Team News Riveting
The activists of the Jansangh had launched a Satyagraha in August 1971 in support of their demand to give “recognition” to Bangladesh.
The twelve-day agitation that was known as Bangladesh Satyagraha was organised from August 1 to 11. On the last day of the agitation, over 10,000 Jansangh activists including 1200 women and children were arrested. The activists had come from different parts of the country.
The media then reported that unlike other political parties, the agitation of the Jansangh was well-organised and disciplined. Despite showers, the activists took out a march and moved on the prescribed route.
The local administration had kept 120 buses reserved for the activists to arrest. Most of them were taken to the national stadium and were trialled before nine magistrates. The rally shouted slogans against the then Pakistani President, Yahya Khan—the man behind Bangladesh genocide. Even the video footage of the Jan Sangh rallies of 1971 is still available from the archives of the Associated Press.
While addressing the gathering, Jansangh leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee castigated the Centre for failing to recognise Bangladesh. He alleged that the Congress government was under pressure from Russia and America for taking a call on the Bangladesh issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also part of the agitation and the reference had rattled his opponents especially the Congress leaders in the country. “I must have been 20-22 years old when I and my colleagues did Satyagraha for Bangladesh’s freedom,” said Prime Minister Modi who is on a two-day visit to the neighbouring country.
Besides the Left minded media, Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh started making mockery of the statement. Those making fun should introspect about their ignorance despite being projected as “most intelligent” on earth. As for Modi himself going to jail, it is mentioned on the back cover of a book that he wrote in Gujarati as far back as 1978. But the reference came now as he did not take political mileage out of it.
Ironically, Bangladesh had been recognising the efforts of Jansangh but not the Congress party and the liberals within the country. The Bangladesh Satyagraha was acknowledged by Bangladesh itself when the country gave Bangladesh Liberation Award to Vajpayee in 2015. The award was received by Prime Minister Modi on behalf of the former PM who was very ill in 2015.
