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Friends from the West, 1971

Asrar Choudhury
Victory on December16,1971 was a victory for the Bangladeshi people and the world's conscience. The nation recalls with gratitude the help of all the friends of Bangladesh, 1971, who fought in whatever capacity they could.
My friend came to me, with sadness in his eyes; told me that he wanted help, before his country dies; Although, I couldn 't feel the pain; I knew I had to try
— "Bangladesh," George Harrison, Concert for Bangladesh, 1971
1 971. 266 days. Three million lives.
7.83 lives per minute. An estimated ten million dislocated to neighbouring India Countless more raped and, many victims of crimes against humanity. This is just the human price a nation paid for its freedom. This is just the human price a nation paid to establish a ten- letter word, B-A-N-G-L-A-D-E-S-H.
During 1971, we had friends in the outside world who fought for and with us to make the world know what was actually going on in what was to be Bangladesh. As Bangladesh celebrates the 38th Victory Day, we remember some friends from the West This list is by no means complete.
The Rape of Bangladesh by Anthony Mascarenhas. Massacre by Robert Payne, and Against Our Wilk Men, Women and Rape by Susan Brownmiller are among the first documentations by foreigners of the systematic genocide against Bangladesh in 1971. The 1971 genocide ranks as one of the most brutal genocides of the 20th century, alongside the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany, the Holocaust of Soviet POWs by the German army in World War II, and the Rwandan genocide.
Mark Tully of the BBC, based in New Delhi; Simon Dring of The Independent, UK; William Crowley of BBC Radio: and Martin Woollacott of The Guardian, UK, were among the British journalists and correspondents who covered the Liberation War. Narratives by Loren Jenkins of Newsweek and Don Coggin of Time influenced public and political opinion in the US.
France's Andre Malraux (1901-1976), statesman and the 1960 Nobel Prize winner for literature, was one of the most influential supporters of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Malraux was instrumental in shaping France's stand towards the Liberation War of Bangladesh. In September 1971, he publicly volunteered to join the mukti bahini. He visited Bangladeshin 1973.
Peter Shore (1924-2001) and John
Stonehouse (1925-1988), members of the opposition Labour Party, worked relentlessly to influence Prime Minister Edward Heath's conservative government and public and political opinion among nations in the Commonwealth.
Senator Edward Kennedy (1932-2009) personally visited refugee camps in India. His report to the US Senate influenced President Nixon's administration, which was in favour of the military junta. After independence, Senator Kennedy visited Bangladesh and planted a banyan tree in front of the arts faculty of Dhaka University where the Pakistani army had chopped down a banyan tree on the night of the crackdown, March 25,1971.
Bangladesh did not escape the conscience of artists. For the first time, music was used as a weapon to fight a war. Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009), both children of Bangladesh, teamed up with George Harrison (1943-2001) of the Beatles to stage the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden,
New York on August 1, 1971. Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston (1946-2006), Ringo Starr, and Leon Russell were among the other artists.
Alongside the Concert for Bangladesh, Joan Baez's Bangladesh was also influential in motivating popular support. The American poet Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) personally visited refugee camps in India. His poem "September on Jessore Road" created awareness among the intellectual circles of the West.
The names of two Pakistanis have to be mentioned. Poet Ahmed Selim went to jail for favouring the Liberation War of Bangladesh. He translated Jahanara Imam's Ekatturer Dinguli into Urdu, besides having written nearly 50 short stories on the Liberation War, 1971. The second is Tariq Ali, who was vocal against the atrocities of the military junta. Tariq Ali visited Bangladesh just after its independence.
The 1971 genocide of Bangladesh challenged the conscience of the world.
Good hearts around the world joined with the hearts of the people of Bangladesh. The resilience of the Bangladeshis once again proved that songs of freedom can be temporarily suppressed but can never be silenced. Victory on December 16/ 1971 was a victory for the Bangladeshi people and the world's conscience.
The nation recalls with gratitude the help of all the friends of Bangladesh, 1971,. who fought in whatever capacity they could. The nation also reminds the young of today, who will take Bangladesh forward in the 21st century, about the worldwide support to our LiberationWar.
In the words of Andre Malraux to the students of Dhaka University in April 1973, which are still relevant for the young of today's Bangladesh: "It is up to you to make the nation."
Shubho Bijoy Dibash, Bangladesh!
Acknowledgement: Professor Abdul Mannan of University of Liberal Arts.
Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic in Bangladesh Email asranj|@gmail com