Bangladesh's 1971 war of liberation was a topic of discussion at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival with authors calling for people to keep themselves updated about historic events to prevent a repeat of the past.
Bangladesh's 1971 war of liberation was a topic of discussion at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival with authors calling for people to keep themselves updated about historic events to prevent a repeat of the past.
Authors discussed the ordeal of women in Bangladesh who suffered atrocities under the Pakistani army during the 1971 Independence war and said that the victims of war, known as Birangonas, continue to suffer. Salil Tripathi spoke about his book The Bangladesh War and its Unquiet Legacy which talks about the heart breaking tale of war as well as well as military and famine.
Bangladesh, which was earlier part of British India as united Bengal, was partitioned on religious lines in 1905 by Lord Curzon. Though, the decision was repelled in 1911 under tremendous opposition from both Hindus and Muslims and revival of militant nationalism.
In another three decades, however, Bangladesh became part of Pakistan, a nation envisaged as a homeland for the Muslims of South Asia. Though, Islam did not prove to be the cementing force, many expected it to be, between the two halves of Pakistan and in 1971, Bangladesh came on its own after a bloody war with the erstwhile West Pakistan.
Tripathi said that Bangladesh has to overcome the grief and bloodbath which happened in the past and move towards the development.
Author Sadaf Saaz, who lives in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, spoke on the atrocities on women during the liberation war and also read out a poem dedicated to rape victims. She also spoke about her experience in Dhaka and also called the war of 1971 strategically being carried off.
Mukul Deva, who was moderating the session, insisted that citizen of a country should speak against the atrocities and ordeal. "Nothing changes. Geopolitics, strategies, nations move on but people have to somewhere take a stand. Unless they start speaking out nothing will change," he said. Deva, a former officer of the Indian Army, said that wars have always been destructive so one need to overcome and move ahead.
Tripathi while answering a question on punishment quantum for rapists said, "parents need to teach their sons how to respect women."
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