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Bengalis in the province of East
Pakistan. Although the politics in
both the regions (East-West
Pakistan) were different the
exploiting classes were ruling their
masses. If you look into the history
of pre-divided Hindustan, its
different regions were ruled
separately by Rajas and
Maharajas, but the country
remained intact to an extent under
Mughal rule, although Burma and
Sri Lanka became separate
countries. Towards the end of the
Mughal rule, the power had
weakened and due to inter-state
fights and disputes the Britishers
gained control as their rulers.
After World War II and the
weakening of British imperialism
both Hindus and Muslims worked
together to free themselves from
British rule. After World War II there
was a wave of uprisings, to seek
freedom, in many countries and this
weakened the imperialist forces
further, throughout the world.
Eastern Europe followed the
path of democracy and in Vietnam,
China and Germany, armed
struggle started.
After World War II, the British
imperialism understood the
situation and to avoid armed
struggle in India (like in China) it
diverted the wave of freedom and
independence towards reform, and
itself worked to form the bourgeois
parties: first the Congress Party
and then the Muslim League.
Though the communist party was
there, but it did not adopt the
revolutionary line (like in Vietnam
and China) and played a part in the
division of the country on the basis
of religion.
The movements and uprisings
against the British rule were in the
hands of the exploiting class. In the
NWFP, Khan Ghaffar Khan was
under the strong influence of
Congress, in Punjab the Unionists,
in Sindh the feudal lords, in
Balochistan the tribal and feudal
forces, and in Bengal also the
Aug,Sep - 2019
feudal lords were in the fore front.
Soon after the division of the
country these exploiting classes
set to work.
Punjab being the larger
province, the big landlords joined
the Muslim League only to remain
in power. The politics of Punjab
affected other provinces as well.
India had accepted the division, but
it was set to the idea that Pakistan
would not go a long way.
Unfortunately, the ruling Muslim
League party was the stronghold
of the Muslim Leaguers who had
come from India and the exploiting
classes here in the region did not
accept their domination.
Strong undercurrents against
Mr. Jinnah had started even in his
life time. Mr. Jinnah on his visit to
East Pakistan (Bengal) announced
Urdu as the official language. This
issue led to demonstrations and
riots and later it led to separation.
Even afterwards in Sindh, on the
issue of language there was even
bloodshed. After the death of
Jinnah, the exploiting classes
revolted against the members of
the Muslim League that had come
from India. Punjab being the bigger
province it adopted unconsti-
tutional means to stay in power.
Elections were not held at a national
level. In 1954, elections were held
in East Pakistan, where the Muslim
League was rejected and the
Awami League gained the majority
of the votes.
In the NWFP (Frontier
Province) Khan Abdul Ghaffar was
a staunch Congressite and being
against Pakistan he had never
accepted its creation. He lost the
referendum on the basis of religion
in 1946. He had not even wanted
to be buried in Pakistan and his
body was taken to Kabul,
Afghanistan for the last rituals.
Likewise, in Sindh, people
were quitting Muslim League, and
slogans of ‘Sindhu Desh’ were
raised. The situation worsened as
the people who migrated from
Hindustan settled in Sindh and with
their differences being on the rise,
slogans for ‘Jinnah Pur’ were also
heard. Balochistan being in the grip
of tribals and feudals had joined
Pakistan, but not accepted its
solidarity.
This remained the situation of
the country where feudalism and
tribal system should have been
abolished to give place to industrial
development, having free and fair
elections in the country and
allowing provincial autonomy. But
instead the rule of the exploiting
classes continued to rescue their
vested interests, the country faced
Martial Laws and in the 1971
election, when the power was not
handed over to the majority party,
the country was broken and India
played its part in the debacle.
When the army had been called by
the exploiting rulers to take over the
power, it played the same exploiting
role for the masses and acquired
estates and land for itself.
In the new Pakistan all the
provinces are claiming their
autonomy and raising slogans
against the bigger province –
Punjab. Unfortunately the ruling
classes of Pakistan are not even
ready to consider the bourgeois
demands for provincial autonomy.
The position will remain unchanged
as long as the masses, the workers
and the peasants do not stand up
jointly against the exploiting
classes and struggle together to
change the system.
Q. No. 3. Tell us about the
Mazdoor Mahaaz trade union
movement. Can it help to build
a communist trade union
movement?
Ans: Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaaz is
not a trade union movement; it is,
in fact, a party of the workers and
peasants which is working under
the revolutionary ideology. It is a
party centrally organised and
working in all four provinces under
provincial committees. It would be
quite true if I said that it is a party
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