We are not a very history-conscious nation. Bengalis tend to forget or are made to forget many happenings and incidents that are part of our history, many of which we should be genuinely proud of. There are incidents in history that we should show proper respect to and preserve the memory of the people who have made heroic sacrifices for the nation.
One such forgotten time, in Golahat, has been buried for more than half a century. Since the place and incident is associated with a very sad history -- the sacrifice of hundreds of pro-Bangladesh citizens in the hands of Pakistanis and their cronies -- the memory of the happenings was intended to be erased by the perpetrators and their allies.
The father of our nation, Bangabandhu, had declared general mercy for perpetrators of petty crimes during the war of liberation. Though he never forgave war criminals of severe nature, later on, pro-Pakistani leaders of our country misused and misinterpreted that clemency order to exonerate all war criminals.
Those culprits again joined the mainstream social and political life and even enjoyed state power. So, the glorious history of our war of liberation had to take a back seat.
Golahat Genocide went into oblivion, turned into nothingness. Only the victim's families still bleed in their hearts.
Bangladesh lost more than 400 of its citizens, mercilessly killed (mostly slaughtered) by pro-Pakistani partisans in the name of cleansing Pakistan. It was a sad day on June 13, 1971.
The massacre of these people, which tantamounts to genocide, took place in a small village named Golahat merely 2km from the bustling town of Saidpur, boasting of the biggest workshop of the East Pakistan Railways.
Parbatipur was an important railway junction connecting Assam and the north-eastern part of India with the rest of British India. Saidpur being the closest township grew as a backward link for supply and support.
Marwaris being great entrepreneurs and having a sixth sense for business, started converging in this place since the railways started. Few hundred Marwari families put their roots in Saidpur getting involved in varieties of business. They virtually became locals having homesteads, godowns, and business houses.
Some of them, having been well off, participated in welfare activities as well. Tulsiram Agarwal School was established as early as 1911, which exists till date. In short, they identified themselves with the local population since the British period.
The demography of Saidpur changed when we became independent from colonial rule. Partition of the subcontinent brought endless miseries to millions.
It is important to note that Muslims, migrating mostly from Bihar and partly from Uttar Pradesh, settled in these areas -- with Saidpur as a hub. Many of the Urdu speaking refugees who opted for Pakistan were good as mechanical/technical hands. They were provided with jobs in the Saidpur railway workshop which grew to be the most important and vibrant railway maintenance unit in East Pakistan.
Saidpur flourished further and as mentioned earlier, its demographic in 1971 was mostly Urdu speaking -- accounting for a majority of Saidpur's population. During the war of liberation, almost all the Biharis (rather Urdu speaking population) sided with Pakistan. They fought for Pakistan, suffered a lot in the process of migration, and then in the new habitat of East Pakistan they were not much better off.
Marwaris and local Bengalis were leaders in business and civil society. In March 1971, when the non-cooperation movement declared by Bangabandhu was going on, they felt their very existence was in danger, as the situation was charged and strong anti-Pakistan sentiment prevailed all over.
But the strong contingent of the Pakistani army stationed in Saidpur was at their service and no serious riot could break out. Bangabandhu in his epoch-making epic of March 7, 1971 clearly stated that every civil citizen had equal rights and everyone should protect each other. He even went up to the extent of declaring the safety of the Pakistani armed personnel who would not go against Bengalis.
As soon as Operation Searchlight was launched on the evening of March 25, 1971, the situation abruptly changed. The country went into a virtual war.
The Pakistani contingent of the army stationed at Saidpur went into action immediately. The non-Bengali community were active in going into action with the Pakistani army to establish the authority of the occupation regime in all spheres of life.
The Pakistani army personnel did not know local anti or pro-Pakistani people but their cronies knew each and every household. The pro-Bangladesh, anti-Pakistan, Awami League and other progressive party activists, Marwari businessmen, and Hindu well off people were all known to them. All of them were bracketed as enemies of Pakistan and were targeted.
At the very beginning of the liberation war, young and enthusiastic pro-Bangladesh youth had already left home to join the freedom struggle. Their parents were targeted and tortured. Marwari and Hindu well-known people were also under their scanner.
Early during the liberation war Dr Zikrul Haque, the elected Awami League MPA, few other pro-liberation prominent Bengali leaders, and three of the leading Marwari businessmen and social activists were taken away by the army with the help of local Bihari supporters. They underwent inhumane torture in army custody at Saidpur Cantonment, and on April 12, were killed in Balarkhal/Nishbetganj near Rangpur Cantonment. This set the whole Marwari community into terror.
The situation of Hindus and Awami League supporters was no better. Many of them were put to forced labour and made to build the Saidpur airport emergency runway. The day of the final assault on the Marwaris was fast approaching.
A couple of years ago, a writer had a detailed discussion with Mr Binod Agarwal, an eyewitness, victim, and survivor of the deadly incident. He was, and perhaps still is, in business in Saidpur.
He was an HSC student during those days and remembers everything clearly. On June 6, he along with 30/35 Marwaris were assembled in an office in Saidpur by the Pakistani collaborators, with the plea that Major Gul of the army contingent would discuss how to overcome the crisis period. His father was also there in that group. Till evening they waited but no Major came. Later they were guided to the Cantonment to meet the Major.
Till late evening no one came and they were compelled to stay the night there on the floor of a few rooms. No food was supplied. The next day about 50/60 more Marwaris, including a few Hindu and Muslim Bengalis who were anti-Pakistan activists, were also brought in and rounded up.
They were harassed all along till June 12, and on the morning of June 13, they were told that they could go free and would be allowed to leave town. They were informed that a special train would be arranged for taking them to Chilahati, and from there, they could go anywhere.
Chilahati being on the Indian border, the indication was clear. They were further told that they could take their relatives and belongings along. Everyone obviously ran back home, hurriedly collected all valuables and cash that they could lay their hands upon, and rushed back to the station.
They found a train ready on the platform. Over 400 people crammed themselves into the wagons. In retrospect, Binod suspects that 2/3 more wagons were there carrying the killers, many of whom were professional butchers. Besides, there were enthusiastic pro-Pakistani Bihari collaborators and armed Pakistanis.
This group was not visible in the station. They remained silently waiting for their turn in their assigned bogies. In the meantime, it started raining and all the doors and windows of the four wagons were closed. At that moment they all suspected something, but they were not quite sure what was going to happen to them.
It was revealed that 20 young girls were picked up at the station and sent to the Cantonment with no reason given. Slowly the train started moving out of the station, but stopped abruptly at Golahat in the outskirts of Saidpur.
The compartment doors were opened, the passengers irrespective of gender and age were pulled out one by one and butchered with talwars and dhaws. Some of the females were taken to nearby places and raped.
Trench-like graves were prepared near the rail track beforehand. Dead bodies, some still showing signs of life were dumped into them and covered with sand and mud. Binod and few other young men jumped out of the train and ran for their lives. They were fired at. Some were hit and a few including Binod survived.
His father, sister, and some relatives were not so lucky. They became Shaheeds. Though there are no established statistics, according to Binod Agarwal over 400 Bangladeshis were massacred on that day.
About 15/20 managed to escape including Binod. With huge difficulty and thanks to the help of known and unknown people, he reached India 5 days later. After the war, about half of them returned.
Most of the known assassins had disappeared by then. Still, they filed a case and about 25 people were rounded up. Slowly, as discussed earlier, the gravity of the crime diluted. All 25 got out on bail. Binod is not aware of any further progress in the case.
As this was a clear case of genocide in broad daylight, it can be referred to the ICT for proper investigation, find any possible surviving culprits, and bring them to justice so that the surviving relatives of the Shaheeds get some solace and mental peace. Justice should prevail.
Binod knows of around four other survivors of the massacre still alive in Bangladesh. Some others have left for India and abroad. In his opinion, most of the culprits must have fled to India also, since they originated there and may have been sheltered there by relatives.
Despite numerous endeavors to attract the attention of the authorities to build a memorial for the massacred Shaheeds, nothing happened for a long time. Recently, the present government erected a befitting structure in memory of the Shaheeds.
This genocide deserves much more attention and remembrance from the civil society. We should pay homage to the souls of the deceased and demand state recognition of the survivors.
Also, detailed research must be carried out to identify each Shaheed and due respect has to be shown to them. We owe a lot to them for our current lives. They secured it by sacrificing themselves on the altar of freedom. Both the government and civil society must act towards this end.
It is also important that we draw attention to the systematic killings in the Saidpur railway of Bengalis suspected by Pakistani collaborators to be unloyal to Pakistan.
It is estimated that there were about 300 such killings. Some of the ill-fated Bengalis were thrown into the furnaces and reduced to ashes. Though well known to everyone concerned and with the victims' families still in trauma, no justice has been served or even aimed towards.
Proper investigation will surely throw more light onto the unrecorded chapter of our history. We owe it to the martyrs.
Pradip Kumar Dutta is currently engaged in the campaign for a global recognition of the 1971 genocide.