Department of State

AIRGRAM

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE A-165

TO : DEPARTMENT OF STATE

INFO : CALCUTTA, DACCA, KARACHI, LAHORE, PESHAWAR FROM : AMEMBASSY RAWALPINDII DATE : JUNE 4, 1970

SUB : A HAPPENING WITH BHASHANI

On the afternoon of May 29, the Charge d'Affaires ad interim, the Consul General in Dacca (Mr Blood), and the Deputy Principal Officer in Dacca (Mr Killgore) called on the semi-legendary revolutionary, Maulana BHASHANI, at his home in the village of Santosh, on the outskirts of Tangail in Tangail District. The ensuing meeting, which lasted two hours, was not quite a monologue and could not qualify as a conversation. It can perhaps best be described as a happening, with the visitors carrying away a kaleidoscope of impressions which in time have fallen into a fairly definite pattern.

Picture the scene. A simple house of wood and corrugated iron sheets standing on a concrete plinth and opening on a dusty courtyard flanked by bamboo or kutcha houses. Maulana received us barefoot, wearing a not too clean undershirt and lungi. He sat on the verandah while chairs were placed for us in front of the verandah steps. Behind him, over his simple charpoy bed, we could spy a photo of Chou En-lai. Present at the happening were the Dacca correspondent of Dawn, a NAP-L functionary, a rather callow youth who was subsequently identified as a nephew of Ex-Governor Monem Khan, and Dacca industrialist "Sadr" Ispahani, who had kindly set up the meeting and who acted as interpreter. In his barefoot and with his Sea Island cotton shirt open to the navel, "Sadri" tried unsuccessfully to emulate a "son of the soil." More mobile observers were several bare-bottomed infants, some older children, several servants, the Consul General's driver whom Maulana seated on the verandah with him, various and sundry roosters and chickens, and flies too numerous to mention.

Throughout the happening we were plied with refreshments: first, a plate of local sweets; then a tray of mangoes, pineapples, bananas and lichees, which was followed by glasses of coconut juice. Finally, we were served a darkly villainous brew which was diagnosed by "Sadri" as tea, and which he said owed its grey-brown colour to the iron oxide in the Maulana's tubewell.

Bhashani is a great man with the cliche. He interlaced his Urdu with English expressions such as "feudal lords," "oppressive landlord," "corrupt officials," "godless

communism," "classless society," "reactionary capitalists," and "American ruling class," which appeared to stand forth from his lips almost as though they were carrying quotation marks.

Bhashani volunteered to his incredulous visitors that he was 88 years old. Despite a recent advertised back injury, the Maulana sat upright in his chair throughout and appeared to suffer less from the heat than we did. His physical and mental alertness suggest a man no older than has early 70's. In fact, "Sadri" confided to us later that he thought that Bhashani was no older than 73. The semi-monologue was not substantially very significant. Enclosure No. 1, a story by Mahbubul Alam, the Dawn correspondent who was present, conveys an accurate account of the trend of the conversation; however, among other things it does not mention the firm denial conveyed by the Charge to Bhashani of the authenticity of the "CIA document" (on an alleged plan for the secession of East Pakistan) mentioned frequently by the Maulana in recent months. Enclosure No. 2, a translation of a poorly written story which appeared in the NAP-L paper Paigam, is a much less accurate account and obviously was slanted with a view to projecting the most favorable image of the Maulana and the least favorable image of the United States.

Just before departing, the Charge asked if Bhashani would be willing to pose for a picture. Maulana willingly obliged, after hurriedly decking himself in a long white robe and skull cap, and grabbing a little granddaughter to pose on his knee.

COMMENT: One cannot but be drawn to Bhashani. He can utter the most outrageous statements with a twinkle in his eye and brush aside rebuttals by immediately passing on to an equally outrageous statement. We had the distinct impression that he is not particularly concerned about facts but prefers to live the legend he has created for himself, that of a man genuinely interested in the welfare of the downtrodden masses of East Pakistan. He is no revolutionary in the traditional sense of one who is thirsty for executive power and determined by hook or crook to achieve it. Rather, he could be described as the "establishment's revolutionary" because he poses no significant threat to the Government and vested interests. He does not want power himself; he is not a good organizer; and he offers no real alternative to the status quo. By inveighing against corruption and smuggling and "anti-social elements," he has achieved some popularity with the poor but little of a base for threatening the established order. In short, he struck us as a figure with considerable nuisance value but probably not posing any serious threat to the government or to the anticipated electoral process. There is, of course, the danger that the leftist following which disjointedly pretends to carry his banner may in time become something of a Frankenstein, but we doubt that this would happen with Maulana's blessing or encouragement.

SOBER

BHASHANI ASKS U.S. TO HELP DISTRESSED IN SPIRIT OF BROTHERHOOD
3 AMERICAN DIPLOMATS MEET HIM IN SANTOSH

DACCA, May 30: The National Awami Party leader, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani yesterday asked the US Government to come to the help of the distressed people all over the world in a spirit of universal brotherhood. The Maulana was talking to the United States Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Pakistan, Mr Sidney Sober, who had called on him at his Santosh residence.

The U.S. Charge d'Affaires along with the American Consul-General in Dacca and another senior American diplomat, drove to Santosh, Tangali, yesterday afternoon to call on the octogenarian leader. They remained with him for about two hours.

Maulana Bhashani told the US diplomat that he had nothing against the people of America who had love and warm feelings for the United States. He said the United States, as an advanced country, should assist countries like Pakistan with technical know how, agricultural implements and the like, so as to help local people stand on their own feet. He felt that loans with high interest rates did not do any good to the recipient country in the ultimate analysis. Therefore, according to him, the accent should be more on dissemination of technical knowledge.

No Prophet of Violence

The NAP leader regretted that a US magazine had described him as the "Prophet of violence". He said he was a believer in God and was neither a prophet nor did he believe in violence. He said his movement, as was well-known, was directed against the oppressors and the exploiters.

He advised the Americans to side with the oppressed and the exploited in their dealings with the peoples of the world. But he regretted that the US Government - the ruling class as he described it was spending money in Viet-Nam war, which had now been extended to Cambodia. He said involvement in such ventures would not help the United States nor those they were supporting.

The US Charge d'Affaires told the Maulana that his Government had great respect for the sovereignty of this country and was keen to assist Pakistan. He mentioned in this connection the despatch of wheat from USA to Pakistan. He said his country had undertaken foreign assistance programme without any motive but compelled by an urge to come to the assistance of those who needed their help.

Dainik Paigam

June 2, 1970

The Struggle of the Working People Against American Imperialism Will Continue - Maulana Bhashani

Santosh (Tangail), June 1(sent by special correspondent). Sidney Sober, Acting American Ambassador in Pakistan, met Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani at Santosh in Tangail District on May 29.

Maulana Bhashani bitterly criticized American war policy in the South East Asia and said that history would never forgive the US for the unpardonable crimes committed by the US against humanity in Vietnam, Cambodia and the Middle East.

The Acting Ambassador arrived at the residence of the Maulana at Santosh from Islamabad upon hearing the news of physical illness of the Maulana.

Sidney Sober told the Maulana, `We have come on hearing (about your illness).'

Criticizing the American Policy followed in Pakistan, Maulana Bhashani said that it was causing ruination of the majority people of the country or in other words, the oppressed people, in connivance with the exploiters of Pakistan. The Maulana .aid that document of the CIA had unveiled the nature of American friendship "and despite the countrywide furor over this you have not had the courage to issue a denial."

In reply Sidney sober said that they wanted to stay in this country peacefully and in a gentlemanly manner. "So we did not want to cause trouble by issuing a protest."

Business, Not Friendship

When Sidney Sober informed the Maulana that the US has given ten lakh tons of wheat to Pakistan, the Maulana said that the working capacity of the poor farmers was decreasing day by day by eating this inferior and rotten wheat. The Maulana further said that the US had not supplied this wheat without any gain. There was no indication of friendship in giving American loan with much higher interest rate in comparison with the socialist countries. The Maulana opined that this was an expression of a purely commercial mentality.

Not Pest Destruction but Pest production

Maulana Bhashani told the American envoy that pests were increasing instead of being destroyed as a result of application of pesticides supplied by the US.

Maulana Bhashani said that the exploited, oppressed and deprived masses of the US are our friends. But the working people of the world would continue to struggle unitedly so long as the American ruling and exploiting circle would not give up their imperialist policy.

Incidentally, it may be mentioned that Bhashani has now fully recovered and will tour different districts of the province during the first three weeks of the current month.

Source: The American Papers- Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh Documents 1965-1973, The University Press Limited, p.368-371