LEADING BENGALI ECONOMISTS PLAYED A STELLAR ROLE IN EARLY DAYS OF 1971 WAR BANGLADESH ACADEMICS MOBILISED PUBLIC OPINION IN WEST WITH INDIAN HELP

The India-Pakistan war in 1971 over the liberation of Bangladesh ended on December 16 of that year with the surrender of the Pakistani forces in Dhaka. That was exactly fifty years ago, Many stories have been written about the role of the army generals, diplomats and top bureaucrats in helping the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in successfully concluding the war and achieving the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

But few people know that it was the initiative of a few leading Bengali economists of the country, then living in Delhi that the first real contacts with the liberation forces of Bangladesh, was established within one week of the beginning of crackdown on Awami League leaders by the Pakistani rulers. Prominent among them were Dr. Ashok Mitra and Dr. Amartya Sen. Dr. Mitra was then the chief economic adviser to the Government of India having closeness with the all powerful secretary to the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Mr. P N Haksar, while Dr. Sen was professor at the Delhi School of Economics. Dr. Arjun Sengupta also rendered all assistance at that time.

Dr. Mitra has mentioned some of the developments in his memoir ‘A Prattler’s Tale’ but their contribution was much more than what was mentioned by him. Dr. Mitra was born in Dhaka and he was always nostalgic about the eastern part of Pakistan which is now Bangladesh. He had friends in the academic world of Dhaka and he was getting information after the Pakistani crackdown on March 24 night making him anxious about the future of his friends in the universities of the eastern part, especially in Dhaka. He was passionate to do something and he was constantly in touch with P N Haksar.

Then suddenly, on April 2 forenoon, he got a call from Dr. Amartya Sen in his CEA office asking him to immediately come to his own residence at Lodhi Estate since some important guests were waiting for him. Dr. Mitra rushed to his house and found to his big surprise his two economists friends from Dhaka Dr. Anisur Rahaman and Dr. Rehman Sobhan who were the leading economists in their country.

These two economists briefed both Dr. Mitra and Sen on what happened on March 24 night and thereafter – the murder of the students and teachers in the Dhaka University campus and continuing atrocities on the people in general and the intellectuals in particular. Both of them fled together and after lot of difficulties reached Delhi to apprise the academic community in India and seek the help. They went from the Delhi airport to Amartya’s residence at DU and Amartya brought them to Lodhi Estate since Dr Mitra, with his high position and closeness to Haksar, will be most helpful on this issue.

Dr. Mitra had some idea about the atrocities through newspapers, especially BBC but he got the first hand account from his friends. Both Mitra and Sen sat with their friends and discussed the issue in details what could be done to propagate the cause of Bangladeshi fighters against Pak atrocities. The situation was fluid. So Dr. Mitra talked to P N Haksar and that very evening, the first meeting took place at Haksar’s residence and preliminary discussions were held. The two Dhaka economists not only briefed Haksar about the ground situation, they also acted as the facilitator for establishing links with the Awami League leadership.

For the next few days, Lodhi estate residence of Dr. Mitra was the centre of activities for helping Bangladesh liberation war. Both Anisur and Sobhan stayed in that house for quite some days with Hindu names. They were contacting their sources abroad and mobilising academic community. Many more academic people from Dhaka arrived in Delhi to take shelter and they were put at Lodhi Estate house, with more security guards and intelligence people provided by the Government of India.

Meanwhile Tajuddin Ahmed the Prime Minister of the provisional government arrived in Delhii and for the first time, a draft road map was discussed between Tajuddin and the Indian officials headed by Haksar. The main issue was how to help the Bangladesh liberation fighters without directly getting involved in any confrontation with the Pak troops. That was the beginning of a well laid out strategy which was updated and finetuned by the PMO in consultations with the other wings of the Government taking into account the changes in the ground situation.

The Dhaka economists finally left abroad with passports organised by the Indian governments and they took the task of campaigning for the cause of liberation of Bangladesh in different countries. Dr. Mitra was also doing mostly coordination job, sitting in his North Block room. He was in constant touch with his academic friends abroad apprising them of the need for supporting Bangladesh liberation. Same was being done by Dr. Amartya Sen and Dr. Arjun Sengupta, though their involvement at official level was less.

After Bangladesh became an independent republic, the Dhaka economists Anisur Rahaman and Rehman Shobhan were both made members of the newly set up Planning Commission. Dr. Nurul Islam was also a member. They did a big job in reconstructing the ravaged economy of the newly liberated country. The tasks were mammoth but they did it with all sincerity and devotion. Bangladesh is getting the results now after fifty years. In almost all indicators, Bangladesh has crossed both Pakistan and India. Dr. Mitra also played a role in the initial years. He led an economic delegation from the Indian Government to Dhaka in January 1972 to assess the extent of damages to the economy and the quantum of assistance needed. He submitted his recommendations which went in a big way to revive the shattered economy. However, he did not stay long in his CEA job. He resigned in 1972 itself and came back to Calcutta.

I met all the three Indian economists during my days in Delhi and Calcutta but Dr. Mitra was different compared to two others who were his junior. I first met him in 1969 when he was chairman of Agricultural Prices Commission. My friend from Calcutta Film Society days Prabodh Kumar Moitra rang me up one morning and told me that he was in Delhi and staying at Dr. Ashok Mitra’s House. They would be going to see a Bengali film ‘Dibaratrir Kabya’, If I am willing, I can come at IIPA auditorium that afternoon. I was thrilled because as a film buff, I could not miss this film originally written by great novelist Manik Bandyopadhay. I went to see the film and was introduced to Dr. Mitra by Prabodh there. Dr. Amartya Sen also was there talking to people after the show.

Later I met Dr. Mitra in the middle of 1971 at the thick of Bangladesh crisis. I wanted to talk to him about the impact of Bangladesh crisis on Indian economy as he was CEA then. He fired at me and said how you dare talk about a story when people are dying in Bangladesh. Go and do some work for the refugees. I knew that he would soon cool down. So I waited smiling at him. Soon he became normal and briefed me for some time but again reminded that working for Bangladesh cause should be my priority.

I was working in The Economic Times, Calcutta when he was finance minister in the Jyoti Basu Government. I went for an interview to talk about both Indian economy and West Bengal economy. He agreed and the interview was over. I took it in long hand. He was insistent that I should show him the draft. I said that I am assuring you it would be on lines what you said. He was not convinced. The interview came out in all editions of ET and as usual, he made some critical observations about national policies Later after some days when I met him I was apprehensive that he would be upset about not showing the interview copy to him. But he made no mention of the interview, even gave no impression as if he had read it. That was my last one on one interaction with Dr. Mitra. A maverick but always passionate about what he does. On Bangladesh liberation day, his contribution has to be honoured.