The New Nation - Internet Edition

Maswood Alam Khan

While playing chess one must remember three golden rules: Foresight---to look into futurity and consider the consequences that may attend an action;

Circumspection---to survey the whole chessboard, the scene of action, the relationship between pieces: kings, queens, rooks, knights, bishops and pawns with a view to checkmate the opponent's king; and thirdly Caution---not to make moves too hastily. In my schooldays a friend of mine---who was basically twitchy---used to first blush and then turn the chessboard upside down whenever he could sense that his king had no way to escape. He would have killed me if he had the option open because he was too weak to put up with defeat.

In the afternoon of December 27, a gunman fired some bullets, a suicide bomb was detonated as Benazir Bhutto was leaving a rally in the Liakot National Bagh in Rawalpindi after giving her fiery speech in a political campaign ahead of elections due in January 2008. Benazir, leader of PPP---the largest opposition party in Pakistan---was pronounced dead after being taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital. 20 more people most of whom were escorting Benazir as human shields including the assassin were also dead. Thanks to worldwide media networking BBC and CNN broke the news when people in the western world just got up from their sleep and tuned in to their favorite TV channels. Presidents and Prime Ministers all over the world echoed their shocks at the tragic death of the two-time prime minister of Pakistan.

Undoubtedly it was someone like my schooldays friend who could not stand to see Benazir alighting upon the seat of premiership for the third time attempted to make everything topsy-turvy when the country was poising herself to restore democracy. The whole world blamed terrorism for the carnage but no world leader pinpointed in clear terms the main beneficiary of Benazir's death. The gun has been blamed, but the gunner has not been named.

The assassin who (reportedly) shot fires and detonated the suicide bomb was merely a misguided tool of power politics. He was just a gun---an insane derelict infused with some concocted political ideology and specially trained to kill public figures blindfold. Assassins are usually drugged with hashish and opium before they are sent for killing missions. Murdering a prominent person is a joy the assassin enjoys when s/he is mentally deranged and his/her life is replete with sorrows. Masterminds of assassinations know who they should recruit as their guns to kill their opponents.

Pakistan's President Parvez Musharraf wore a sad and grave look while condemning the death of Benazir Bhutto and proclaimed a three-day national mourning with all national flags to be flown at half mast. Supporters of Benazir wept, threw stones at cars, ransacked whatever they came across and chanted "Dog, Musharraf, dog" to air out their steamed up angers and frustrations. Some opposition groups said that the assassination could lead to civil war, and other commentators said that the upcoming elections will likely be postponed. World leaders sent their condolences to the bereaved families. Newspapers and television channels blasted their headlines. Commentators published their opinions and conspiracy theories. The world price of oil and gold rose with news of the assassination. And Benazir Bhutto sank into the pages of history the way Nawabzadah Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan was assassinated in 1951. Perhaps, nobody would ever know who the mastermind behind her death was if the perpetrator behind the scene, like a far-sighted chess player, had orchestrated the murder in impeccable tactics.

The perpetrator may hoodwink illiterate and emotional people of Pakistan into believing whatever is made printed in newspapers or broadcast in news media in his country. But those who know the mastery of grand perpetrators are not easily carried away by what they view in televisions or read in newspapers; they are trying to decipher the language visible in faces of leaders who ostensibly were condemning the death and they also looked aghast at the sight of fire brigade personnel frantically sweeping and washing the crime spot with powerful fire hoses to rid the street of the last speck of forensic evidence.

A glimmer of hope of democratization, nevertheless, conjoined with her return to Pakistan and with the election on January 8. Many of us in the subcontinent were keeping watchful eyes on the political events in Pakistan with the hopes or trepidations that positive or negative developments in Pakistan may influence many of the governments on and around the Indian Ocean to adopt strategies either to nurture or to gag democracy.

American President and English Premier both eulogized Benazir as a soldier who fought for democracy and they were hopeful that democracy would not be a casualty as an aftermath effect of Bhutto tragedy. Mr. Hamid Karzai, the President of Afganistan who met Benazir only a few hours before her death, was visibly shocked while condemning the assassination. Romano Prodi, the Italian prime minister, while expressing his sadness described Benazir Bhutto as a woman who wanted to fight her battle until the end with just one weapon---that of dialogue and political discussion. U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the assassination as a "cowardly act by murderous extremists," and encouraged Pakistan to "honour Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life.

The one in Pakistan who hoped to tramp on Benazir's dead body to kill democracy with an ulterior view to ushering in autocracy must be feeling upbeats of his heart if the election, as is rumored, is now deferred; his heart must be throbbing downbeats if people of Pakistan pay their tributes to their assassinated leader by compelling their government to hold election in time to bring civil rule in the true sense of the term.

Military in Pakistan has a tradition of overthrowing elected governments in kind of dramatic ways---mostly on the pretext of continued civil unrest---whenever the military chief finds himself under retirement threat from civilian government and once military takes over they are loath to go back to the drudgery of barracks. The litany of military takeovers was launched in 1958 by Field Marshal Ayub Khan whose footsteps were religiously followed in by General Yahiya Khan, General Ziaul Haque and the latest army chief General Parvez Musharraf.

In October, 1999 someone whispered to General Musharraf, when he was on a visit to Sri Lanka, that President Newaz Sharif was going to ditch him to place then-intelligence chief General Ziauddin as army chief. Within minutes a 17-hour human drama was unfolding with General Pervez hopping on an airplane in Colombo, Mr. Sharif appointing General Ziauddin as army chief, air traffic controllers at Karachi airport refusing permission for the plane carrying General Pervez to land, soldiers surrounding vital installations and under order of General Pervez the pilot of his plane circling Karachi and at last landing the airport with only seven minutes of fuel remaining. The drama concluded with Mr. Sharif dismissed and Gen Pervez installed as head of the government of Pakistan.

Pakistan is reeling from spates of arson attacks, shootings and violence since Benazir was slain. A 'shoot on sight' order was issued in Benazir's home province of Sindh after unidentified gunmen shot dead a policeman and wounded three in the southern city of Karachi. Now that Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for Benazir killing it is obvious that the group who planned the murder at the behest of any other person or group was afraid of seeing Benazir at the helm of Pakistan lest she should defeat her political opponents or crush the terrorists. This is what we as commoners understand while reading newspapers.

The mastermind of the murder (if s/he was not associated with Al-Qaeda, for instance) did his/her homework much ahead of the day of commission.

S/he could herself/himself have issued a press release or conveyed a message over telephone or internet that it was Al-Qaeda who had to get rid of Benazir, their future enemy as a smokescreen to hide the inner motive. Digging out the real culprit may be impossible if the culprit is enmeshed in the present corridor of power in Pakistan.

It is hard to reconcile Benazir's political ambitions with the political terrains in Pakistan strewn with booby traps. After spending eight years of self-exile in Dubai and London, one now obviously wonders, why has she come back to Pakistan on 18 October? After escaping an attack during her homecoming that left 134 people killed why did she dare to carry on her journey to prepare for the 2008 national election? Knowing full well that enough security measures would not be taken by the present government of Pakistan why did she venture to greet people from the rooftop hole of her SUV while leaving the rally in Rawalpindi? To kiss her death? Many assassination attempts on Parvez Musharraf's life narrowly failed, but why did the assassination attempt in Rawalpindi on Bhutto's life succeed? These are only a few of many questions that will be haunting many of us who like to see democracy flourish in our subcontinent.

Death seems to have been a familiar visitor to homes of political dynasties in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Benazir entered politics only after her father, a one-time prime minister of Pakistan and a charismatic leader who founded the political party PPP, had been executed by the military. So did Khaleda Zia, three-time prime minister of Bangladesh, after her husband President Zia had been assassinated.

Deaths of prominent leaders like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh, Indira Gandhi of India and Solomon Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka decided the fates of their children in their respective political domains.

Power of a premier in any country of our subcontinent is tantamount to power of a king in ancient times. Toxicity of power makes the aspirants blind and oblivious to risks the future political fields entail. Our leaders perhaps did not like the idea of dying of cancer or from a road accident; they perhaps fancied to die for their country, no matter it was from an assassin's bullet or from a suicide bomb.

They all had the courage to stare at the eyes of death without any fear. The only personality in the subcontinent who commanded the strength of shying away from the throne of power was Sonia Gandhi, now the most popular leader of Congress Party of India. Sonia fought like a tigress to prevent Rajiv from entering politics and she herself shunned Indian premiership and opted to enter history as a Mahatma, not as a prime minister. To her peace is perhaps more intoxicating than power. The question is: will children of Sonia and Benazir listen to the lessons now being pronounced in loud voices?

M.A. Taher

From whence the conspiracy and treachery was started against the Muslims of India? For a long period, the Pathan Sultans Khaljis, Toglogs, Sayyids and Ghories were ruling India, and when Ibrahim Lodhi became the Sultan of Delhi, the Hindus conspired against him and to drive him out, they secretly invited Babar, the king of Samarkhand, who advanced and in 1526, defeated Ibrahim Lodhi who was slain at Panipath. This is the 1st battle of Panipath. Babar ascended the throne of Delhi. When the master changing, Hindus and the tributary princes, who called Babar, apprehended that Babar would not leave India and such princes numbering a bout one hundred and twenty, with a host of one lac and twenty thousand soldiers and with five hundred elephants attacked Babar at Kanwaha (16/3/1527) or Shikri in 1527 near Delhi. Babar had only ten thousand soldiers, and by the might and main of Babar's soldiers, they were defeated. Hence they thought that they would not be able to defeat the Muslims. So gave up the idea of armed conflict, they took the passage of assimilation and conspiracy. And in the time of Akbar, the great Mogul, the conciliated Hindu subjects declared him (Akbar) 'Dillis Sworoba Iogodish Sworoba' (The god of Delhi is the god of the universe). Offering him their daughters and sisters, they occupied the top civil and military posts of the Mugal Empire. And at the time of the great Emperor, Aurangazeb, on 1st January, of 1674 A.D. the British spy Oxinedane met with Shibaji in the cave of a mountain in Deccan and made a treaty to fight jointly to oust the ruling Muslims from India and to drive them out of India.

After the treacherous battle of Plassey on the 23rd day of June of 1757, the British subsequently began to rise in power with the help of our neighbours (the Hindus). who were favoured by the Muslim rulers throughout their tenure of reign about one thousand years since the conquest of Mohd. Bin Quasem. The treachery and conspiracy in Plassey-- it was actually of the Hindus only--is agreed and opined by the historians of Calcutta, Topon Mohan Chattapadhaya and Rotan Kumar Chattapadhaya.

The Hindus were also the exotic invaders, when they had gone out of power, they followed the principle of assimilation in submission to the victors. Thus they had absorbed the Shakha; the Huns; the Greeks and the Moguls, offering their daughters, sisters to the victors in Mogul's harem in obeisance to occupy the superior posts of the government. Thus they availed the opportunity to conspire against and among the rulers. When the Muslims were strong in political power they served in deep obeisance to have the faith of the ruler.

After the reign of the Great Aurangazib, subsequent Mogul Emperors became weak and politically inefficient and as such, most of the governors (Subedars) of the provinces declared themselves as independent Nawabs and the centre became weak militarily . The Emperors remained as sanad giving authority. The Hindus in place of assimilation, began the method of annihilation and extermination of the Muslims in this subcontinent by conspiring among the Muslim inheritors of the throne and conspiring with the British.

When in 1803, the British (East India Company) reached and occupied Delhi, the Hindus began the vile and abominable treachery to annihilate and persecute the Muslims with their master, the white-skinned British, to exterminate the Muslim from the Indian soil.

When in 1837, by a gazette notification on 20th November and Act in the year 1839 (Act No. xxix of 1837) changing English as court language in place of Persian, the Muslims were driven out of services, for these, the Hindus were being prepared for the jobs, during 1816 to 1836, from the Hoogly College, established by the East India Company with the fund of Haji Mohammad Mohsin. But the Muslim students were debarred to be admitted in that college for a long time. The East India Co. established Hindu Sanskrit College in 1817 at Calcutta. in 1818 at Madras, in 1821 at Puna, in 1823 at Agra, to prepare the Hindus for the jobs depriving the Muslim jaigirs, Lakheraj by auctioning those. How cleverly and treacherously, the education of the Muslims was stopped by destroying the Persian Madrasas like Colleges and Universities.

With the Land Reform Act of Permanent Settlement, in 1793, and imposing sunset law, as named Resumpsion Act, (1828-44) the Talukhs (Jamindary), rent free Jaigirs for Madrasahs, Dorgahs, graveyards, numbered one lac twenty thousand and 6 like Universities, thoughout only in Bengal, Bihar and Orishya, were auctioned and given to Hindu paik, peyada, motsuddies (agents), koyal, on a nominal auction value thus cheated the Muslims.

Fakir Maznu Shah @ Mogul Prince Nur AI-Din, was killed in the battle of Mogulhat in the district of Coochbihar and Devi Chowdhurani was defeated in the battle of Napaichandi village presently in Pirgachha P.S. of Rangpur district where her brother Kesto Kishore and her Dewan Bhawani Pathak were killed. The gentues of Calcutta gave her name as Chandi Devi. The history missed her, she went underground. Both the battles were fought within 1783-87. In Deccan, the king of Mysore, Tipu Sultan was defeated in a treacherous battle on the 4th May 1799, by the East India Company and was slain by the treachery and conspiracy of his chief Dewan Mohendra Gupta and the kingdom was occupied and annexed by the British. Syed Nisar Ali @ Titumir was killed in the battle of Bansher Killa (Bamboo Castle), Narkelbaria 50 miles away from Calcutta with his 50 lieutenants (26/11/1831). Syed Ahmed Berelvi was killed with his several hundreds of fighter Mojahids in the battle of Balakot (6/11/l826) in the North-Western province now in Pakistan and hundreds of skirmishes were fought, but failed. In 1857 the first war of Independence (Sepoy Mutiny-called by the pet historians of the British), the Muslim freedom fighters were defeated and massacred by the East India Company with the treachery of Hindu and Shikh Sepoys bribed by the newly gentus of Calcatta. And the last Mogul Emperor Bahadur Shah, (son of Akbar, the 2nd) on the 10th May 1858, was taken captive and in front of him all the young princes were beheaded and then was sent to Calcatta arid where from he was then sent in exile to Rangoon of Burma (now Yangun of Myanmar) where he died on 7th November, l862 at the age of 89 years. Bahadur Shah had a plan to start the war against the British on 23rd June of 1857 at a time through out India. But his private secretary and Dewan Jiban Lal conspired with the British and sent the message to the English authority secretly early in the month of May. So hurriedly the sepoys revolted on 10th May 1857 at Meerat unprepared and without sending message elsewhere in India. After the fall of Delhi the fleeing Moguls in the villages around Delhi were killed enormously by the jatts and the belongings of the victims along with their women were looted by Jatts. Those Hindu and Shikh sepoys who betrayed the mujahids, enjoyed hereditary pension till 1947 (ref. Tero nombore Panch Bachhar, by Sadat Ali Akhand, Page-16). In 1864, the arrested Mujahids were killed by firing squad and in 1865 the 55th Battalion of Bengal Army were killed by cannon. In the records it was said the English casualties were seven thousands and the Muslim Mujahids killed were twenty seven thousands. But the Muslim Mujahids were killed and hanged to death were more than 3 lac. The Dewan of Faizabad said, before hanging the Mujahids, the flesh or meat of swines were put in to their mouths and smearing the body of the victims with swine oil and blood. And more than twenty lac of Mujahids, most of them were Aleems and Moulanas like Moulana Khairabadi were transported in the archipelago of Andaman and Nikobar. At the time of assassinated Governor Lord Mayo in 1871, the number of transported were twenty lac. Now imagine, as coloured by the Hindus, was it the Sepoy Mutiny? Nay, It was the first war of Independence.

(To be continued)

When all the armed struggles or fightings and skirmishes of the Muslims failed by the treachery of the neighbours, and the Muslims found that they would not be able to combat the British and Hindus' combined forces, the Muslim solicitous class began to appease the sentiment of the Muslims to turn them towards constitutional politics. So in 1863, Nawab Abdul Latif established "Muslim Literary Society" in Calcutta to encourage the Muslims to learn English and science. In Paschirngaon of the present Comilla District, in 1872, Nawab Faizunnessa. established an English School, which is now a renowned College. In 1876, Sir Syed Ahmed established an "Anglo-Oriental School" at Aligarh, which successively graded to be the famous Aligarh Muslim University.

When the British got the control over whole of Indian subcontinent, they began to think over how they would be able to rule the country for a long time to devour the wealth and resources. So one civil servant Mr. Auctovian Hume establish the "National Congress of India" in' 1885, to make the native Hindus tamed, docile and the most obedient servant in manner and mind as of the English culture and manner. Mr. Hurne was the first president and then the presidentship was occupied by Hindu leaders. Such as Umesh Chandra Banerjec, Firoj Shah Mehta, Dada Bhai Nowroji and Gokel, they did not allow religion in congress politics but in 1890, Balaganga Dhar Tilok turned Congress as Hindu Congress as he declared Muslims and British as enemy and demanded their exile. Sir Syed Ahmed cautioned the Muslims not to join the Congress in 1887. He established "Defence Association" in 1893 for the Muslims. One rankest communalist Pundit Malabyiah, becoming the President of Congress, declared in 1899, that the Muslims should be converted to Hinduism or to Christianity, if not they should be exterminated to the desert of the Middle East, wherefrom they came.

The greater Bengal Presidency was divided into two provinces for administrative purpose. One is "East Bengal and Assam" and with its capital Dhaka in 1905 with a population of three crore and ten lac out of which Muslims were one crore and eighty lac and other than Muslims were one crore and thirty lac with an area of 1,46,540 sqr. miles including Assam. The Muslims of this province got the opportunity to be majority. And hence they would be able to have education, administrative authority, also in trade and commerce to be competitor with other part. This expectation made the welfed gentus of Calcutta feel the danger or misfortune to lose their hinterland. They began agitation and they started assassination and assailance by the trained terrorist. They formed secret organisation and trained terrorists. Bipin Paul formed at Dhaka the secret organisation named "Anusilani Sangha" and such as Broti, Suhrid, Bandhab etc. and trained many assassins. This kind of assassin training centres were founded in many districts within 1906 to undo the partition of their mother Bengal. Kshudiram and Profulla Chaki were sent to Munger to kill the Judge "Kingsford" who was transferred to Munger from Calcatta who gave the verdict of life term in a case of looting the postal bag carrying money by the terrorists and the judge thus transferred out of the terrorists' utopia of Bengal to Bihar. But Khudiram mistakenly killed by the bomb one English lady with her daughter--the victims were Barrister Kennedy's wife and daughter. And Kshudiram and Profulla Chaki were arrested as exotic in Munger. Kshudiram was hanged to death on 11th August, 1908. Profulla Chaki took poison to die. Trial started on 8th June 1908.

In this turmoil, the lion hearted Nawab of Dhaka, Sir Salimullah Bahadur convened a three days' Conference of "All India Muslim Education" of its 20th session at Dhaka in their garden of Shahbagh. From allover the Indian sub-continent, the famous Muslim leaders, about two thousand, joined. Some say there was a daily gathering of several thousands including two thousand delegates from all over the subcontinent. Most of them were renowned personalities, like Nawab Vikarul Mulk. and Nawab Mohsinul Mulk. Nawab Ali Chowdhury (Jamindar Mymenshing). Hakim Ajmal Khan (Dellhi) Nabiullah, Bar-at-Law (Lakhnow), Khan Bahadur Ali Nawab Choudhury, (Comilla). Justice Syed Sharfuddin Nawab of Patiala, Syed Mohd. Hossain, H.M. Malek (Nagpur), Khan Bahadur Ahmed Muiuddin (Madras). Khan Bahadur Shaikh Golam Sadique (Amritsar), Nabiullah (Lakhnow). Raja Nawsad Ali Khan (Ayodhya), Syed Hasan Imam, Bar-at-Law (Baquipur), Abdul Karim (School Inspector Chittagong), Rafiuddin, Bar-at-Law (Bombay). Nijamuddin Ahmed BA.B.L (Berar). Shamsul Ulama Moulana Shibli Numani, Shah Sulaiman (Fulbari), Syed Ali Hasan Bahadur (Member Council of Indore Estate), Khaja Golam Sakline B.A.L.L.B.. Shaikh Abdullah RA.L.L.B., Muhammad Ali BA. Oxon (Boroda). Shawkat Ali (Agent Ohiphen), Abdul Hamid (Editor Muslim Chronicles), Abdul Hamid Hasan (Editor Muslim Patriot, Madras), Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, A.K. Fazlul Haque did not join for his Govt. services during that period as Deputy Magistrate. And the following distinguished delegates did not join the epoch making session on the 30th December as they were in Government services but they attended and participated in the 3 day's session of All India Muslim Educational session and did observe and enjoyed the most felicitous hospitality of the Nawab Sir Salimullah for a memorable week of the era. They were Abdul Majid, District Sessions Judge (Assam), Abdul Karim, School Inspector, Chittagong Division, Khan Bahadur Mr. Syed Muhammad, Inspector General of Registration (Bengal), Mr. Sharp, Public Instruction, East Bengal, H.P., Masurica Commissioner Dacca, B.C. Allen Magistrate and Collector, Dacca. Col. J. Hodings, C.I.E. Cambell, (above names of the delegates were taken from a thesis of Mr. Mohamad Ashraful Islam. Published in "Sourob", January 2007) were present and participated in the deliberation. On the third day of 30'h December 1906 of conference. chaired by Renowned NawabVikarul Mulk, Nawab Sir Salimullah proposed to form a political party as "All India Muslim League" on three Principles, Faith, Unity and Discipline and it was accepted and passed unanimously. This is the epoch making era in the history of this subcontinent, which within a short period of 40 years gave the Muslims of India a nationhood, the homeland in two parts of this subcontinent. The first

committee was declared with Nawab Vikarul Mulk as the Honorary Secretary and Sir Salimullah. Muslim League members in 1906 from 'East Bengal and Assam, were Nawab Sir Salimullah of Dhaka, Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury of Mymenshing, Mvi. Himayetuddin from Barisal, from Burma Mvi. A.S. Rafique (Rangoon). Surendra Nath Banerjee wrote in his book 'A Nation in making' in page 184. the year 1905, is one of the most memorable in the history of Bengal, it would be no exaggeration to say that it was an epoch making year. bearing a profound far reaching influence on the public life of Bengal and the future of the country. It was the year of partition of Bengal: Further we can assess, the deep relation of the Indian Hindus with the British from the Journal of Asiatic Society of Pakistan (IV) 1959, pages 110, 113 to 133,. The original entry point of Europeans to India, were largely Hindu areas. The predominantly Muslim areas were further inland, Calcutta for example, was largely of Hindus, so were Bombay and Madras. The Committee of Public Instruction in Calcutta seldom saw beyond the city's horizon. The Hindus were exotic and therefore appealing, the Muslim on the other hand, based on their beliefs on arguments and scriptures too. Hindus and converted Christians were the students of schools led by the churches and missionaries. In 1893,45% Muslims in Bengal had 4% graduates.

In 1907, at Comilla, the procession of the Muslims in honour of Sir Salimullah was attacked by the terrorists, and from a Hindu house by the gunshot, a processionist was killed. On the same day, on way back to Dhaka, the train carrying Sir Salimullah, was attacked by Hindu terrorists, but Sir Salimullah narrowly escaped, as the train could not be derailed.

In Delhi, in the Durbar Hall of Lal Kella, in 1911, 12th December in the cnvocation Conference for George the Fifth, the Emperor of the British Empire, Rabindra Nath Tagore, with his hosts sang in chorus:- Jono gono mono Odhinayaka, jaya hey Bharata Bhagyo Bidhata, Joyo, Joyo, Joyo hey (0 the Commander god of the people minds and manner, the god of India. We praise and pray to you in chorus your victory, your triumph, your conquest, o the god of India), to undo the partition of Bengal. And George the Fifth, declared annulment of the Partition. Apprehending this, Sir Salimullah did not attend the Convocation. To appease him, George, the Fifth conferred on him the Title, the most respectful and highest honour K.C.I.E. But the Nawab disgracefully refused to accept this halter of disgrace around his neck as it was a bait and bribe he thought and he deplored for the annulment.

(Columnist, litterateur, researcher of historical fallacies of the Muslim world)