Sanatani

The Hindu widows of Thakurgaon, Jatibhanga, Bangladesh. April 23, 1971: Jatividhwash or Genocide of Hindus by the Pakistani Army and their collaborators/informers, Razakars. This was not mass killing like Hiroshima and Nagasakhi, for the intent was the complete annihilation of Hindus in East Pakistan, so the better word is “Jatividhwash”. Sukhanpukhari (or Sukhanpukhuri) isa peaceful rural union parishad located within Thankurgaon Sadar Upazilla (sub district) of the Thakurgaon District, Bangladesh. The river Pathraj flows through the middle of this peaceful rural union. in the In the midst of this peaceful rural union flows the river, Pathraj by the border. On one of the banks, is Jatibhanga where the largest genocide of Hindus happened on April 23, 1971. In one go 800 Hindu women were widowed. Jatibhanga Hindu Genocide: This is the largest genocide in 1971 by the Pakistani army in 1971 in collaboration with the Razakars (collaborators and informers). The Pakistani army killed 2500 innocent noncombatant Hindus. According to some the number killed surpasses 4000. This killing was so horrific that even the river that flows besides Jatibhanga Pathraj river’s flow stopped. Women of Jatibhanga who lost husbands, sons, and families, had to beg to survive. Many became day laborers. Yet, before the 1971 war they lived relatively affluent lives and did not have poverty. One mass killing took away their normal lives. Centuries after centuries Jatibanga and the surrounding areas were inhabited by Hindus. There was no communal conflict. 1971: Due to the severe torture and persecution by the Pakistani army from different parts of East Pakistan, Hindus fled to India. One exception was the villages of Sukhanpukuri, which was a border town and hence marginal. The Pakistani army had not entered it. As there were no Pakistani army or Razakars, many Hindus fled and took refuge here on their way to India. This, however, ended, when the Razakars, who had local informers, informed the Pakistani army of the refugees who had gathered here from the surrounding villages like Thakugaon Sadar Shukhanpujuri, Chakhaldi, Singhia, Chandipur, Balia, Rashdevpur, Milanpur, Gauripu, Khamar Bhopla They started their journey on April 22. Many reached Jatibhanga by the Pathraj river that afternoon. Already there were refugees from other parts of the country who had gathered in Jatibhangha on their way to the border. Via some local informers, the Razakarscame to know and came there. At first some Razakars assured the refugees that they can spend the night there but that they have to go towards the border in the morning. As evening passed into darkness, many with women and children decided to spend the night here, believing the people who assured them of safety. In the meantime, some of the Razakars informed the Pakistani army of the huge number of refugees in Jatibhanga border area. April 23, 1971 Friday: On this day, since early dawn, the refugees started to move towards the border. The Razakars told the Hindu men that the bridge over Pathraj was being repaired and thus delaying their movement. As the morning proceeded, two trucks fill of Pakistani army and Razakars a team of them reached Jatibahnga. Frist, they surrounded Jatibhanga and the surrounding areas. At this time the Razakars forcibly picked up Hindus from different villages and brought them to the banks of Pathraj river and the Pakistani army brushfire. First people completely taken aback started dispersing. The bullets came showering and several were dead. As there were a huge number of people, the bullets were almost exhausted. After this the army and Razakars used sharp weapon, swords, spears, Ramda (big sword, know), and killed many Hindus. Kishor Burman, a teacher of the Shukunpukuri high school, was a witness to this mass killing. He said. “No one would believe this unless they saw it. The army was firing from one side and the men are fleeing and some fell on the ground while fleeing and were killed. The bullets stuck their breast…..After the war many corpses and skulls were floating in the river…..” He also said, “Before the mass killing the Pakistani army and collaborators went into homes and looted everything. After the Pakistani army left, the Razakars started another round of looting and killing and arson on houses. The widows were completely deprived of having lost husbands and everything they had. Thakurgaon Sadar, Chakhaldi, Chandpur, Sukhunpujuri. In Chahaldi alone there were 200 widows or even more. All total in all the village there were over 800 widows. They were known later as the village of widows. The Hindu genocide of Jatibhanga was pre planned. The main aim was to make the village free of all Hindu men (apparently, they would convert and use the women as booties). That is why they targeted the refugees. Many widows chose the path of begging after the war stopped. Several are daily wage laborers. Since the number killed was enormous, it was not possible to cremate all of them. Except for a few corpses that were cremated, the rest were thrown in the Pathraj river. This is the largest killing in the 1971 Bangladesh war of liberation. After the liberation of Bangladesh, a plaque and a memorial complex was built to commemorate the martyrs of Jatibhanga. Sadly, however, the complex with the plaque is grossly neglected. No stories are written and the place is not under lock and key. At nightfall, random people enter the place and gossip and drink. There is no supervisor or a security guard to protect the complex. This picture is taken 2013. The women in this picture all became widows in in that genocide. 1. ghrd.org/resources-to-unders…. ghrd.org/resources-to-unders….