On October 15th, a couple of United States Congressmen placed a proposed resolution in the House of Representatives urging US President Joe Biden to consider recognising the atrocities committed by the Armed Forces of Pakistan in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
US Congressman Steve Chabot (Republican), in association with Congressman of Indian origin Ro Khanna (Democrat), urged Biden to recognize the 1971 genocide as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
The resolution is an eight-page long and is titled – ‘Recognising the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971’ and primarily focuses on the active role played by the Pakistan army along with all its functioning ancillary units in the active involvement of mass rape and genocide committed in 1971.
“Proud to join Rep Steve Chabot in introducing the first resolution commemorating the 1971 Bengali Genocide in which millions of ethnic Bengalis and Hindus were killed or displaced in one of the most forgotten genocides of our time,” said Ro Khanna, a US Congressman of Indian origin, twitted following the submission of the resolution on October 15.
“We must not let the years erase the memory of the millions who were massacred. Recognising the genocide strengthens the historical record, educates our fellow Americans, and lets would-be perpetrators know such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten,” Chabot, a Republican Party member, said in a tweet.
The West Pakistani establishment including the deep state at its core, was fiercely against the opinion of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Awami League President) being the supreme leader of Pakistan who won an absolute democratic majority mandate in the 1970 general elections.
They formulated a heinous plan, conspiracy to crush the Bengali unity and to ensure that their hopes and liberation where forgotten forever. A military crackdown codenamed Operation Searchlight was launched on March 26th, 1971 by the army and its collaborators.
Hundreds of thousands innocent civilian, men women and children were mercilessly murdered and ravaged throughout East Pakistan. It is estimated almost as high as 10 million refugees fled across the borders into neighbouring India to seek refuge from reign of terror which lasted in East Pakistan from March 26 to December 16, 1971.
Under the joint synergistic forces off the Mukti Bahini (Bengali Liberation forces) and Indian Armed Forces the West Pakistani military establishment capitulated.
This resolution opens up the forgotten floodgates for perhaps the most horrific crimes against humanity committed in 1971. Global benchmark institutions like the British Houses of Parliament, United Nations Geneva and European Union parliament Brussels to take cognisance and act accordingly.
The United States had a diametrically opposite political stance in 1971 when its administration was in active support General Yahya Khan the West Pakistani dictator however it seems fifty years there has been finally an awakening.
The resolution specifically draws attention to the nine-month long war of Independence in Bangladesh, March to December 1971. It recalls the horror inflected during those months of carnage and mass rape and offers sympathy to the victims.
American diplomat Archer Blood’s – “The Blood Telegram” is perhaps till date the most accurate chronological recording of what followed on that barbaric night and the time has come to finally hold the perpetrators to justice fifty years on.
US President Joe Biden has also recently mentioned Pakistan as one of the most dangerous places in the world at a private Democratic party fundraiser event in California whist referring to US foreign policy.
Time will only reveal the logical conclusion to the resolution tabled and if the US administration is determined go as far as imposing a sanction on Pakistan. For the moment it is definitely the best step taken in the Dhaka direction.