Declare Pakistan atrocities against Bengali Hindus in 1971 as genocide: US lawmaker

[Hitman]

US Congressman Greg Landsman has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives seeking to recognise the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army and its allies, Jamaat-e-Islami, against Bengali Hindus on March 25, 1971, as “war crimes and genocide”.

Landsman, a Democrat Congressman from Ohio, moved the resolution in the US House of Representatives on Friday, and it has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The resolution states that on the night of March 25, 1971, the Government of Pakistan imprisoned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and its military units, in conjunction with radical Islamist groups inspired by the ideology of Jamaat-e-Islami, began a general crackdown throughout East Pakistan code-named ‘‘Operation Searchlight’’ that involved widespread massacres of civilians.

It said that on March 28, 1971, United States Consul General in Dacca, Archer Blood, sent a telegram to Washington titled ‘‘Selective Genocide’’, in which he wrote, ‘‘Moreover, with support of Pak military, non-Bengali Muslims are systematically attacking poor people’s quarters and murdering Bengalis and Hindus’’.

Landsman noted that on April 6, 1971, in what became known as the ‘‘Blood Telegram’’, Consul General Blood sent an objection to the official United States Government silence on the conflict, signed by 20 members of the Consulate General Dacca.

‘‘But we have chosen not to intervene, even morally, on the grounds that the Awami conflict, in which unfortunately the overworked term genocide is applicable, is purely an internal matter of a sovereign state,” the then diplomat said in the telegram.

The resolution moved by Landsman urges the House of Representatives to condemn the atrocities committed by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against the people of Bangladesh on March 25, 1971.

The resolution “recognizes that while the Pakistani Army and its Islamist allies indiscriminately mass-murdered ethnic Bengalis regardless of their religion and gender, killed their political leaders, intellectuals, professionals, and students, and forced tens of thousands of women to serve as their sex slaves.” “They specifically targeted the religious minority Hindus for extermination through mass slaughtering, gangrape, conversion, and forcible expulsion,” it added.

Noting that entire ethnic groups or religious communities are not responsible for the crimes committed by their members, the resolution calls on the President of the United States to recognise the atrocities committed against ethnic Bengali Hindus by the Armed Forces of Pakistan during 1971 and their allies in the Jamaat-e-Islami as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

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Link: https://www.telegraphindia.com/worl...enocide-us-lawmaker/cid/2152579#goog_rewarded​

 

[straighttalk]

Tulsi identifying Pak as main threat after Iran and now this..Pak better inavde Iran or open its border for us or we all know who is next

 

[sweep_shot]

Indian atrocities against Kashmiri people should also be declared as a genocide.

Sanghis continue to be obsessed over 1971 and Bangladesh. What is your aim and object? Do you think these propagandas will bring back Sheikh Hasina?

You are unlikely to get another Hasina in Bangladesh again. Deal with it.

 

[Bhaijaan]

What about Gujarat 2001? Punjab 1984? Kashmir 1990s?

What about those genocides carried out by a secular nation.

 

[Rafale Nidhal Fan]

It's official, all Americans are beghairats of the highest order.

 

[Suleiman]

Mr Kargil back with an absolute banger

Phull support sarr. Make them repeat it a thousand times (even though literally every Pakistani citizen has accepted it at this point and apologized in some way, and most Bangladeshis have accepted their apology at this point)

Indians seemed more peeved about this than Bangladeshis who have mostly moved on… and then a good chunk of Indians who come on here to make racist remarks toward Bangladeshis- so many match threads these days are chock full of them.

Is this looking out for the Bangladeshis, you sure?

 

[sweep_shot]

Mr Kargil back with an absolute banger

Phull support sarr. Make them repeat it a thousand times (even though literally every Pakistani citizen has accepted it at this point and apologized in some way, and most Bangladeshis have accepted their apology at this point)

Indians seemed more peeved about this than Bangladeshis who have mostly moved on… and then a good chunk of Indians who come on here to make racist remarks toward Bangladeshis- so many match threads these days are chock full of them.

Is this looking out for the Bangladeshis, you sure?

We can be racists to Indians too. It is the land of many strange things.

But, we shouldn't lower ourselves down to their level I guess.

 

[Suleiman]

We can be racists to Indians too. It is the land of many strange things.

But, we shouldn't lower ourselves down to their level I guess.

You don’t need to bro.

I’ve seen the cricket section full of racist comments towards Bangladeshis, beyond the scope of sport by Indians. Really low grade stuff that exposes more about their level and the Bangladeshi posters have been mature and grounded in their reply.

But when convenient 1971 is quoted. Indians are the only ones still crying about it and need to quote a nation that is complicit in an ongoing genocide itself to throw shade at Pak. Imagine an infamous murderer giving a lecture on why murder is wrong.

 

[sweep_shot]

You don’t need to bro.

I’ve seen the cricket section full of racist comments towards Bangladeshis, beyond the scope of sport by Indians. Really low grade stuff that exposes more about their level and the Bangladeshi posters have been mature and grounded in their reply.

But when convenient 1971 is quoted. Indians are the only ones still crying about it and need to quote a nation that is complicit in an ongoing genocide. Imagine an infamous murderer giving a lecture on why murder is wrong.

All groups on PP are mature compared these low-IQ bhakts.

I have over 105 bhakts on my ignore list here. Their stupidity is astonishing.

 

[Hellion]

1971 was a jihad against Hindu Bangladeshis and should be recognised as such.

No matter how much modernist and upwardly mobile Muslims want to whitewash it, it is the reality of the religion.

 

[Markhor]

1971 was a jihad against Hindu Bangladeshis and should be recognised as such.

No matter how much modernist and upwardly mobile Muslims want to whitewash it, it is the reality of the religion.

This must be the worst example of rewriting history in the history of PP.

 

[Hellion]

This must be the worst example of rewriting history in the history of PP.

Oh really? I'm the revisionist ? Leftist/Moderate/secular Muslims will even blame the "Other" for all their ills including women's rights because they are either delusional, intellectually dishonest or simply don't have the guys to call a spade a spade.

 

[Markhor]

View attachment 163028

Oh really? I'm the revisionist ? Leftist/Moderate/secular Muslims will even blame the "Other" for all their ills including women's rights because they are either delusional, intellectually dishonest or simply don't have the guys to call a spade a spade.

What you're describing is tragic but an incidental part of a wider story. The military making appeals to Islam to justify themselves to their domestic audience during conflict is as old as the state. However you cannot credibly argue the targeting of Hindus in the East during the course of 1971, which was undoubtedly perpetrated by the Army and its hastily assembled goon squads, is what really animated the military campaign and its intentions.

It's true many generals viewed Bengalis in outright racist caricatures. Bhutto even once said the Bengalis were being treated as "kaala aadmi". Yes they were also viewed as Hindu/India sympathising etc. However the majority of the victims of 1971 were Muslims, and they were killed because of power politics, economics and ethnonationalism.

As most already know, the Punjabi landowning elite and the military refused to stomach the notion of an avowed socialist Easterner gaining a majority at the centre and drafting the Constitution. They believed they didn't demand Partition in 1947, not insignificantly driven by a desire to entrench the political authority of the Muslim feudal class of northwestern India, lose untold numbers of people, only to hand that power to the Bengalis sitting over a thousand miles away. The One Unit scheme was cooked up precisely as a means of countering the East, and also undermine ethnic nationalism in West Pakistan.

There was also a fear, having seen Bengali exports support West Pakistan deficits for years, that a Bengali government would use its majority to finally redress the imbalance through diverting spending from the West and taxation on the Western elite.

Similar to Nehru in 1946-47, the West Pakistan establishment wanted a strong centre and saw Mujib's Six Points as secession by the backdoor, but by refusing to seriously negotiate they made secession inevitable. But it's entirely consistent with how the Pakistani military has since 1947, wrongly, often views calls for provincial autonomy as a front for secession.

It's easier to paint the Awami Leaguers as "Muslims in name only" as Ayesha Jalal put it in her book Struggle for Pakistan, or Hindu sympathisers, to delegitimise their demands. It's the same argument these generals use against Balochis or other ethnic minorities, calling them Indian agents etc. It's especially laughable that Islam was being invoked by Yahya Khan of all people, a notorious drunk and womaniser.

However these generals were no more representative of Islam in 1971 than Congress rioters represented Hindus in 1984. You invoke thugs like Yahya Khan as emblematic of the religion yet ignore two Pakistanis who opposed this madness - Admiral Ahsan and Yaqub Khan. They resigned their posts than fire on their own countrymen. The story of 1971 is not of jihad but unchecked militarism running amok, and sadly Pakistan is still captive to its generals.

 

[HalBass9]

The guy conveniently left out how India supported genocide and ethnic cleansing against Urdu speaking Bengalis that ultimately led to Operation Searchlight.

And the same person posting this thread has recently backed genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, so yes, I’m calling out the messenger for his hypocrisy and bigotry.

 

[Varun]

So what if it's declared or not declared? These 3 third worlders really want the white man to attest things for them don't they?

 

[globetrotter]

Converted countries are major risk to the world's security

 

[HalBass9]

Converted countries are major risk to the world's security

You converted to the extremist version of yourself.

 

[globetrotter]

You converted to the extremist version of yourself.

You totally lost in argument.... converted always do such acts

 

[RexRex]

What an odd thing for a Democrat lawmaker to focus on at this time .. what's the motivation here ?

 

[RexRex]

However these generals were no more representative of Islam in 1971 than Congress rioters represented Hindus in 1984. You invoke thugs like Yahya Khan as emblematic of the religion yet ignore two Pakistanis who opposed this madness - Admiral Ahsan and Yaqub Khan. They resigned their posts than fire on their own countrymen. The story of 1971 is not of jihad but unchecked militarism running amok, and sadly Pakistan is still captive to its generals.

That's a fair post but your are in the minority when it comes to knowing the true history of your country's military. Not many think like you do. Even so.. my guess is you have your own blindspots.

Do you agree that this long hostility between India and Pakistan since 1947 is solely due to the actions of a self-interested Pakistan army ?

 

[guard]

If Tulsi Gobar and Hashish Patel are spouting it… well it must be true..

 

[HalBass9]

You totally lost in argument.... converted always do such acts

No sir, I was simply pointing out the flaws in your argument, it's rooted in your personal perception, which seems influenced by inherited bigotry.

 

[straighttalk]

You don’t need to bro.

I’ve seen the cricket section full of racist comments towards Bangladeshis, beyond the scope of sport by Indians. Really low grade stuff that exposes more about their level and the Bangladeshi posters have been mature and grounded in their reply.

But when convenient 1971 is quoted. Indians are the only ones still crying about it and need to quote a nation that is complicit in an ongoing genocide itself to throw shade at Pak. Imagine an infamous murderer giving a lecture on why murder is wrong.

Maybe if BD didn't parade around with dhonis head or call for annexing seven sisters or bad mouth India after begging for power and gas...we wouldnt make fun of them. Low class actions deserve humiliation and scorn...their cricket quality is equally low class..can't win anything and does naagin dance, and the agha run out, breaks stumps, damages dressing room...what a joke.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

You can make a case for a genocide in Bangladesh.

Making the definition especially narrow to focus on Hindus seems quite politically motivated.

We must remember that Modi brought up the recent abuses of Hindus in Bangladesh in the White House. Trump told him you can handle it how you like. Modi proceeded to remove Mustafizur from IPL and Hindus of India celebrated. Perhaps Pakistan can do something similar to appease the Hindu community?

 

[Civil]

Perhaps just a coincidence ..but after Modi danced for Phaaaderland... AIPAC funded congressman proposes this resolution lol.

US political system of lobbies funding politicians needs an overhaul. Amongst all the issues facing the US public someone is proposing resolutions about South Asian history 50 years ago.

 

[Rajdeep]

@Hitman posted a piece said by a US lawmaker. Instead of criticizing, everyone is busy blaming Modi, India, Indian posters etc. Absolute zero self introspection. No wonder they are unable to host PSL in their own country fearing security concerns.

 

[Hitman]

@Hitman posted a piece said by a US lawmaker. Instead of criticizing, everyone is busy blaming Modi, India, Indian posters etc. Absolute zero self introspection. No wonder they are unable to host PSL in their own country fearing security concerns.

I knew beforehand what the responses would be. Never expect anything better from Islamist extremists.

 

[Hitman]

It's official, all Americans are beghairats of the highest order.

Yea, the ones with ghairat are those who committed Operation Searchlight.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I don't think it was a genocide because the Army's goal was to crush the separatist insurgency, rather than eliminate Bengalis as an ethnic group. Also, Bengalis were not targeted simply for being Bengali, there were many Bengalis were in the army, civil service and pro-Pakistan militias. The targeting was more political aimed at Awami League and it's supporters, rather than just Bengalis.

However that doesn't change the fact that Pakistan committed some widespread atrocities in erstwhile East Pakistan. And that too against people who at that point were their own people. Pakistan should have apologized to Bangladesh a long time ago, but I'm still not sure if they have. 1971 is Pakistan's great national shame and always will be.