1971 Indo-Pak War: Let’s set the record straight: Sultan M Hali

ISLAMABAD: The history of any conflict is normally inscribed by the victor while truth is the first casualty in the fog of war. Similarly, a number of myths and shibboleths spread by India, the vanquisher in the 1971 Pak-India War, have come to be accepted as facts.

This was stated by eminent author, columnist and TV Anchor and a veteran of the Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Sultan M Hali, (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) while speaking as keynote speaker at an interactive session “Forgotten 1971” organized by Kafe Kaam, co-working space dedicated to physically and culturally disabled women and trans people.

University students, social entrepreneurs, former bureaucrats and people from different walks of life participated in the discussion. The participants discussed different aspects of 1971 War and fall of Dhaka. The session started with Fateha for martyrs of 1971 and APS 2014.

SM Hali said unless the record was set straight, younger generations will continue to give credence to the myths and shibboleths of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and history will continue to be distorted.

“There may have been some transgressions but the mass graves of non-Bengalis are dug up and presented as those of Bengalis and the world continues to believe this vicious propaganda, which must be set straight,” he said.

He said the fall of Dhaka on 16 December 1971 was a tragedy but it was a conspiracy hatched and executed by India to dismember Pakistan. In the bargain, non-Bengalis were massacred in hundreds of thousands, their women raped and their property looted.

“Those who raised their voice in support of Pakistan, continue to be persecuted, tried in kangaroo courts and hanged. Awami League, ironically propagates that Pakistan Army butchered Bengalis and raped 300,000 women,”claimed S M Hali.

Most of the participants regarded it shameful that Pakistan abandoned Biharis who fought for Pakistan, experienced three migrations in one life time and are still suffering.

“The selective activism of human and women rights activists who continue to look away from this issue must be questioned. The raped Bihari women and stranded families were neither an invented story nor collateral damages. They are real humans who must be remembered, respected and rehabilitated,” said Dr. Rakhshinda, a gender expert, media practitioner and activists who has been writing about her community for the last few years.