Abstract
The racial identity of Bengal played a significant role in shaping and determining the political discourse in South Asia at different periods of history. The most violent expression of this identity occurred during the 1970-71 crisis between East and West wings of Pakistan and culminated in the dismemberment of Pakistan and the emergence of separate independent state of Bangladesh with the support of India. This violent episode of assertion of racial identity was marked with drama, trauma and tragedy. The tragic memories of violence are still alive and affect the attitude of people and state as well. While for Bengalis the war of 1971 was a war of liberation and deliverance from tyrannical and exploitative rule of West Pakistan, for Indians the victory was a great national achievement and a good lesson and settling of score with Pakistan. For Pakistanis it was the act of betrayal from Bengalis and an Indian conspiracy. An attempt will be made in this study to understand the development of racial identity in East Bengal and its culmination in armed conflict of 1971. An effort will be made to understand the xenophobia of Bengali nationalists and the xenophobic response of Pakistani military. The study will trace historical and structural roots of this phenomenon to understand the way this xenophobia was politicized and to understand the dynamics of this crisis through application of xenophobic response of conflicting identities. Xenophobia, in East Pakistan, acquired the general character and was institutionalized and manifested itself in mass scale. This study will be an effort to approach this problem through historical perspective; where the humans’ social behavior determined and guided the political conduct of a certain community.
Highlights
Introduction and Theoretical PreliminariesThe racism and xenophobia are considered as the twin aspects of the same social behavior in a society
Elie Kedurie a leading theorist of nationalism argued “nationalism is a combination of patriotism or love for the country and xenophobia or dislike for outsiders” (1994: 49-50)
The genocide in Bengal in 1970-71 had different aspects; it was the clash of racial identity between Bengalis and non-Bengalis as well as clash of national identity between assertive Bengali nationalism against Pakistani nationalism
Summary
The racism and xenophobia are considered as the twin aspects of the same social behavior in a society. The cultural differences emerged as the identity marker of different cultural groups and the process of inclusion and exclusion was determined by certain shared markers of identity (Diamond, 2002: 201) He mentioned that racial, national, ethnic, religious and political characteristics of groups had provoked conflict and culminated in episodes of genocide (Diamond, 2002: 355). Diamond elaborated the role of xenophobic impulse in the elimination or subordination of others by certain powerful and developed group He considers xenophobia as selfdestructive trait of human beings, which even led to their ultimate fall. The emergence and development of modern Bengal identity was the result of a double movement of ideas and objectives in national and regional spheres This convergence of nationalist and regionalist interest against xenophobia of the British domination had facilitated the co-existence of these dual identities. Since the British, as imperialists, entered into India through Bengal which was a unique entry, given the historical trajectories of invaders in India, the centuries old regionalism of Bengalis produced a unique blend of regionalism and nationalism
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