| Vol. III, No. 43. 6 Aashad 2007, June 19, 1950, Annas Four – Air Mail-/4/6 |
Many Parts, No Results
Pakistan has perfected a new technique of double dealing with her neighbours and hoodwinking the world. It seems to based on a tacit understanding between the leaders and people Pakistan that the former should talk good and nice things about Pakistan’s policies and democratic ideals, while the latter should continue to clear Pakistan of all the Hindus. A study of the speeches and statements of Messrs Jinnah, Liaqat Ali and other responsible leaders of Pakistan during the Punjab and Sind holocaust bear ample testimony to this fact. They all along continued to talk about their anxiety and Islamic duty to give good treatment to the Hindus. But they would not apprehend any one who went against their declared wishes and looted and murdered the Hindus. The result is that West Pakistan has no minority problem left.
Now the Punjab story is being repeated in East Bengal. The governor Sir Feroze Khan Noon and the Chief Minister Nur-ul-Amin now and then come out with statements offering fullest protection to the Hindus by implementing the Delhi Pact in letter and spirit. But they always take care to speak a word of praise for the Ansars and other Muslim officials who have been the real cause of the present plight of the Hindus there.
But this farce has been recently exploded by some outspoken utterances of Dr. Malik, the Pakistan Minister for minorities in East Bengal. He has condemned the Maulvis and the Presidents and other dignitaries of the Union Boards for their failure to do their duty towards the Hindus.
That conditions in East Bengal have not improved much inspite of the so much loud talk about the Delhi Pact is clear from the daily reports of abduction, murders and looting of the Hindu property. According to one source there have baen more than 570 such occurrences in East Bengal.
The East Bengal Hindus recently met in convention at Mymensingh to find out ways and means of creating confidence in the remaining Hindus. The convention has passed many resolutions which demand disbandment of the Ansar organisation, de-requisitioning of the Hindu houses, release or fair trial of Hindu political prisoners and adequate share in the police and other services of the State. It is yet to be seen how far the Pakistan government is prepared to go to meet these legitimate demands of the Hindu minority of East Bengal.
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The Karachi Trade Pact which was signed in the wake of the Delhi Pact envisaged further extension of its scope in near future so as to include wheat, cotton, and coal. Pakistan which has an excess of wheat is interested in its sale to Bharat. Bharat imports wheat and therefore naturally liked to get it from Pakistan if possible. But it has now been proved that Pakistan is interested in fleecing Bharat and not in fair trade. While wheat is selling in Pakistan at Rs. 5 to 6 a maund she has demanded Rs. 14 a maund from Bharat. Bharat was prepared to offer up to Rs. 10 per maund. So the talks have failed with the result that the Pakistani cultivator cannot hope to get even Rs. 10 per maund for his wheat. Much of it is rotting in godowns or feeding the rats.
This seems to have perturbed the Pakistan government. It is now thinking of fixing a flour price for wheat and purchasing it from the cultivators through the Pakistan state hank. The same experiment has been tried by it in East Bengal on jute. It is therefore quite possible that Pakistan government’s obstinacy about wheat deal with Bharat may hit it and its poor cultivators like a boomerang in the near future and result in economic unrest in West Pakistan as well.
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Unity of Pakistan Muslims had been built up on the basis of hatred for Hindus. Since that factor has dis-appeared mutual bickerings and sectarian riots among the Muslims themselves have raised their head because the spirit of intolerance for the Hindus acts equally strongly in case of other Muslim sects as well. A good deal of propaganda has been going cm in the Pakistan Press against the Ahmedi Sect to which Ch. Zaffrullah the foreign minister of Pakistan, belongs to.
Now serious Shia-Sunni riots have broken out in Narowal, a flourishing town in Sialkot district. The Sunni Muslims who are in majority, do not allow the Shias to take out “Dul Dul” Procession. Over 840 Shins so far been arrested and all the Shia shop keepers have been observing hartal for many days past.
By — An Exile
