divide British India as they were proud of uniting it under the rule of law and what made them to change their mind was the rising tide of communal violence that they did not have the wherewithal to contain and partition was the only viable option they were left with.
As a sovereign entity both wings of the country had virtually nothing in common except that their people professed the same religion and that too, as time gradually proved, was not a very powerful glue to hold the country together. The only chance of keeping both the wings together was sustained good governance based upon strong representative principles. However, right from the beginning the majority of the participants in governing the country fell into two principal categories: the selected and the elected, or in other words the bureaucrats and the politicians. Curiously, the fact was neglected that representative pattern was stronger in the Eastern wing as the Bengali politicians were well-grounded amongst the population and drew their strength from it. On the other hand, the hold of representative personnel was at best shaky in the Western wing as it was governed like a garrison area by the British relying heavily on district officer who kept the influential figures of the area under his management on a tight leash and they invariably did his bidding.
It was quite obvious that within the bureaucratic ranks East Pakistanis had very little presence as there was only one ICS officer that belonged to the Eastern wing. It was also noted that even East Pakistani politicians were not an effective countervailing group against the dominance of West Pakistani bureaucrats. From the beginning East Pakistanis were not happy about the influx of officials from the western wing, most of whom did not know Bengali. The latter on their part, complained that they were being treated by the East Pakistanis as outsiders, who would neither help themselves nor allow anyone else to help them. Considering the important role played by government officials, it is important that even towards the end the Civil Service of Pakistan included only a very small proportion of Bengalis in the top positions.Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country.Many factors, such as the geographical and Socio-cultural difference between the two wings, the language issue, the economic disparity and exploitation of the East-Pakistan, disparity in civil service and armed forces, differences over constitution making, the degeneration of Muslim League and the rise of regional Bengali Parties, and the political grievances and alienation of East Pakistan, were responsible for the process of decay that finally resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the dismemberment of the country. The discontent in the Eastern wing increased when the principle of parity was brought to fore that the Bengalis rightfully considered was in contravention of the principle of representation according to population that was a recognised base for the inception of Pakistan whereby the Muslims of the subcontinent elected a political party demanding separate national existence. It was this political diversion that gave the East and West polemics a new dimension that came to fore the introduction of the One Unit scheme, which envisaged the integration of the provinces and other areas of West Pakistan into a single province. The One-Unit scheme aroused tremendous anger not only in the Eastern wing but also amongst the provinces of Western wing that resented deprivation of their status as separate units of the federation. Much of the political anger in East Pakistan was the result of the drift of power towards the West that brought about a sense of common danger which in turn unified the opposition parties in East Pakistan. Thus emerged the United Front, its rallying force was the anti-status quo urge coupled with the Bengali feeling of resentment and revolt against the monopoly of the West and its assertion of power.
These factors remained a constant source of friction between both the wings and though One-Unit was abolished in 1970 but it was too late for the Eastern wing to come back in the national fold. It had become quite clear to the East Pakistanis that the Western wing will also remain their competitor and chances of willing collaboration between them had long evaporated. Adding to the woes was the economic neglect the East Pakistanis accused West Pakistan to have subjected them to and what emerged was a strong desire on their part to go the separate way. It was however unfortunate that separation, when it came, was very bitter and contentious but then no sovereign state can let one of its parts secede willingly. Since there was no desire in either side to arrive at a mutually agreed political settlement, the separation extracted a high price wounding relations between two erstwhile partners that have shown no signs of healing. TW
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