স্বাধীনতা তুমি
স্বাধীনতা তুমি রবি ঠাকুরের অজর কবিতা, অবিনাশী গান
স্বাধীনতা তুমি কাজী নজরুল, ঝাকড়া চুলের বাবরি দোলানো মহান পুরুষ
সৃষ্টি সুখের উল্লাশে কাঁপা Swadhinata tumi
Swadhinata tumi Rabi Thakurer ajar kabita, abinashi gan
Swadhinata tumi Kazi Nazrul, jhakra chuler babri dolano mahan purush
srishti-sukher ullashe kanpa
Dhaka, March 26 (bdnews24.com) – A senior Indian army officer who had designed the capture of Dhaka, a 'heartland' in his 1971 war plan, attended Independence Day programmes in the capital Wednesday. JFR Jacob had played a decisive role in the War of Liberation by leading his forces across the border deeper into Bangladesh. Jacob, 85, is part of the Indian delegation invited to attend the 37th anniversary of independence of Bangladesh by the army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed. One of the less talked-about aspects of the 1971 war was the varied character of the key men who planned and executed the operations. Best known was the flamboyant Indian army chief, General Sam Manekshaw, who had won the Military Cross in WW II. To the Indians, Manekshaw with his twirled moustache, Gorkha cap and baton, was a symbolic hero. Below him was an equally varied and extraordinary set of men, who planned and executed their own battles. The Eastern Command of Army, headquartered in Kolkata, was commanded by Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora. Jacob, then a major general, was Aurora's brilliant chief of staff. One of the Liberation War sector commanders, KM Shafiullah, told bdnews24.com Wednesday: "The drafting of the instrument of surrender of Lt General AAK Niazi was done with the help of JFR Jacob." "Jacob was an efficient army officer. When the Pakistani forces collapsed, he mediated their surrender. He prepared and finalised where, when and how the Pakistani forces would surrender," he said. The former army chief said: "I remember the Pakistani forces were scheduled to surrender to the joint forces of Bangladesh and India at 9am on Dec 16. The time was extended by six hours and the decision to accept the proposal was also taken after discussion with General Jacob." "JFR Jacob was a senior and the most important Indian army officer in Eastern Command. This visit may increase the existing friendly ties between the two countries," retired major general Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, a freedom fighter and now in politics, told bdnews24.com. In 1971, Jacob did not entirely agree with the Indian army top brass. "The army headquarters issued an operations instruction according to which our main objectives were to take Chittagong and Khulna ports, which were termed the entry ports. But we at the Eastern Command felt differently, "We felt that Dhaka was the geopolitical centre of Bangladesh and therefore any campaign to be successful had to capture Dhaka," Jacob had said. The Eastern Command went ahead with its own plans, although the Indian Army Headquarters felt it was too ambitious and difficult to achieve. Later, Aurora provided full support to Jacob and allowed him to pull down troops kept in reserve for a possible attack by the Chinese. Some of these troops had to be brought into battle so hurriedly that the only way was to paradrop them. "We realised that any campaign to be successful had to be swift. The United Nations was putting great pressure on us and the Russians too had indicated that they did not want to exercise their veto any more," Jacob had explained in the interview. "We realised that Niazi (Pakistani army commander in the then 'East Pakistan') was going to fortify the towns and defend them in strength. We therefore decided not to attack any towns but bypass them using subsidiary tracks to get to our objective: Dhaka." Also, in an interview with CNBC, Jacob had said: "We assessed that to win a war we had to take Dhaka. Dhaka was the geostrategic heart of East Pakistan. No campaign would have been complete without it." The immense practical problem of moving thousands of troops and tonnes of equipment across rivers and marshes had been accomplished largely due to the efforts of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, and with a lot of local help. In most places, the swiftly moving contingents had quickly overcome enemy resistance and moved forward. For the most part, the Pakistanis had completely been taken by surprise. Within six days of the Indian participation in the war, Indian troops were deep inside Bangladesh territory. Bangalee freedom fighters played a crucial role in guiding the Indian army through the treacherous riverine areas and providing critical intelligence. Defence analysts say it is doubtful whether the Indian army could have moved so fast and decisively without the help of the Bangladeshis. Retired Lt Gen Mir Shawkat Ali, another sector commander of the Liberation War, described Jacob as an efficient and courageous army officer. In India, Jacob succeeded as a young Jew, the scion of a family that migrated some 150 years ago from Iraq and settled in Kolkata, to be appointed to one of the most senior command positions in the army. Jacob-Farj-Rafael Jacob, his full name, was born in 1923. At age nine, his father, a successful businessman, sent him to a boarding school in the city of Darjeeling. From then on, he only went home on school holidays. In 1941, at age 18, he enlisted in the Indian army, which was under British command. His father was against his enlistment but after he found out about the atrocities of the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews, he decided to be a military man. bdnews24.com/ |
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March 16, 2008Dear Sir/Madam,After the crimes of the Holocaust, the world vowed "Never again!"In 2001, China was granted the right to host 2008 Summer Olympic Games after it pledged to adhere to the Olympic charter and improve its human rights record.Instead of improving human rights, China's human rights abuses have worsened in the last seven years. Sadly, as the 2008 Summer Olympic Games approach, China is escalating the suppression of the Chinese people in the name of protecting the Olympics Games.This heartbreaking truth is documented by such reputable organizations as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and the United Nations.To raise awareness of these crimes against humanity, we are inviting you to be part of the solution to this human rights tragedy by being a speaker, performer and/or a relay runner in the San Francisco Human Rights Torch event in the City's Union Square on Saturday, April 5, 2008.The significance and potential impact of the Human Rights Torch relay in San Francisco is greatly increased because it will occur just a few days prior to when the Beijing Olympic Torch makes its only U.S. stop -- in San Francisco on April 9th. Making this event even more significant is that San Francisco is the ONLY place in the whole world where the two torches will figuratively cross paths. Your participation in the San Francisco ceremony and/or relay could dramatically make a difference and increase the potential to save many people's lives.In San Francisco, the Human Rights Torch ceremony begins at 11 in the morning, with the relay following at approximately 2pm. We would love to have you with us for as little or as much of your time as you are able to donate that day. If you are traveling to San Francisco for the event, we would be pleased to provide you with appropriate accommodations.Thank you for thinking about being with us in San Francisco on Sunday, April 5, 2008. Your participation could, truly, make a world of difference. Together, we can bring hope, dignity and fundamental human rights to all people. I look forward to hearing from you soon.With appreciation,
!!!!! Please Join the Spectacular Bangladesh Day Parade-2008 in Los Angeles, California, USA on March 29-30, 2008 !!!!!!!
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:13:03 -0700
From: vinnomot@yahoo.com
Click Here for Program Schedule (Video in YouTube/BuflaTube) for the Bangladesh Day Parade - 2008.
Bangladesh Day Celebration
With Parade
Los Angeles, California, USA
March 29 - 30, 2008
on the occasion of the
Independence Day of Bangladesh.
(Details on BUFLA Website at www.bufla.com)
============
========= ========= ========= =
Bangladesh Day Program includes Seminar, Children's Program with Art competition and Bengali poem recitation competition, Spectacular Parade, Dignitaries Speeches, Cultural programs and Mela.
!!!! Please join the Parade !!!
Location: Shatto Recreation Center, 3191 W 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA90020, USA
Parade Route: Shatto, 6th Street, Vermont Ave, 4th Street, Shatto in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Program Agenda
March 29, 2008, Saturday
2 PM – 2:30 PM:
Opening Ceremony on the Field-Stage
Flag hoisting (US-Flag, Bangladesh-Flag, BUFLA-Flag), National Anthem, Declaration of Opening of the Ceremony.
3 PM – 6 PM:
(a) Kid's Picture drawing competition (Big Hall Room)
(b) Kid's Bengali recitation competition (Big Hall Room)
3 PM – 6 PM: (Parallel Session with Kid's program):
Seminar-I How to Help Bangladesh (Field-Stage)
Seminar-II What did we give to the world (Field-Stage)
6 PM – 10 PM: Cultural Program
March 30, 2008, Sunday
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM:
Parade Assembly at Shatto Parking lot
12:30 PM -- 3 PM:
!!!! PARADE !!!!
3 PM -- 4:30 PM:
Dignitaries Speeches
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM:
Kid's Awards ceremony (On the Field-Stage)
5 PM – 10 PM:
Cultural Program
===================== ========= ========= ===
Contacts:
Kids program (Art & Recitation competition)
: Kazi Monwar Hossain (Bhaia) at 213-487-1942. The Children's Program includes Art competition, and Bengali Poem recitation competition. Many children of our community are participating. Many certificates have been prepared, and many gifts and prizes have been bought. So, please let your kids be part of it. The beautiful big Hall of Shatto Recreation Center has been reserved specially for the Kid's program. The children's program is on Saturday, March 29, 2008, starting at 2 PM with the Opening Ceremony.
Booth: Mohammad Ali 213-550-6371, Humayun 213-926-1830. There are still some more booths available. So, please contact asap.
Parade: Major Kutubi 323-485-8662. Please contact with the information about your organizational Parade preparation details asap. Parade reporting and assembly time is at 11:30 AM on Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Shatto parking lot. Please come on time.
For further details, please visit the BUFLA Website at www.bufla.com
Respectfully,
Mahbub Khan
California, USA
408-859-3566
Caste Discrimination Translated into Ethnic Cleansing in this Divided Bleeding Geopolitics
Palash Biswas
Caste Discrimination is translated into ethnic cleansing in this divided geopolitics!
Kolkata Intelligentsia delebratly defends CPIM as they brand the Dandakaranya Refugees landed in Marichjhanpi as tresspasser Bangladeshi Nationals in a protected Forest Zone, Tiger Project. Mind you, Marichjhanpi never have been under protected Forest or Tiger project. Suman Mukhopaddhay of Teesta parer Britanto(play) and Herbert (film,written by Nabarun bhattacharya)
My father Pulin Babu, with his experience as a communist refugee leader in West bengal and Orissa and Peasant Leader in Dhimri Block peasants Insurrection in nainital, as a rescuer in Assam and North East understood the betrayal game and some how convinced the North India Refugees of UP, Bihar, Assam and Rajsthan that dangers ahead and the communists would betray. As the communists never helped the refugeees in these states and they are in better status, they could not be trapped. Not a single refugee landed in Marichjhanpi from North India excluding MP.
At that time , I was a student in DSB college in naninital and have been involved with Chipko Movement. I quoted forest laws and explained Environment significance of Sundarvana as my father decided to oppose the campaign actively. I talked face to face Satish Mand , the man behind Marichjhanpi movementright in the Mana Camp, Chhattish Garghwhere the Marichjhanpi refugees retuned back empty handed losing near and dear ones in Marichjhanpi. Satish Mandal said that my father would have been killed in Mana camp as he spoke against such a campaign and communists. security forces saved his life.. He and his associates regretted and accepted that it was a blunder. They explained how the communists mobilised the Marichjhanpi movement centred in and around all the major five refugee camps in MP and entire Dandakarany resettlement spanning four states MP (united), Orissa, Andhra and maharashtra!
Another fact remains, only,yes only Dandakarany resetlled Refugees from Malkan GiRi of Orissa, Andhra and Maharashtra with refugees stranded in Five Major camps of United MP landed in Marichjhanpi. Resetlled refugees lived in those colonies since fifties while the refugees form all those five camps crosed the border during and befrore Riots of 1964 in East Bengal. They were not Bangladeshi nationals, as the Ruling Hegemony with its media and intellegentsia have been claiming all these years.Branding the refugess as Bangladeshi Nationals or escaped masses from refugee camps justify the Eviction drive and translate the Genocide as a political blunder only. This is syastematic subvertion freinds!
I am amazed why a writer like Amitabh Ghosh could not care to cross check his information as he described Marichjhanpi under tiger project! He, though unlike other Caste Hindu intellectuals described it a Genocide. Utpal Dutta wrote a drama at that time to justify the genocide- Chakranta. Media flashed this Plot theory with branding the bonafied Indian citizens as bangladeshi Nationals. Different stories were afloat like extrmest camp and armed training and popular CPIM concept of CIA and foreign hand to dislodge the communist Government. Left Front partner RSP held the base in that area and local panchayats were captured by them. RSP activists helped the refugees. Basu called them in the Writers and directed them to detach with the refugees and the Party Machinery led by late Pramod Dasgupta hatched the eviction plan. before blocked Subhash chakrabarti visited Marichjhanpi and offered the refugees CPIM umbrella. But satish mandal refuged considering RSP and Janata dal cooperation. Janata Dal was the ruling party in the centre.JD MP Kashikanta Moitra was with them. Had the refugees joined CPIM, it would have been a different story as it has always been in thousands of refugee colonies. You may see the RSP leaders speaking out as Eye witness in Tortured Humanity, the Rights alert film!
Mind you, before partition all the three interim governments were headed by Muslims- Fazlul haq, Najibullah and Sohrawardi.Only Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was a member in Haq ministery . Otherwise Jogendra Nath mandal or Kumud Bihari Mallick were the personalities on centrestage. Muslims in East Bengal were dead against partition. They wanted undivided Bengal.And bengal was the centrestage of national dalit Movement with mandal in helms. Shyama Prasasd Mukherjee had said, if not India, Bengal must be divided as Caste Hindus were wary of Muslim dalit Combination . This combnitation was broken with partition. The dalit base devasted and dalit movement sabotaged. Dalits were evicted out of their home in East bengal and scattered countrywide. marichjhanpi revived the danger of Dalit Population concentration in Bengal once agian and ruling brahminical Marxists aborted it mercilessly with Marichjhanpi Genocide. thus, the Ruling Caste Hindus with all the bogus Marxism, secularism and progressive posture kept mum on Marichjhanpi!
Anu jalais told me that the problem all along this subcontinent roots in Caste Discrimination and the Hegemony system. She agrred with my contention that it was a demographic readjustmant case and said this interesting. Even the then Police Super of North 24 parganas, the officer in chareg of the marichjhanpi genocide discuses the role played by Ram Chatterjee and other left leaders. Just see the film, HUMANITY TORTURED! Now samanat is also iconised like runu Guha Niyogi. Niyogi justified the Repression and killings during seventies in his book, AAmi Sada Aami Kalo. Samanto writes column in the Satesman as well as Paschim Banga, a WB GOV mag. The ex DGP writes on topics spanning police reforms to revolutionary activities in colonial India. Even Amiya samanta, accepts, had the Marichjhanpi refugees not been Dalits they would not be evicted so mercilessly. He also acceptes the facts of Food Blocked. All Eye Witnesses and all evidences are there! Who would stand for justice? Human Rights? For the deprived, persecuted, marginaliged, totured and killed Dalit Refugees?
All the Dalit Leaders and intellectuals shed tears on Marichjhanpi genocide! They oppose Citizenship act. They are associated with refugee Movement and different Dalit orgs. But they could not bring the War criminals to justice! They could not launch a Political or non Political movement. They claim to know everything! What they did all these thirty years? Just tried their best to get maximum favour of the ruling Hegamony or simply a stautus in Prliament , assembly or pachayat or a reserved post, promotion! They licked the Bottom of the Ruling Hegemony! My foot!
The partition victim Dalit East Bengal refugees- evicted from homeland to accomodate Caste Hindu Brahminical Hegemony with transfer of Power from apartheid generator British clonial rulers, deprived of human and civil rights, mother tongue and citizenship, targeted nationwide as branded as bangladeshi foriegn national thanks to Citizenship Amendment Act passed by Indian Ruling Class represented by all kinds of left, centrist and Right ideologies and parties and finally facing nationwide deportation drive thanks to brahmins of Bengal led by Defacto Prime Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Hindutva forces led by Sangh Pariwar and shiv sena -should thank Mr Prabhu Chawla , the editor- in - chief of India Today to publish a special report in India Today Bengali on Marichjhanpi Genocide, coinciding with 30th year of the first dress rehearsal of Genocide culture launched by the Regemented so called marxist ruling hegemony in West Bengal.
It might sound something very amusing to welcome a gesture so insignificant in these days of Electronic channels, media boom and information explosion. Well, in North as well as south India, the resettled Dalit East Bengal refugees enjoy the support of local population. In Orissa, while Naveen Patnaik BJP plus BJD ruling combination tried to deport the Noakhali Partition victims resttled in Ram Nagar, Mahakal Para area near Paradip port, Oria speaking local residents constituted an Utkal Bangiya Suraksha committee to defend the helpless people. Local residents, Media and political parties jointly stalled the deportation move there. Though the struggle is going on as the Refugges resettled there in early fifties find their names missing in Voters` List. Ration cards are also stand cancelled.
In United Uttar Pradesh,where I originally belong as I was born in a refugee colony in Udham Singh Nagar (Nainital), the local population always stood by dalit Bengali Refugees. My father late Pulin kumar Biswas worked for the refugees lifelong. He was the President of All India Udvastu ( Refugee) committee. He as a Communist Leader led the Dhimri Block Peasants` Revolt in 1958 in the Terai of Nainital. The insurrection was repressed brutally by joint forces of third jat Regiment, Police and PAC. CH Charan singh was the Home Minister in UP then. Communist Party of India with General secretary Comrade PC Joshi disowned the movement as they betrayed Telengana. In UP, no one could a single instance of confrontation between bengali refugees and other communities. In Terai of Nainital, Pilbhit, Bareilly and Rampur a few corore partion victims Sikh and Punjabies as well as Bengalies live side by side with a bond of unbreakable fraternity and cooperation for six decades. My father was elected un opposed the Vice President Of Terai Cooperative Commitee in mid sixties with local SDM as President by virtue of his post. I want to emphasise that at that point, sikhs and punjabies were more powerful, more dominent and majority in number. bengali Dalit refugees were minority plus economically very weak. But the chemistry of Unity is working since the first day. The spirit of peasant movement works even after the deaths of all the leaders including my father and his comrades. We always enjoyed excellent relations with Hills. ND Tiwari and KC Pant became National Leaders with our help only.
In 2001, as UP was divided and BJP took over as the ruling party in the new state Uttaranchal. Chief Minister Nityanand Swami and His government branded all Bengali dalit refugees living there since 1952 as foreign nationals. Bengali refugees launched an unprecedented movement supported by all opposition political parties, communities, markets and media. This is the only occassion while West Bengal, its government, ruling front, media and people supported us. Because, we could convince Buddhadev Bhattacharya, the new Chief Minister that provided the dalit refugees were evicted out of Uttaranchal as planned by Sangh pariwar, they would come to West Bengal without any notice and Left Front had to face similar crisis as Marichjhanpi. Contrary to dandakaranya People the uttarakhandi Bengalies are more united and they might not repeat marichjhanpi genocide once again.
Finally, Uttaranchal BJP government had to give in.
This is all India scenerio barring spordiac clashes between tribals of Chhattish Gargh and Orissa. Of course, entire North East, particularly Assam, Tripura and Manipur showcase a different equation. And it is due to the identity crisis of natinalities there. In mainland , all Dalit Bengali refugees supported the nationality movement as in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattish gargh. Only Maharashtra and Mumbai are different cases where all North Indians are branded unwanted and the dominent Sangh Pariwar target all Bengali speaking people branding them as bangladeshi Nationals.
Here you are! In West Bengal, the Caste Hindu Ruling Hegemony never allows any space for dalit Bengali Refugees in any sphere of life. The irony is that a refugee, Dr man Mohan singh becomes prime Minister, another refugee Lal Krishna Adwani Deputy Prime Minister while another refugee Jyoti Basu ruled Bengal for two decades and a half while all dalit partition victims of east Bengal are branded as foreign nationals.
Mind you, it is India Today of Non bengali origin published the story. Not even any revolutionary little mag or sanhati.com or so called different, progressive and secular Bengali Intelligentsia highlighted the Genocide for long thirty years. For example, Mahashweta Devi had been active as a creative writer for so long. She wrote so many things on Insurrections of all kind and on also Naxalbari. She is writing daily on nandigram and singur. She writes on Rizwanur and Taslima so frequently! Why she could not take over the marichjhanpi issue in past thirty years? Sunil Gangopadhyaya, the Ruling Hegemony cultural head at present and the Shikhandi President of sahitya academy of India never had been a Marxist in the days of Tebhaga and food movement. Sunil along with Sandipan and Shakti ruled Kolkata in sixties with anarchist posture. Sunil visited USA during that period and befriended with Ginsberg. Sunil did the excellent work lifetime during Marichjahnpi blocked . He reported exclusively for Anand bazaer as Niranjan Haldar did. But, Sunil became a Marxist very soon and kept MUM all these years. rights Alert India could not get him face camera for its documentary on Marichjhanpi. Mr jagadish Chandra Mandal, worthy son of Maha Pran Jogendra Nath Mandal, wrote a Book, marichjahnpi in Bengali. Ananda Bazar published the review with lacs of circulation. But Bengal could not find a single voice to represent the massacred indigenous people and the plight of partition victims all these days.
An eminent Activist, a former associate of Sunil gango, the vice President of Bhasha Shaheed Smarak Committee, Ratan Basu Majumdar claimed that Bengali Intelligentsia did not know about the massacre! Is it so? Even after Anu Jalius`s EPW article, a few books on marichjhanpi, so much matterial available on net thanks to reasearchers lake Anu and Ross Mallick, a very significant novel like Hungry Tide by an eminent writer like Amitabh Ghosh, Sunil`s writings before three decades and the documentary, Humanity Tortured by Rights Alert India? Ratanda told me mahasheta devi would certainly write! has she written? I have been a keen reader of Mahashwetya Sahitya for almost three decades. I have been associated with his Mag Bhasha Bandhan, in which I could not get any space for those five corore Dalit bangali refugees scattered all over India!
While the Citizenship Amendment Bill was published on net, I passed personally the copies to top CPIM leaders. All of them assured they would oppose. While the bill was passed undebated in both houses of Parliament as only Dr Manmohan Singh,then a Rajya Shabha memebr fro Assam and general Shankar Roy Chowdahury urgued theat the refugees form east bengal should get Indian Citizenship. Dr Singh forgot that. NDA Home minister lK adwani presented the Bill. Pranab Mukherjee was the chairman of the standing committee on the Bill. All refugee orgs and individuals and activists opposed and communicated to Mukherjee. Mukherjee did not call any of us. Rather he boasted before a Refugee deputation that had he been the Home Minister he would have got deported all foreign National bengali refugees. So, he is executing his plan nowadays. Kanti Biswas, then a cabinet minister and Upen kisku a ST minister claimed on phone that CPIM opposed the Bill. We all know the reality.
Forget Marichjhanpi! More than Twenty Lac people in west bengal got their names deleted from voters`s List as they have been branded as Bangladeshi Nationals. Thousands have been
dumped in jail in Krishnanagar, Burdwan, katoa, Nadia and Howrah. Thosand and thousand absconding. No news appeared in Kolkata Media. No intellectual protested.
I myself gave Mahashwetadi personally all relevent documents on Citizenship and Refugee Problems. She just told that she could not take over all the issues. She commented, Palash, you have to launch this movement!
In such a background, ANshuman Bhowmic has done a marvellous job as a jounalist.
