Cultural Onslaught.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/6/8/28683421/2496136.jpg)
Low Lying people of Low Lying Land
Nitin Pai, a noted researcher on the conflict, rightfully mentioned that decades of co-habitation did not diminish the condescending attitudes of the West Pakistani people towards its East Pakistani Bengali compatriots. In fact they used to view Bengalis as – “low lying people of a low lying land” referring to the lower Gangetic plane of East Pakistan. In West’s view, these people were polluted by the Hindu culture and the large Hindu minority.
Choke the Bengali Culture
West Pakistan had been trying to suppress the Bengali culture of the East from the very beginning. As my Grandma also noted, the West Pakistan regime started clamping down on everything that related to Bengali culture. They banned: [1]
The Bengalis of East Pakistan asked themselves – what is our tradition? What is our culture? The official line was obviously was that the tradition was Muslim and Islamic. On the other hand, most of the liberal Bengalis maintained that the East Pakistan’s culture was not merely communal but a broad, humanitarian culture. Essentially, it was Bengali culture and tradition including the literature, music and every field of creative activity. In 1965, the Pakistani government imposed a total ban on Tagore. Tagore was a revered poet in the sub continent especially to the Bengalis. Later on facing heavy protests from the Bengali population, the ban was lifted partially and 40 minutes of Tagore’s songs were allowed to be broadcasted on the radio and TV. Any song or poetry that had references to Hindu culture or phrases was banned. Then came the instruction to substitute Bengali words with Urdu. For example, ‘ma’ (mother) became ‘amma’, ‘mantri’ became ‘wazir’ etc. Culture thus started the basic conflict beween East and West and paved the path for subsequent organized protests. As Professor Islam noted – “ By trying to finish us culturally, the Pakistan regime found its doom. And this cultural suppression, along with economic and political suppression, ultimately finished the whole concept of Pakistan.”[2]
Nitin Pai, a noted researcher on the conflict, rightfully mentioned that decades of co-habitation did not diminish the condescending attitudes of the West Pakistani people towards its East Pakistani Bengali compatriots. In fact they used to view Bengalis as – “low lying people of a low lying land” referring to the lower Gangetic plane of East Pakistan. In West’s view, these people were polluted by the Hindu culture and the large Hindu minority.
Choke the Bengali Culture
West Pakistan had been trying to suppress the Bengali culture of the East from the very beginning. As my Grandma also noted, the West Pakistan regime started clamping down on everything that related to Bengali culture. They banned: [1]
- Tagore songs very dear to Bengali souls
- Tried to reform the Bengali alphabet to align it with the Urdu alphabet.
- Tried to change the Bengali script altogether to look like Arabic and Urdu.
The Bengalis of East Pakistan asked themselves – what is our tradition? What is our culture? The official line was obviously was that the tradition was Muslim and Islamic. On the other hand, most of the liberal Bengalis maintained that the East Pakistan’s culture was not merely communal but a broad, humanitarian culture. Essentially, it was Bengali culture and tradition including the literature, music and every field of creative activity. In 1965, the Pakistani government imposed a total ban on Tagore. Tagore was a revered poet in the sub continent especially to the Bengalis. Later on facing heavy protests from the Bengali population, the ban was lifted partially and 40 minutes of Tagore’s songs were allowed to be broadcasted on the radio and TV. Any song or poetry that had references to Hindu culture or phrases was banned. Then came the instruction to substitute Bengali words with Urdu. For example, ‘ma’ (mother) became ‘amma’, ‘mantri’ became ‘wazir’ etc. Culture thus started the basic conflict beween East and West and paved the path for subsequent organized protests. As Professor Islam noted – “ By trying to finish us culturally, the Pakistan regime found its doom. And this cultural suppression, along with economic and political suppression, ultimately finished the whole concept of Pakistan.”[2]
1. Majumdar, Sikha R. "Escape From Bangladesh." Personal interview. 03 Jan.2014.
2 Malik, Amita. The Year of the Vulture. New Delhi: Orient Longman Limited, 1972. Print.
2 Malik, Amita. The Year of the Vulture. New Delhi: Orient Longman Limited, 1972. Print.