Thoughts on Victory Day

Junaidul Haque
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Photo: Archive

As far as I remember December 16, 1971 was our happiest Victory Day. A truly happy day, a real glorious day it was. It was perhaps the happiest day of our history. A day of ecstasy, a day of true joy. Our noble nine-month war of independence has come to a successful end. We have ended the hated twenty-four years of Pakistani colonial domination on a glorious note.

The Victory Days of the later years were certainly not equally exciting, equally happy. After the political changes of 1975 and the tragic killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Victory Days were certainly dull and even sad. Many a brave freedom fighter lost their lives, clearly for no fault of theirs. Conscious efforts were seen to wipe out the memory of 1971 from our hearts. Communal, fundamental forces were allowed to spread their fangs. The common man became poorer and poorer. The friends of our independence were coloured as enemies and true enemies acted as friends. It was almost back to the pre-1971 days.

Despite the tragic changes described above, privately we became emotional on all Victory Days and respectfully remembered the great leaders of our independence led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, the noble freedom fighters and the selfless martyrs. We sang, borrowing words from Tagore, 'You are immortal on the shores of the Sea of Death', and wished the victory of 'the new light' they have lit for us. They have sacrificed their priceless present for our good future. What have we given them in return? We had seemingly no time to think about that. We were at times even frightened to ponder over that.

Was December 16, 1971 only of happiness and joy? Weren't we very sad too on that day? We have lost the best sons of the soil a couple of days back. The lackeys of the Pakistan army had killed them and dumped their corpses in the marshes of Royer Bazar. Thirty lakh people have embraced martyrdom during the nine months of war. Four lakh women have lost their honour. On that day we were joyful in victory but sad at the loss of our dear ones. Even then the Victory Day of 1971 was our best day.

We got our freedom, we became independent thirty nine years back. Almost four long decades are gone. How do we feel after all these years? We feel that our freedom was not complete. The greatest victory of the Bengalis couldn't enrich our lives as much as it should have. We drove out the Pakistani soldiers but true freedom didn't come. The ideals of our independence movement were not achieved, were not realized. Our attempts to achieve those ideals were half-hearted perhaps.

We have a geographically independent country, where everyone speaks the same language, where we belong to different religions but are secular, where people like to work hard and help others. The Pakistanis are gone and none loots us or makes us suffer. The government and non-government jobs are all for us, the Bengalis. Our great leader Bangabandhu has worked ceaselessly for twenty-four long years and the freedom fighters have sacrificed gloriously for us to earn us self-rule. But what after that? Robert Clive is gone, Yahya Khan is gone, but why aren't we happy?

Robert Clive is gone but his great grandsons are here. They control the third world with the help of a remote control. Free market economy, World Bank, IMF and what not. Our economy is in their hands. Our government and our opposition both have to listen to them. Pro-people forces are not trusted by them. The corporate giants look for profit and profit only. They have no time to care for the poor millions. We need a very strong political leadership to stand on our own feet. Aren't our present political leaders aware of this basic truth?

We have to follow the ideals of our liberation war most sincerely. We have to be progressive, we should ensure social justice and we shall have to exercise true democracy. On December 16, 1971 we shouldn't think that we will walk backwards in the future. We shall worship only truth and beauty. The forces of truth and beauty can't be destroyed easily. They will gain strength and rise again and again. Only they can take Bangladesh forward. Only they can help us to get rid of poverty. Only they can achieve true progress. And only then will our future Victory Days be truly meaningful.

Bangladesh has come to stay. In the future it shall be our true Sonar Bangla. The sacrifice of millions of martyrs can't go in vain.
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Junaidul Haque writes fiction and essays. He studied English Literature at the University of Dhaka.