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Projonmo 71 -a flicker of hope

Durdana Ghias
OUNTLESS days, countless hours and countless moments have passed since the day the independence came to
this country. But how many of us have really had the true feel of independence in a country where the trial of war criminals is still a far cry.
"We have been seeing this for a long time, since our childhood. We grew up seeing the killers of our parents being raised socially and politically. Now we think this should stop and to stop this we have created Projonmo 71," said Shaheen Reza Noor, son of martyred intellectual Journalist Serajuddin Hussain, Assistant Editor ofThe Daily Ittefaq.
According to the children of the martyrs, inactivity on the part of the pro-liberation forces has contributed to the rise of the anti-liberation elements.
Projonmo 71 was fonned by the children of the martyrs to counter the anti-liberation elements in the country and to make social and political efforts for the trial of war criminals. Its aim is to create a state with the values of democracy, communal harmony and progres -siveness based on the constitution of 1972.
Since the independence of the country gradually the families of the martyrs were almost
razed. The families became weak financially because most of the martyrs were the sole breadwinners of their families. Their children lost their financial security and then they lost their social position.
"I had to struggle a lot with my three children after my husband was martyred. I got almost no support from anyone to raise my children. I had to depend on my job of a schoolteacher to raise my three children," said Hasina Chowdhury, wife of litterateur and martyred intellectual Rafiq ul Haider Chowdhury.
The pro-liberation forces could not counter the antiliberation elements at the right time because political weakness, ethical weakness and the politics of murder weakened the social structure after the independence. This situation contributed to the rise of anti-liberation elements. They were able to create a strong place in the state system, said Noor.
It is quite unfortunate that the nation is yet to evaluate the martyrs. After the father was martyred their children had to struggle to continue and finish their studies. Those who could complete their studies were able to do so because of their own efforts.
"The enemies of the state took the places of power of the state," he said.
Projonmo 71 wants the return of the ideals for which their fathers and mothers sacrificed their lives. They believe that if the anti-liberation elements cannot be stopped then the values of the war will be tarnished more and more.
"Our main demand is a special tribunal for the trial of war criminals and crime against humanity because in the existing laws we will need witnesses which will be very hard to find now. Contemporary newspapers can be presented as evidence in these trails," said Noor.
“In March, 2007 we placed our demand to the present government. Now we are doing mass communication to fulfill our demand. We will have to force the government by forming strong public opinion for the trial of war criminals. Hundreds of cultural and social organisations are with us," he said.
According to Noor, annulment of the collaborator act is a reason the collaborators remained unpunished.
"Till the day of the killing of Bangabandhu there were 11,000 collaborators in jail facing charges of murder, rape, looting etc. But they were released after the collaborators act was annulled after his death," he said.
To counter this situation, Projonmo 71 started its journey in
the first week of April of 1991 from the residence of martyred intellectual Shahidullah Kaisar. In October the same year and at the same place the name Projonmo 71 was selected from nine other names. Through a press conference on October 29 the organisation was formally initiated.
On December 5, 1991 a 25-member executive committee was formed and artist Deepak Roy made the design of its symbol and organisational flag. The aims of the organisaiton are
— To write the true history of the liberation war and stop distortion of the history in the textbooks, other books and documents and taking steps to amend the flawed information.
-- To organise the proliberation forces in the country to uphold the values of the liberation war.
— To make a list of the true martyrs of the liberation war and carry out an investigation to find out the families and children of the martyrs.
- Collecting, compiling and publishing the biographies of the martyrs centrally and locally to preserve the memories of the martyrs.
- Start a campaign for naming educational institutes, other institutes and streets after the names of the martyrs.
- Arranging discussion meetings, seminars and sympo-
siums, cultural programmes, photography and art exhibitions through the central or local branches of the organisation and taking initiatives so that these are published in the newspapers.
- Collecting the evidence of mass killing by the Pakistan Army and their collaborators which are scattered across the country.
- Erecting memory plaques at places where the freedom fighters were engaged in fierce battles with the Pakistan Army. The plaques should contain a detailed description of the battle, the names of those who took part in the battle, who were
injured and who were killed in the battlefield.
-- Taking initiatives to construct museums on the liberation war at the local level and centrally.
- Publishing the list of collaborators and war criminals in the liberation war and build public opinion for special laws for their trial.
- To stop communal forces by establishing a secular state.
Its branches have been opened in Chittagong, Khulna, Rangpur and Mymensingh.
The writer is a reporter of Star City.