No movement, agitation, enterprise or war, certainly not a revolution or struggle for independence-can reach its cherished goal without the guidance of an able and visionary leader. But sadly, there is still a quarter in the country which refuses to recognise the leadership of our independence struggle. Some of them say when people rise, they rise in self-motivation and do not need any motivational advocacy. A revolution of the magnitude of Bangladesh's independence could not have happened without Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman making the people aware of the grievances, suppression and oppression they received at the hand of the Pakistani rulers.
The people's power is far more powerful than a disastrous tsunami. Roused on its own, it might cause more havoc than what a nuclear bomb could do. In history, we have many examples of people's movement failing or dissipating or petered out without reaching the goal in absence of a leadership. Therefore, leadership is of paramount importance. When it is a revolution like our struggle of liberation, a leader of supreme leadership calibre having a clear vision of the future and enjoying complete trust of his lieutenants and the people, is absolutely necessary. Â A movement or a revolution necessarily needs people's participation. A great majority of people or a powerful section of the people can only make a revolution. In our case, it was the whole population that unconditionally put their trust in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In fact, they put their lives in the able hands of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali born ever.
Bangabandhu, over decades, slowly and gradually educated and sensitised the common people, prepared his extremely able lieutenants in strategic leadership roles so that they could take the movement forward even in his absence. He prepared his workers and activists to mount resistance turning the whole country into a fort. Every home was a fort during the freedom struggle. Yes, people participated in the revolution and people's power won but that does not diminish the status of the leader and the leadership. Lack of leadership had caused the French Revolution or Sepoy Mutiny to fumble. People's power can only be directed to a good cause if harnessed and guided carefully by only an extremely able leader with deep insight and far-reaching foresight. Â The successful culmination of our struggle and the avoidance of post-liberation bloodbath testify to foresight and acumen of our supreme leader. His administrative and organisational capacity was amply demonstrated in building his party and preparing an able leadership that ran affairs of our struggle during his internment exactly as he directed. The entire world saw supreme control, absolute trust, unwavering support the paramount leader enjoyed when he was addressing the vast multitude of people at the Ramna Racecourse Maidan, which was full of people, charged with emotion and expecting declaration of independence. Here the people wanted nothing but a declaration of independence. Students, the main backbone of activism, were also eagerly looking at the leader and anything less than a declaration of liberation would not satisfy them. Not only the entire nation but the whole world was breathlessly waiting to see what course the movement was to take with any pronouncement from Bangabandhu, the leader. Declaring independence at Ramna Racecourse would have given the Pakistani junta the excuse to massacre the whole leadership including the leaders of student activists. Without a leadership with a supreme leader at the helm of the movement, the independence struggle might have dissipated in chaos and pandemonium and thus could have nipped in the bud the people's dreams over an independent Bangladesh.
On March 07, 1971, Bangabandhu had delivered one of the most poetic, decisive, and supremely diplomatic speeches the world has ever heard in modern times. He declared independence, yet did not give the Pakistanis the slightest pretext to take any action. The leadership was in palpable danger of losing control of the movement - a dangerous situation resulting in unprecedented violence frustrating our prime goal of independence.Â
Bangabandhu was not an ordinary leader; he virtually declared independence, instructed his people to rise with whatever weapons they had and build fortress in every house and resist the enemies with all their might. People did exactly so. He gave guidelines to his lieutenants as to actions and strategies to ensure independence even in his absence. So great was his understanding of and grip on the movement that the struggle went on as he wanted under the leadership of his lieutenants that he personally groomed. They took forward his fight very ably defeating all conspiracies to derail the liberation movement. We became an independent, sovereign and free nation on the earth. Â Bangabandhu took the people with him all the way. The Father of the Nation thus ensured people's victory. All the people participated in our struggle for emancipation and brought independence under Bangabandhu's undisputed leadership.
If we recall the March '71 Disobedience Movement launched by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the whole nation was behind him. The then government in East Pakistan ran on his instructions. Banks, businesses, private and public organisations all followed Bangabandhu's directives. He enjoyed absolute and unwavering trust and support of the people. Now, he is still the leader whose guidelines are pushing the vast population forward to their destination: speedy economic take-off. At the helm still is the towering leader looking over the shoulders of people into the future and people are intently looking at him for guidance.Â
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The leader of our independence movement
FE Team | Published: August 14, 2017 18:18:46 | Updated: October 22, 2017 22:00:45
The freedom-fighters returning home in 1971.
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