Remembering December 16

So we have yet another December 16 to mourn the loss of East Pakistan. The day brings back 1971 riot horror to the ancestors of thousands of Urdu speaking people who were killed by their compatriot Bengalis and who had survived the wholesale killing of their innocent relatives on the basis of language difference. It is so unfortunate that no one has ever attempted to heal the trauma they had been living through years after the bloody conflict that has seen thousands killed, tortured, burnt and what not. Today some people will talk about the debacle and discussions will be held. With endless words of blame and accusations Pakistanis continue to denounce the Indian aggression as guilt, failure, ignominy and internal dysfunction while in Bangladesh numerous events over the weekend - film shows, musical sessions, book exhibitions, discussions and parades will be organized to commemorate the war and celebrate their 'independence'.
As Pakistan grieves over the war loss, some question who was responsible for the unrest between the two wings of the great eagle? Was military crackdown in the eastern wing a necessary step? And one of the most unrealistic questions thrown towards the people comes as "who was responsible for the internal conflict?" while not a single character of that era will be found around to be held accountable.
Interestingly, our politicians or analysts never bother to pay as minimal respect to those killed amid 'massacre' of Urdu speaking or in "Biharis" in East Pakistan. In unfortunately, however, there is no mention about the number of Urdu speaking people by either side. Biharis largely maintained a pro-Pakistani stance, supported the Pakistan Armed Forces and opposed the secession of East Pakistan.
Let us not talk about the war that started as the outcome of a linguistic uprising. The conflict not only destroyed the national harmony but also left millions of Urdu speaking people marginalized and stranded in a "state of statelessness" till recently recognized by the BD government.
"My family survived the crowd attack but was told by few Bengalis to leave the place before they set our home on fire. It took a week to reach the camp in Mirpur, hiding in along the way, said Shamshad Ahmed. We were not aware of exactly what was going on. There was death everywhere and we could fear hundreds killed, houses burnt and peace gone, he added.
Memories sharpen the past, it is reality that decays. What fuelled the Bengalis for crowding against "Biharis".
"I don't want to chase the reason of the war. I would rather like to know the reasons that led the Bengalis to rioting against us. The riot devastated my forefathers like anything that could not be described humanity. Unfortunately, they were killed by own people not by Indian forces", said Muhammad Irfan.
"No matter how much suffering my grandparents went through, we would never let those memories go" said Ghulam Rasheed. It was a war imposed not intended. I was too young to understand. Yet I can remember the horror in my mother's eyes as she had witnessed beheading of my grandfather in front of his house and she was not a normal person since then.
Identity crisis
National focus remained on the whys of war. The sacrifices of Urdu speaking, their miseries and statelessness has been kept out of the frame for some unknown reasons. Not a single politician has a minimum of understanding for them as no one talks about the agonizing journey of thousands of Urdu speaking people who were left behind stranded in Bangladesh. Compelled by an identity crisis those who had to repeat hijrat that once they carried out during 1947 are dressed as "Mohajir".
An estimated 250,000 "Biharis" live in nearly 135 makeshift settlements in Bangladesh. Despite recent developments in voter and ID registration, they continue to live in slum-like conditions, facing regular discrimination. The Urdu-speaking people are descendants of Muslim refugees who migrated from India after the partition of 1947, following communal riots. During Pakistan-India war in 1971, they supported West Pakistan, resulting in conflict and forceful deportation of thousands. But the rest remained and were moved into refugee camps, while their properties confiscated and belongings snatched.
The older generation still considers Pakistan to be their country. Inside the camps they speak Urdu but outside they speak in Bengali. These people went through repeated migration for the cause of Pakistan. In 1947 they left behind everything in India and migrated to East Pakistan. Then again they had to migrate from Bangladesh to Pakistan. Those who could not make it to repatriate to Pakistan remained as a marginalized minority while those who managed to repatriate to Pakistan became the linguistic minority with the label of Mohajir.
"We are not responsible for anything. We had to suffer during the 1971 war without any fault of ours. Our ancestors decided to move to East Pakistan since West Pakistan was very far from where our family used to live. But we were not spared even there," said 72-year-old Abdul Wahab. "We were Muslims and left India to settle down in a Muslim country. So India was never ours. Those who settled in East Pakistan were true patriots. In Bangladesh they are called "Bihari" and in Pakistan we are "Mohajir". We have a war split family. Some were killed. Some are left behind while very few could reach Pakistan. But that does not take way our level of patriotism, we are Pakistani by heart and soul," Wahab added.
46 years have gone by. Lots of bad stuff happened so far. Identity has been retrieved. Now it is a nuclear powered nation-consolidated and united. On this day we should stop searching for the hands who orchestrated the Bengali-Bihari riots. We should remember the sacrifices of our ancestors for the Pakistan cause. I pay sincere tribute to those who were killed during 1971 "Bihari" massacre. I would also avail of the opportunity to mark a respect to my brother Iqbal Rabbani, lost to the hatred of time in the post-war era and to my parents who succumbed to the pain of losing their bright child. I also pray there should never be a war again. This world should never see a war again.