On Sunday, March 26, 2000 at 2:00:00 PM UTC+6, man...@my-deja.com wrote:

[THE NEW NATION, March 26, 2000]

Genocide of 1971

Musa Sadik

With reference to my discussion in Karachi with Mr. Habib Khan Ghouri, Secretary General of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Mr.
Nisar Usmany, leader of the Karachi Journalists union and a noted
journalist of Pakistan, I asked General Tikka Khan: "Mr. Ghouri and Mr.
Nisar Usmany told me that common people of West Pakistan did not
support the military action in East Pakistan in 1971. After more than
two decades do you still think that the action taken at that time was justified, Sir?"

General Tikka Khan replied: "Regarding '71 crisis, some people held the
Army responsible and some others, the politicians of Pakistan. Holding
the same view, there were many leaders of Bangladesh who were with us.
The general public of Bangladesh also held the view that we were on the
right track. Neither Mr. Golam Azam of the Jamat and the Muslim League
nor the general people ever said that we did anything wrong."

Question: "When did you exactly start the genocide in Dhaka, Sir"?

General Tikka: "There was no genocide at all. I had secret information
that at the Jagannath Hall some anti-state elements were preparing
themselves to launch an attack on the army patrol force. I sent some
forces to the Jagannath Hall. It is true that during the gun-fire some
Hindus got killed. After that, skirmishes continued regularly in which
our men as well as members of the Muktibahini were killed. When two
groups fight each to her face-to-face that is not a genocide.

Tikka Khan's reply surprised us beyond comprehension and we, myself and Rezaur Rahman, looked side-eyed at each other's face. I stole a glance
at his slim, well-built Private Secretary who was them standing by our
side to find our if he too had believed the brazen lies of his master, General Tikka Khan. It seemed, he too, was equally surprised, and felt embarrassed at what General Tikka Khan had said about the genocide.
Fore, everyone knows that at the order given initially by Tikka Khan to
begin with Pak Army had killed laksh of people in Bangladesh. A
commission was also set up in Pakistan to investigate this issue and
the commission had recommended court martial on specific charges of
genocide and rape, although the recommendations were not implemented.

According to General Tikka Khan, he did not order genocide on 26th
March. "If so, why did you arrest Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from his
Dhanmondi residence," I asked him.

General Tikka Khan: "My COD (Co-ordination Officer) brought to me a
three band radio and told me to listen to the broadcast which said that Sheikh Mujib Saheb had given a call for independence. Personally, I
heard Sheikh Saheb declaring independence, for I know his voice so
well. That declaration was the reason and so, I, as the then supreme authority of East Pakistan, I had to arrest him, there being no other alternative."

Question: "If Sheikh Mujib had gone to India along with Mr. Tajuddin
what you would have done, Sir"?

General Tikka Khan, "I knew very well that a leader of his stature
would never go away leaving behind his countrymen. I would have made a thorough search in every house and road in Dhaka to find out Sheikh
Mujib. I had no intention to arrest leaders like Tajuddin and others.
That is why they could leave Dhaka so easily."

But Tikka Khan said in a very firm voice that in case we had failed to
arrest Sheikh Mujib on that very night, he (General Tikka Khan) and his
force would have inflicted a mortal blow at each home in Dhaka and
elsewhere in Bangladesh. It is treu that in order to arrest Sheikh
Mujib they would not have left a single home unsearched. During the
long nine months, they killed 3 million people, but had they been
unable to arrest Sheikh Mujib on 25th March, they would have killed 3
crore people in nine days in revenge.

But history is the witness so also the people of the world that Sheikh
Mujib had saved the Bangladesh people from a catastrophe. At Road No.
32, Dhanmondi, he was waiting to risk his life only to save his fellow countrymen from the wrath of Tikka, showing great courage. For no one
knew if he would be killed or arrested on that fateful night.

Question: "When the political discussion was going on between
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and President Yahya Khan why, sir,
did you think it necessary to bring thousands of Pak Army to East
Pakistan from West Pakistan?"

Tikka Khan: "My Army was only carrying their routine job. The movement
of the Army was carried out as per normal routine requirement."

Question: "Don't you think yourself responsible for the break-up of
Pakistan caused by the army action on 25 March in the former East
Pakistan?"

Tikka Khan: "President Yahya Khan had already announced that Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman would become the Prime Minister, I was confident that
this announcement would make Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the entire
Bengalee people very happy. This was precisely due to the fact that
real Bengalee leader was to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. But some extremists young Turks presurised Sheikh Mujib to become head of a
region instead of the whole of Pakistan. Student fronts working on
India's directives created an untoward situation. When all the people
of five regions were expecting Sheikh Mujib as their Prime Minister
then why he should become head or Prime Minister only of a region of
the country? I surmise that some extremist student leaders of east
Pakistan and some leaders of West Pakistan were responsible for not
allowing Sheikh Mujib to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan."

Question: "Then whom do you consider responsible for such a blood-bath
and human tragedy in Bangladesh in '71?"

Tikka Khan: "Student leaders in East Pakistan and Tajuddin were
responsible for the break-up of the country. Some leaders of West
Pakistan too were responsible for the break-up."

Question: "Sir, will you peace name them."

Tikka Khan: Now I cannot disclose their names. When the time comes I
will disclose.'

Question: "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the elected leader of
the majority people of Pakistan and commanded majority in the Pakistan Parliament. Then why did you take him in custody, and how do you
explain your position.?"

Tikka Khan: "Of the total telephone calls I made to West Pakistan since
my appointment as Governor of East Pakistan, 80 per cent calls were
made to know about his welfare and arrangements taken for his comfort.
I also talked to the former Governor of East Pakistan Azam Khan and
other former Governors of East Pakistan too. I was confident that
without Sheikh Mujib no compromise would be possible. Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and all other top brass in the army knew it quite well."

Question: "Why did you dig grave beside his prison cell?"

Tikka Khan: "This is outright falsehood."

Question: "You have so much respect for him. Then why did you humiliate
our national hero Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by bringing him to
West Pakistan as a prisoner which European history had a similar
example when the French national hero Napoleon Bonaparte, the great was transported to St. Helena island as a prisoner?"

Tikka Khan: "I did never humiliate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in any way. I saluted him when I saw him off in Dhaka. Then I had a feeling that
after his arrival in West Pakistan, a comprehensive settlement would be reached and Sheikh Mujib would become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. I
did not kill Sheikh Mujib, but you killed him. I ask you, why did you
kill him? You must never tell that Tikka Khan killed him. Both of your
carry my stick and travel on the Asian highway and as you travel all
the way from Lahore to Dhaka keep on saying to people that Tikka Khan
did not kill Sheikh Mujib. His Bengalee people killed him." (The
butcher Tikka Khan hit us back with such a cruel reply, because of the killers of our Father of the Nation. Let no mother of Bengallee nation produce such heinous killers for whom heads of our nation go down
before the world community.)

Question: "Your military action and genocide on 25th March an onward,
caused dismemberment of Pakistan and you were solely responsible for
that. How do you evaluate your role which brought fall of your army in
the former East Pakistan?"

Tikka Khan: "I know till I die I shall be questioned on that account.
But I was not responsible for breaking up the country."

Question: "Are you aware that 2 lack of our mothers and sister were
raped by the former Pakistan Army in East Pakistan?

Tikka Khan: This number is absurd. It is simply not believable. My
total army strength was not even two lakhs. In the name Allah I know
there were some incidents of rape no doubt, took place."

Question: "Millions of unarmed civilian population were massacred indiscriminately by Pakistan Army all over East Pakistan and that was
one of the biggest genocide ever-recorded in the human history. How do
you justify that?"

Tikka Khan: "We did not commit any genocide. In war, people on both
sides die due to action and counter-action. In some areas innocent
people also died in such action. We took disciplinary action against
those who indulged in excesses. In areas where innocent people had
died, it was revealed after enquiry that the local Bengalee leaders for
their business, land property and other self interest misinformed and misguided our soldiers for many such action for go and catch those
leaders who are responsible for such action."

Question: "But we heard that Pakistani leaders and army Generals were
very pleased when they heard the news of the killing of our father of
the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975."

Tikka Khan: "This is sheer falsehood. All Pakistanis were rudely
shocked to hear the news. Sheikh Mujib commanded much respect of the
entire Pakistani people. For, it was he who was responsible to get the
POWs released from India. Each Pakistani prays to Allah to grant him
Jannatul Ferdous. When he arrived in Lahore to attend the 1974 OIC Conference, he was accorded full honour as the great leader of a Muslim country I saluted him in Lahore and shook hand with much respect. Those
who killed him, they did great harm to the cause of the Islamic Ummah.
His death was a great loss to the two Muslim nations. But the enemy
nations gained much."

Question: "How do you evaluate your personal role in 1971 war including
the surrender of one lakh highly trained Pakistan Army to our
Muktibahini?"

Tikka Khan: "I am much distressed at the break-up of the country. When
I analyse the situation, I feel it in the depth of my heart. We all
were responsible for it. It is our collective responsibility to keep
the country intact. By the same token, we all were responsible for the break-up of the country too. Much damage has been caused to us as one
part of the country has already seceded, and it is continuing."

Question: "Are you aware of the Pakistani Justice Hamidur Raman
Commission Report in which he held the Pak army general and other
commanding officers responsible for war crimes and recommended their
trial? "Some of the top Pakistani editors and journalist community
leaders including Mr. Nesar Osmany and Mr. Habib Khan Ghori told me
that common people of Pakistan were in favour of this report. Do you
agree to that?"

Tikka Khan: "If the people of Pakistan had accept the Justice Hamidur
Rahman Report then I also accept it and law should take its own course.
We sacked the army who had been repatriated form East Pakistan whether
the committed war crime or nor, all were retired from the army."

The interview over, we thanked the General. As we were coming out of
the drawing room of the Governor's House the General interrupted us
saying: "Before you take leave I must tell you that I did not fire a
single shot before Sheikh Mujib declared independence over radio on 25
March mid-night. What I did was in pursuance of the legal obligations
vested in me. I exercised the legal authority as Governor when I heard
the declaration of independence of East Pakistan by Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman. You are a Government official. If you were serving as Governor
in Dhaka, you would have done the same thing which I did. You know the
name of Sheikh Mujib. Have you hear the name of Sher-e-Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah? When he demanded independence of Kashmir, Nehruji put him
behind the bar for long ten years. We allowed Sheikh Mujib to return to Bangladesh with great honour in nine months. We also accorded our
recognition to Bangladesh as an independent nation. Furthermore, we
want that Bangladesh make great progress and march ahead."

[THE NEW NATION, March 26, 2000]

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very good interview/// WHAT HELL INTERVIEW THE COUNTRY HAS TORNED//LAKHS OF PEOPLE DIED HERE IN EAST PAKISTAN WHO HAD LOVE FOR PAKISTAN AND BHUTTO JEE GAVE AWARD TO TIKKA KHAN BY APPOINTING HIM GOVERNOR----MARHABA HOT
BRAINED PAKISTANI GENERAL TIKKA KHAN---TIKKA KHAN PYAN-DA-BAD

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