16 December – The Debt

Cruel, cold, heartless and fated, this is what this December is for many, looking through the awes of history, holding shards of dreams, looking through them, it’s more to them which meets the eyes, overwhelmed with shrieks of undesired, unanswered and unwanted resonance of antiquity. One feels rage and wrath for recent bleeding wounds and yes a far cry of a much older, much foggier, much persisting scar, this December. It’s a lethal combination, apparently journey of healing and road to redemption has started but sometimes it feels like it’s just way too much to ask, sometimes it feels like curse of the cure is clutching down the core, don’t know which sight is more throbbing, don’t know which feeling is more painful, a mother defying all rationale still looking towards the door waiting for her child or a father witnessing his solider son laying down his weapons, ashes are still burning, phoenix is still forging. No one will be forgotten, nothing will be forgiven, so it’s a warning to the people, the good and the evil, this is debt, to the soldiers, the civilians, the martyrs, the victims, this is debt; and to pay this debt, we; the descendants of independence, we; the sons of liberty, send this message across to the wounded souls taking refuge among the scars; we are here, we are waiting.

A single date and 2 extremely wretched commemorations, which one is more significant? It’s a difficult one to answer, like some joys some pains are also marvel from whom one can’t just pick and choose. When they massacred our children at APS, they did achieve something, they cut the very hearts, tore the very souls, and there wasn’t only families of children who went in shock but to some degree the whole 200 million were among the grievers and still are. It is something which can never be undone. It is something which can never be avenged no matter what level of retaliation gets forged; eyes of a mother and heart of that father can never be the same again.

In context of the Fall of Dhaka and APS Massacre, like the date, there are some other commonalities between the two events, obviously “whoever” planned this was completely aware of the significance of 16^th December and on both occasions it was the military faction of Pakistani society which was primarily effected, a disgruntled message of everlasting hate was sent on a day when Pakistan was split in half, hence appears like an attempted reminder, second resounding similarity was the instrumental usage of domestic pawns, local stooges played the pivotal role in both occasions and on both junctures of time they were categorically claimed to be “ideologically” motivated and candidly funded and supported by foreign sources which were harbouring and blooming the elements which despise the very existence of the State of Pakistan and everything no matter how innocent or sacred associated with it, urge is not to get into the factual details but rather capture its intensity on a larger scale to understand how much its impacts have changed the way people perceive actualities of the entire matter now.

Its 45th anniversary of the darkest chapter of a nation which was formed out of nowhere. A nation, a country which was never on the map, borders which redefined the geography of the region, a lot has been written, a lot has already been said on the matter, but one always finds one more story to tell, one more tear to mourn, one more drop of blood to pale, whatever happened 45 years ago is now history, whatever we can learn from it are merely lessons, but each debunking attempt which requires a thorough look on it causes more reflections than impressions, impressions can lead one to learn from them and look forward, reflections are takers, they take, no they drag one back into depth of remains and unveils the reasons and responsible which cause and create grudge.

In start of it, it was a political problem, Shaikh Mujeeb’s six points were the start of the talks Pakistani establishment should have carried on with the dialogue process, but unfortunately political and military leadership didn’t show enough willingness and didn’t provide any sort of assurance to the master of all black and white of East Pakistan which was Shaikh Mujeeb, played in the hands of odds and made the screen look gloomy to them to execute the later half of the plan. Facts show that with political unrest leadership of East Pakistan had already made up their mind that the only way of their survival is to get rid of the crescent from their flag and put a sun which was painted with red blood they were our mistakes which pushed them that far where there was no return even if they wanted to they cannot just do it, Awami League should have given their right to form government regardless of “purity” of the polls that happened in 70, PPP is equally responsible for their greed of power which led to the situation into more complexity, when it shouldn’t be, it was simple majority party which at that time was the rightful candidate to form power structure of their choice, denial from the establishment provided them excuse of their likeness to revolt, and that too in a grand way.

Military analysis of the show put up by the junior officers and soldiers is an epic tale to tell, though high ranked officers of eastern command apart of few rare examples  led by Gen. “Tiger” Niyazi made some serious unfounded decisions and strategic mistakes, policy makers of military establishment came up with the slogan of “defense of east Pakistan from west Pakistan”, following it an attack on Indian borders from west backfired,  Indians were in commanding positions they had the opportunity of a life time to settle few scores which they did, having that been said one should remember that sheet won’t be clean in near future, what is in debit today will defiantly be credited on the other side of account heads, later further mistakes were committed when recommendations of Hamud-ur-Rehman commission were neglected and instead used as a political tool to manipulate army ranks by Bhutto regime, ultimately led to his own demise.

Fall of Dhaka is an unsettled score, logistic limitations and huge political ignorance led to the foundation of the crisis but in the final analysis it was Indian incursion which concluded the bloodiest chapter of Pakistan’s national history, yes it was a surrender, yes it was a defeat, yes it was a setback and yes it will be avenged, Bhuttos, Mujeebs, Gandhis and their current heirs should be reminded, no one will be forgotten, nothing will be forgiven, history has a warning for the people, both the good and the evil should remember that this is a debt, on our side for the  soldiers, the civilians, the martyrs, the victims, until its paid, this is a debt; and to pay this debt, we; the descendants of independence, we; the sons of liberty; send this message across to all the wounded souls taking refuge among the scars; we are here, we are orchestrating, we are waiting.