September 6 ought to be a day for all of us to reflect on the exemplary unity we achieved across the country - whether East or West Pakistan - in 1965. To help us to make that retrospect I am going to relate a story about what happened at Sylhet, then East Pakistan, on September 6, 1965.
Then I was privileged to be chosen by the Information Ministry to chaperon Abdur Rahman Chaghatai, the great painter during his visit to East Pakistan, and his family, including his wife, brother and son, Arif, and daughter. We had arrived Sylhet from Chittagong that very morning (September 6), and were put up as guests at the Epwapda Rest House.
Shortly after arrival we received a message to speak on phone to Rawalpindi, and went to the local Wapda office to arrange a connection. Radio Pakistan had just announced that President Ayub Khan was likely to address the nation, so we tarried about the phone connection until we had not listened to his motivating speech 'Vo nahin jante unnhone kis qaum to lalkara hai' (They do not know the nation [the Indians] want to take on [on battle]. Never have I heard such a moving speech from a contemporary leader of Pakistan.
However, we were told to put the painter and his family on train for Dhaka (then Dacca) which started at 7 pm. We managed to get an air-conditioned compartment for the family, while I could manage only one inter-class ticket.
Chughatai Sahib spent that one day in Sylhet, sketching the fabulous countryside of Sylhet and a visit to the mausoleum of Shah Jalal. He was mobbed every where he went and the local poets, writers and painters, invited him to a get-together, and an impromptu speech from him. He spoke briefly about how East and West Pakistan painters might try to paint the exotic and wonderful scenery of the then bounteous land.
Ten minutes before an army Hawaldar approached our inter compartment, with the request that his unit must travel and therefore needed that compartment. Every one moved out from the compartment without a demur. A demonstration, if any, of the exemplary unity that was seen across the country-either East or West Pakistan-and also of the respect the general public showered on a man in uniform. Why is it so different, now?
Comments
Comments are closed.