PAKISTAN CANNOT BE DESTROYED

BY ANY POWER, SAYS MUJIB

'Islam in Danger' Cry a Political Stunt

Awami League Election Campaign Launched

DACCA: June 7: The Awami League chief, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared today amidst cheers that Pakistan had come to stay and that there was no force which could destroy it.

Addressing a massive public meeting at Ramna Race Course this afternoon in torrential rains, the Sheikh repeatedly held out the assurance that Islam was in no danger on the sacred soil of Pakistan, and lashed out at those who raised cries of "Islam in danger" on flimsy grounds, to promote their own political ends. He said in the past also similar bogeys were raised by a section of the people during the 1954 elections in East Pakistan and on the question of joint electorate, but it had been proved conclusively that " Islam in danger " cry was a mere political stunt.

Today's public meeting was organised by the Awami League to commemorate the movement of June 7, 1966, when a number of people fell to the bullets of the police of Ayub regime. Despite inclement weather and pouring rains, hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic people sat through the meeting to hear the Sheikh who was the only speaker. Defying rains, the people came from far and near in processions on foot and in buses and trucks and trains and launches. They shouted six-point slogans and rented the air with cries of "joy Bangla ". West Pakistani Awami League leaders who came to attend the Council meeting of the All-Pakistan Awami League which concluded yesterday were also present on the dais.

Sheikh Mujib regretted that the Fourth Five-Year Plan had been announced by the present Government despite his Party's demand that it should be left for the future Government to draw up the Plan. He declared the Fourth Plan would be scrapped and recast when a representative Government was inducted into office after the elections.

The Awami League chief, who was frequently greeted with slogans of " Bangla Bandhu " (Friend of Bengal), told the meeting that the coming elections should be treated as a referendum on the autonomy issue-whether the people wanted autonomy on the basis of his party's six-point programme.

The Sheikh, who formally announced the launching of his party's election campaign as from today, asked the people to " finish " the " Mir Jafars " of Bengal through elections and to see to it that their boxes went empty during the polls.

Agency reports add:

The Awami League chief said that from the allocations in the Fourth Plan, which had recently been announced, it appeared that East Pakistan had not been given her clue share of 56 per cent on the basis of her population. He posed a question: "It' the allocations are, not properly made how could you remove the disparity °."

The meeting also said that the elected representatives of the people would have to revise the Fourth Five-Year Plan and alter it in every respect necessary to bring it into accord with those constitutional provisions which were expected to invest the Governments of federating units with full powers of economic management.

The meeting referred to the shortfall of Rs. 1,100 crores in the Third Plan expenditure in East Pakistan and urged that all the previous shortfalls in the Plan expenditure be made up. It held that no annual development plan could represent meaningful steps towards revising the trend of economic disparity " unless the previous shortfalls are made up."

Sheikh Mujib recalled how in the past East Pakistan had been exploited and described how people had suffered under successive Governments.

The Awami League chief said that his party's struggle was to create a society free from exploitation, to eliminate the exploiters and to free the toiling massespeasants and workers-from exploitation.

Replying to the propaganda against the six-point programme, he said that its realisation would in no way harm Pakistan. "The six points will be realised and Pakistan shall also stay", he said amidst loud cheers.

Deep-laid Conspiracy

Sheik Mujib said that the economic situation in the country was deteriorating and that there was a deep-laid conspiracy to paralyse the economy by closing down mills and factories. Referring to the Adamjee Jute Mills riots of 1954, he said there was a similar conspiracy to create chaos and confusion to prevent the smooth transfer of power to the people. He referred to the recent closure of the Adamjee Jute Mills and asked for its immediate reopening.

The Awami League chief said that his party was not anxious to come to power, because they believed that even without coming to power the rights of the people could be realised. In this connection he referred to his party's earlier demand for representation on the basis of population and the break up of One Unit in West Pakistan, which were ultimately realised. He also referred to their struggle for making Bengali one of the State languages.

Sheikh Mujib said that his party's struggle was to establish workers' and peasants' rule in the country. He said that their demand for exemption of land revenue up to 25 bighas had partly been realised, when it was learnt that the Government was going to grant such exemption upto nine bighas. Awami League manifesto had promised workers share in industries, he said.

The big crowd at the meeting signified their support by raising their hands when at one stage Sheikh Mujib asked if they wanted to realise regional autonomy on the basis of his party's six-point programme, if they wanted to establish the rule of workers and peasants and above all if they liked to live as human beings.

The Sheikh censured the Jamaat-i-Islami for what he called their anti-East Pakistan role and for trying to deprive the people of this province of their legitimate rights by creating confusion in the name of Islam. He alleged that Maulana Maudoodi's partymen in East Pakistan were paid workers serving the case of those who made money by exploiting Last Pakistan. The Awami League chief also criticised Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, Nawabzada Nasrullah, Chowdhury Mohanmmad Ali and Ataur Rahman Khan. Besides he also criticised Mr. Nurul Amin for his role as Chief Minister, with particular reference to the language movement.

Referring to Mr. Nurul Amin's observation that the coming elections could not be regarded as referendum on six points, the Sheikh said that in undivided India when " Mr. Gandhi and other Congress leaders had opposed the partition of India, the Muslims had voted for Pakistan through referendum."

He said that the people of the Country alone could frame the country's constitution and no constitution framed at the instance of any individual would be acceptable to them.

The Awami League chief pointed out that the elected representatives of the people were "alone competent to frame the constitution on behalf of the people."

In this context he once again urged the President to amend Articles 25 and 27 of the Legal Framework Order immediately making the Parliament supreme in constitution-making.

Sheikh Mujib warned those who had been trying to establish dictatorship. tic said that the people had learnt to sacrifice their blood for a cause and they would resist all attempts to sabotage the elections. " Take a lesson from history," he asked them.

He said that these anti-election forces had tried to create trouble at Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Postagola, Khulna and many other places. The Sheikh declared that no one had the power to undo Pakistan and the people who had achieved Pakistan would defend it. They would realise their due rights as well, he added.

Sheikh Mujib reminded his audience that the Ayub Regime had snatched away the right of franchise and the people had to make tremendous sacrifices to get back that right. lie urged the people to exercise their right of franchise in the coming elections judiciously so that those who had betrayed them in the past could be completely eliminated.

(THE DAWN, Karachi-June 8, 1970)

Source: Bangladesh Documents, vol-I, p.82-84