The speakers while addressing a seminar on Dhaka fall at Punjab University (PU) have called upon the need to learn from the mistakes of the past, rectify ways and move forward for the development of the country.
They were addressing a seminar on “Dhaka Fall”, organized by the Department of Political Science in collaboration with the Department of History & Pakistan Studies in the hall of the Center for South Asian Studies. On this occasion, PU VC Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi, Col (R) Z.I. Farrukh, former VC BZU Dr Khawaja Alkamah, senior analyst Sajjad Mir, Chairman Department of History & Pakistan Studies Prof Dr Mehboob Hussain, Chairperson Department of Political Science Prof Dr Iram Khalid, faculty members and students were present.
Addressing the seminar, PU VC Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi said that we must adopt the system of self-accountability to learn from our mistakes and amend our ways to make progress. He said that we can become a great nation by rectifying our mistakes. He said that such seminars must be organized to know how we could solve our today’s problems by critically analyzing our past. He said that efforts were being made to put Punjab University on the road to regain its past glory. He said that it was one of the prime responsibilities of the universities to create an honest future leadership for the country for its development.
He said that we must act upon the teachings of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal in order to achieve the dreams of creation of Pakistan. Col (R) Z.I Farrukh said that one of the reasons for the fall of Dhaka was a game of chairs which was unfortunate and even it continued today. He said that nations that did not learn from their past could never move forward.
He said that the Bengalis were not traitors, they were mature, they were wounded, they were not feudal lords but they only demanded their rights, when they did not get them, the feeling of deprivation developed in them.
Dr Khawaja Alkamah said that history was very important because it gave us an opportunity to learn and move forward. He said that we have to work together to recover our lost heritage. He said that there is no democracy in true sense in Pakistan and no political party can claim to represent itself as a national-level party.
Sajjad Mir said that the news about separation of Pakistan surprised and shocked all the Pakistanis. He said that if they had remembered the Fall of Dhaka to learn a lesson, they would have become a great nation.
Dr Mahboob Hussain said that since the day of Pakistan’s independence, conspiracies and some unwise steps led to the Fall of Dhaka in 1971. He said that there were only one percent of Bengalis who could read and write in English and Urdu but they were being forced to adopt these languages. He said this created a sense of deprivation among Bengalis. He said that at that time, instead of ending their feelings of deprivation, it was promoted, which led to the tragedy.
Dr Iram Khalid said that history was a source of training and this event has been organized for the awareness of young students. She said that due to incomplete questions and incomplete information, there is deficiency and error in training and learning of students. She said that if everyone had come together to address issues in 1971, Dhaka would not have fallen.
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