Brother Nahyan,
Thanks for your comment although I am yet to understand on what basis you're commenting while you acknowledged that you haven't read my article yet. Like a typical secularist, your main argument goes around the same point that I have mixed up religion with the war of so-called independence of 1971. Clearly, you haven't gone through my main article. If one disconnects himself from Islam's fundamental teachings then there are many reasons to celebrate the breakdown of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. But the issue with a practising Muslim is fully different. He cannot disconnect his politics, culture, economics and other aspects of life from Islam. This is why the Islamic forces took a different political decision from those of the secularists in 1971. In a period of only 23 years in Bangladesh politics, two major decisions were taken in1947 and 1971. They were totally opposite to each other. Indeed, they represented two different notions. Both the decisions can not be correct, one must be wrong. The question is; which one was based on Islamic perspective and which one was on secular perspective? Even the political procedures were not equally same in both the cases. In 1947 people got opportunity to debate the issue of supporting or opposing Pakistan for more than a decade. Along with scores of intellectuals, the major parties like Muslim League and All India Congress were there to debate the issue in full length. In 1946, election was held on this single issue. But in 1971, not an election, not even in a single meeting was held to debate the issue. The decision of 1947 was well discussed and home-grown. But the war of 1971 was planned, financed, guided from Indian soil. It had a full political and military involvement of an enemy power.

I have never argued that Pakistani army and Razakars were angels. I also do not buy the argument that they were all rapist and killers. Indeed the same Pakistani army lived in Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore and other cantonments for 23 years. How many Bengalis were raped and killed during those long years? Portraying the people who were against partition, as rapists or beast, is a vicious ploy to conceal the real ideology guiding the people against the 71 partition. Unfortunately, they were successful in deceiving the naive masses to turn a blind eye to their own crimes. Although, the post 71 era couldn�t have had done more to reveal their true corrupt nature that inevitably led to their own demise. No one can deny the killings of 1971 and I�ve already discussed that issue in my article so it's not worth repeating here.

I didn't argue that Pakistan had no failings and the country was a haven. Indeed, it had many failings in those days. But the burden of such failures shouldn't be thrust only on the shoulder of the West Pakistanis. Indeed the East Pakistanis were more responsible, since they were the majority. In those days of united Pakistan, they could've had played a constructive role in areas like politics, economy, army, education, science and technology. Alas! Instead of being proactive and taking intellectual leadership, they resorted to blame others for their own failures. Only such mentality can lead a country to become the global champion of corruption five years running. Instead of reflecting on their failures, the same people are still on the constant search for another bunch of scapegoats. This is another example of our continuous intellectual failure.