1971 Population Movements And Rise Of The New State

1971 history related studies are mostly engrossed with patriotism rather than socio-political analysis. As a result, the narrative is largely about the suffering of the people as victims - cause- and the valorous acts – effects of the freedom fighters as liberators. Attempts to identify the various elements which actually determined the nature and formation of the state are less.

- Afsan Chowdhury

One area that could be seen in some detail is the expansion/extension of the geographical frontiers or migrations and the consequent state. People moved from one place to another to survive or fight back. This included going beyond the borders to India. Interestingly, although the fight by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman against Pakistan was essentially a challenge by the Margin against the Centre, and the margin didn’t triumph. As a result, the history of the margins has been largely ignored by historians seeking the Centrist space.

Population movements and social identity

Several population movements are noted in 1971. The largest movement was by people of a socio-religious identity, the Hindus. This most persecuted people of 1971 moved out of Bangladesh to India in search of sanctuary in large numbers once the Pakistan army had begun to take control by April. This was a very large migration to India which had security, diplomatic and political connotations. The refugees were victims of a social identity which became murderously political in Pakistani eyes. It was imposed upon them by the Pakistanis, who saw them as ‘enemies of Pakistan’ because India was imagined as a Hindu state and as Hindus, they had become proxy Indians. Hence the religious identity had become a political one and ultimately a national threat which Pakistan tried to extinguish by genocide.