East Crisis

Background :
When Pakistan came into being in 1947, it consisted of two wings. East
Pakistan and West Pakistan. these two wings were separated by 1000 miles
long territory on India. Right from its birth, Pakistan became a focus of Indian
conspiracy and aggression. In 1971, the Bengalis revolted against Pakistan
with active Indian support. As a result, in December 1971, East Pakistan with
active Indian support. as a result, in December 1971, East Pakistan
succeeded in seceding from Pakistan.
Causes of Separation of East Pakistan:
NATURAL
Geographical Location :
Geographically Pakistan was not a politically compact unit because it

consisted of two wings which were separated by 1000 miles distance. With
the passage of time, the binding force of Islamic Ideology weakened and
regional feelings suffered under Hindu influence. The geographical distance
between two wings served as a barrier in the way of complete political
harmony. In the 1971, Indo-Pak War, the distance prevented military
reinforcements to the besieged garrison of East Pakistan.
Cultural Causes :
The culture of Bengalis differed greatly from the Punjabi's, Pathan's, Sindhi's
and Baluchi's. Their food, language and ways of living were distinct from the
people of West Pakistan.
Linguistic Problem :
The people of East Pakistan spoke Bengali language which was quite differ
from Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Baluchi. This difference created a great
linguistic problem at the national level because a large number of people of
East Pakistan spoke Bengali and they demanded that Bengali should be
given the status of National language.
. In March 1948, the Quaid had advised the Bengalis to adopt Bengali as the
language of the province but to keep Urdu as the national language.
As Prime Minister and later as Governor-General, Khawaja Nazimuddin

supported Urdu as the sole national language of Pakistan. Nazimuddin’s
stance on Bengali was less accommodating. He resisted demands from East
Pakistan for the recognition of Bengali as a state language alongside Urdu.
The refusal to recognize Bengali as a state language led to significant unrest
in East Pakistan. The most notable instance was the Bengali defensive
Movement of 1952, during which protests erupted in Dhaka (then East
Pakistan) and resulted in the deaths of several students.
POLITICAL
Location of Capital
The location of the capital in West Pakistan, and the subsequent move to
Islamabad, was perceived as a sign of favoritism towards West Pakistan. This
contributed to feelings of neglect and marginalization in East Pakistan. The
focus on West Pakistan's capital meant that economic and developmental
resources were disproportionately allocated to West Pakistan. This
exacerbated the economic disparities between the two wings of the country.
Economic Backwardness of East Pakistan :
The economy of East Pakistan dependent mainly on the income from tea,
jute and rice only. There were no other sourced to boost the provisional
revenues. Over population was yet another factor unemployment which led
to many other social evils. India exploited this weakness of Bengalis in 1971.
REPRESENTATIONS ISSUES
Tensions arose between East and West Pakistan over representation in the
national legislature. East Pakistan, with a larger population, demanded
proportional representation, while West Pakistan sought parity, leading to
significant disagreement. East Pakistan pushed for greater provincial
autonomy, while West Pakistan favored a strong central government.
Although East Pakistan had a larger population compared to West Pakistan,

the political and electoral system often did not reflect this demographic
advantage. The 1956 Constitution and subsequent electoral arrangements
disproportionately favored West Pakistan in terms of representation in the
central government.
ROLE OF INDIAN TEACHERS
After the 1947 partition, the Hindu teachers in East Pakistan, who were more
numerous than their Muslim counterparts, were often opposed to Pakistan's
ideology. They propagated against the two-nation theory and influenced their
students to view West Pakistanis as oppressors. This contributed to the
growing animosity and perception of West Pakistan as an enemy among the
new generation in East Pakistan.
PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY
The East Pakistan crisis was fueled by demands for greater autonomy.
Leaders like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sought more local control to address
regional disparities. West Pakistan's refusal to grant this autonomy increased
feelings of neglect and resentment in East Pakistan, leading to its secession
and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
ECONOMIC DISPARITY
Economic disparity was a major issue in the East Pakistan crisis. Despite East
Pakistan’s significant contribution to the national economy through exports
like jute, it received disproportionately fewer economic benefits and
investments compared to West Pakistan. This economic imbalance fueled
resentment and dissatisfaction, contributing to the demand for greater
autonomy and eventually leading to the secession of East Pakistan and the
creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Before the partition of India, the Muslims of East Bengal generally believed
that their economic hardships and miseries were due to the Hindu landlords
and industrialists, who exploited the resources of their land. After the
partition, it was hoped that Bengali Muslims would be able to utilize their
own resources but, unfortunately, that did not happen. Moreover, East
Pakistan could not benefit from the rapid industrialization of the country.
POWER STRUCTURE
The centralized power structure in Pakistan, with decision-making
concentrated in West Pakistan, was a key factor in the East Pakistan crisis.
The federal government, dominated by West Pakistani leaders, often
overlooked the needs and interests of East Pakistan. This centralization of
political, economic, and administrative power created feelings of
marginalization and frustration in East Pakistan, fueling demands for greater
autonomy and ultimately leading to its secession and the formation of
Bangladesh in 1971.
The elite has more influence over power structure such as bureaucrates,
industrialists, landlords they support central autonomy to maintain their
influence over power structure of Pakistan.
MILITARY AND CIVIL SERVICES REPRESENTATIONS
Most high-ranking positions in the civil services were held by West Pakistanis.
the military was predominantly composed of West Pakistanis, with limited
representation from East Pakistan. This imbalance created a perception of
unfair treatment and neglect of East Pakistani interests. Its mean more
budget will be allocated to defense which is regulated in west.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Six-Point 1966
 Federal System: Establishment of a federal system with full autonomy

for the provinces, including the right to make their own laws and policies.
 Control Over Taxation: Exclusive control of East Pakistan over its own
economy, including taxation and expenditure, with the central government
receiving only a fixed share.
 Currency and Foreign Trade: Control over its own currency and foreign
trade, ensuring that East Pakistan could manage its economic affairs
independently.
 Federal Services: Creation of separate civil services for East Pakistan,

ensuring local recruitment and management for administrative efficiency.
 Separate Military: Establishment of separate military and paramilitary

forces for East Pakistan to ensure local security and defense.
 Representation in the Legislature: Adequate representation in the

central legislature to reflect the demographic and economic contributions of
East Pakistan.
Military Operations in East Pakistan :
In 1971 Awami League won overwhelming majority in General Elections. At

this stage, General Yahya Khan did not hand over powers to Mujib ur Rehman
and instead launched a military operation in East Pakistan to suppress the
Bengalis. General Tikka Khan used brutal force to bulldoze the opposition,
this oppressive policy created hatred against West Pakistan.
Indian invasion
Pakistan was in no position to fight an all-out war with India. Geographically,

East Pakistan was surrounded by India and the sea. The Pakistani defence
planners had believed in its indefensibility and formulated a defence policy
which stipulated that it could be defended from West Pakistan. This policy
contributed to a virtual exclusion of the Bengalis from the armed forces.
When India invaded, Pakistani troops were without air protection, and despite
demonstrating courage, they had to surrender. Finally, on 16th December
1971, India recognized Bangladesh and in retaliation, Pakistan cut off
diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Disastrous consequences of One Unit policy
The ruling elites of West Pakistan were in search of a mechanism so as to

neutralize the Bengalis’ role in the political system of Pakistan. This goal was
achieved through the creation of One Unit. According to this formula, 56
percent representation of East Bengal was brought to 50 percent – at par
with West Pakistan. But due to this issue, the aspect of provincial autonomy
remained on the back burner

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Background :

Causes of Separation of East Pakistan:

Geographically Pakistan was not a politically compact unit because it

As Prime Minister and later as Governor-General, Khawaja Nazimuddin

Economic Backwardness of East Pakistan :

Although East Pakistan had a larger population compared to West Pakistan,

ROLE OF INDIAN TEACHERS

MILITARY AND CIVIL SERVICES REPRESENTATIONS

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Six-Point 1966

 Federal System: Establishment of a federal system with full autonomy

 Federal Services: Creation of separate civil services for East Pakistan,

 Separate Military: Establishment of separate military and paramilitary

 Representation in the Legislature: Adequate representation in the

Military Operations in East Pakistan :

In 1971 Awami League won overwhelming majority in General Elections. At

Pakistan was in no position to fight an all-out war with India. Geographically,

Disastrous consequences of One Unit policy

The ruling elites of West Pakistan were in search of a mechanism so as to

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