Baluch hail Bangladesh victory against war criminals

Baluch leaders and activists in many countries will join their Bengali brethren in celebrating Victory Day on December 16.

People of Bangladesh waged a heroic struggle that saw three million Bengalis sacrifice their lives to gain their freedom from Pakistan's colonial rule over their homeland, in what was then called East Pakistan.

Pakistan military also raped at least 200,000 Bengali women who gave birth to as many as 30,000 Babies of War.

In the backdrop of national struggle against British colonial rule in India, since mid 40's, Hindu-Muslim communal tension lead in 1947 to partition of India and Pakistan was created as separate homeland for Muslims. East Pakistan inhabitated by Bengalee nation with distinct language and culture was separated from West Pakistan by thousands of miles. So, Pakistan was an unrealistic state from the very beginning.

Since, the very inception, Pakistan rulers denied democratic and national rights, declared itself as Islamic Republic in 1956 and military rule was imposed from 1958. Rulers tried to subjugate Bengalees politically, culturally and economically with resultant united popular struggle for democracy, autonomy and for upholding secular cultural identity.

On February 22, 1971 the generals in West Pakistan took a decision to crush the Awami League and its supporters. It was recognized from the first that a campaign of genocide would be necessary to eradicate the threat: "Kill three million of them," said President Yahya Khan at the February conference, "and the rest will eat out of our hands." (Robert Payne, Massacre [1972], p. 50.) On March 25 the genocide was launched. The university in Dacca was attacked and students exterminated in their hundreds. Death squads roamed the streets of Dacca, killing some 7,000 people in a single night