His103 Nsu Six+Points+Movement+1966.pptx

Six-Point Movement-1966
Introduction
Background/Causes
Two Economy Theories
Main Features
Impact/Aftermath

2
Six-point Movement- Background
The main source of the inspiration of the Six-Point Program lies
on the original concept of Pakistan that it would consist of
'independent Muslim States'.
The Awami League Council meeting at Dhaka in February, 1966
proved to be a famous platform where Six Point Formula for
autonomy of East Pakistan was adopted.
In the same meeting Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also elected
President of the Awarni League.

3
In a meeting when various political parties were present, he
placed the Formula in March, 1966 in Lahore claiming to have
been based on the principles of the Lahore Resolution, to save
Pakistan from disintegration.
The main exponents of Six Point Formula were Tajuddin Ahmed,
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Ruhul Quddus.
Majority of party workers did not know regarding the Formula
till the Council Meeting held in February, 1966.
This ‘program’ had an important position in the life of all
classes of East Pakistani society.

4
It is very interesting to note that Mujib tried to trace analogy
between the Lahore Resolution and Six Point Program by
placing it in the same month and venue.
In March, 1966 he was in Lahore, the same month and the same
city where the famous Lahore Resolution (presented by Sher-e-
Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq) was passed in 1940.
He distributed the few hundred copies of the booklets of Six-
Point Program which he carried with him from East Pakistan
with an explanatory note in reply to the criticisms already raised
from different quarters.

5
The program was announced immediately after the 1965 war
with India.
 According to Talukdar Maniruzzaman, during the war with India
in September 1965, East Pakistan was completely cut off from
West Pakistan.
The people of East Pakistan felt completely helpless.
According to another source, during the 1965 war Pakistan had
only half a division(10000-25000) of soldiers stationed in the
East Pakistan, a region surrounded by the 'enemy country' from
three sides.
The East Bengalis were terrified by the thought that India could
run over them any time and this fear made them feel more
neglected than ever before.

6
The Bengalis had a weighty complaint to make about the war's
impact on them.
The scheduled economic development program was cut 5 per
cent, because of increased military costs.
In the first year of the third five-year plan for 1965-70 which
was to mark the beginning of provincial economic parity, funds
to the Provincial Government were reduced.
Moreover, double funds were allocated to the military
expenditures for 1965 and 1966 at the expense of agricultural
production in East Pakistan.

7
(Two Economy Theories)
 Many Economists, during this period, particularly in East Pakistan,
began to talk about the ‘two economy theories’ for Pakistan.
 East Pakistan remained the most neglected province of Pakistan.
 East Bengal's civil service, economy and armed forces were
dominated by West Pakistan.
 The results of the First Five Year Plan and allocations made in the
Second Five year Plan showed that East Bengal was made a source
of income for West Pakistan.
 In short, East wing of Pakistan was virtually made a colony of West
Pakistan.
 The economists and intellectuals of East Pakistan proved it
quantitatively that earnings by East Pakistan were spent in
development activities of West Pakistan, and central government
allocations showed a regional disparity against East Pakistan to the
extent of 60%.

8
Year
Spending on West
Pakistan (in millions
of Pakistani rupees)
Spending on East
Pakistan (in millions
of Pakistani rupees)
Amount spent on
East as percentage of
West
1950–55 11,290 5,240 46.4
1955–60 16,550 5,240 31.7
1960–65 33,550 14,040 41.8
1965–70 51,950 21,410 41.2
Total 113,340 45,930 40.5
Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970–75, Vol. I,
published by the planning commission of Pakistan.

9
 The economists and intellectuals visualized that the growth in
disparities between East and West Pakistan originated in the
inequitable policies and allocative decisions of the central
government.
 The East Pakistan economists and intellectuals analyzed the
Second Five Year Plan (1960-65) and made it clear analytically
that
 East Pakistan was destined to be poorer and poorer compared
to West Pakistan unless the economic planning was made
based on two economies.
 Economically, East and West Pakistan would compete and
collaborate with each other in order to forge a balanced
development for both the wings.
 But such thought did not get any consideration from the
central government, and thus discontentment in East Pakistan
was growing fast.

10
Six-point Movement-Background
 Politicians took the language of the economists and
intellectuals and tried to mobilize the masses to realize their
demands and supported the two-economy theory.
 According to Talukdar Mainruzzaman, the helplessness of the
Bengalis during the war of 1965 with India and the increasing
economic disparity between the two wings of Pakistan gave
Mujibur Rehman, 'a political entrepreneur par-excellence'.
 In a press conference, Mujib declared "the question of
autonomy appears to be more important after the war.
 Time has come for making East Pakistan self-sufficient in all
respects”.

11
Six-point Movement- Six Points
The culmination of the Awami League demand for regional
autonomy came in March 1966 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman put
forward his Six-Point Program which may be summed up as follows
–
(1) The constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its
true sense on the basis of the Lahore Resolution and
the parliamentary form of government with supremacy of a
Legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.
(2) The federal government should deal with only two subjects,
Defense and Foreign Affairs, and all other residuary subjects shall be
vested in the federating states.

12
(3) Two separate but freely convertible currencies for two wings
should be introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be
one currency for the whole country, but effective constitutional
provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital
from East to West Pakistan.
Furthermore, a separate Banking Reserve should be established
and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East
Pakistan.
(4) The power of taxation and revenue collection shall be vested
in the federating units and the federal center will have no such
power.
The federation will be entitled to a share in the state taxes to
meet its expenditures.

13
(5) There should be two separate accounts for the foreign
exchange earnings of the two wings;
the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government
should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed;
indigenous products should move free of duty between the two
wings and the constitution should empower the units to
establish trade link with foreign countries.
(6) East Pakistan should have a separate militia or paramilitary
force.

14
Six-point Movement- Analysis(4th Point)
The West Pakistan was the center of all important government
offices.
For example, the head office of the State Bank of Pakistan which
was the main body of issuing currency, the head offices of all
public and private institutions and national and foreign
industrial organizations were located in West Pakistan.
Consequently, the transfer of money transactions from East to
West wing was a natural thing.

15
Ninety per cent of the bank deposits or savings were generally
invested and this investment was naturally done in West
Pakistan and this was how the capital formation in West
Pakistan was so rapid.
The immediate benefit of investment i.e. employment and
industrialization both were derived by West Pakistan.
Asking for a separate currency did not mean to a call for
secessionist movement.
It was only intended to get guarantee that the non-transfer of
resources from an under-developed region to one that was
developed.
All the people of the East Pakistan had a full legal right on their
own resources.

16
Mujib naively claimed that such an arrangement would make
the federation rather stronger and that tax-collecting was a
liability not a source of power.
 Not surprisingly, this point attracted maximum criticism.
The central government would be constitutionally guaranteed
of the required amount they needed.
The right and power concerned did not rest in the act of tax
collection but in the money so collected.
The constitution would provide that 'a certain percentage of the
revenue collection on all heads shall automatically be credited
to the Federal Fund by the Reserve Banks
on which amount the unit governments shall have no control.

17
Mujib’s proposals regarding fifth point were there to draw
attention to the following facts such as the Eastern wing had
earned a lot of the annual foreign exchange of Pakistan.
East Pakistan's earnings had been used for the industrialization
of West Pakistan and the earnings from those industries were
again reinvested in that wing.
East Pakistan's foreign earnings were not being used in that
wing due to the non-availability of capital formation,
Imports to East Pakistan was less than as compared to her
exports whereas imports to West Pakistan was more than her
exports,

18
Two-thirds of Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings were made
by jute which was the main cash crop of eastern wing,
but those foreign earnings were used neither for the
development of the jute growers or planters nor for the
common people of East Pakistan.
and almost all the foreign aids and loans were taken against
foreign exchange earned by Eastern wing; but they were used in
Western wing.
Moreover, the irony was that installments and interest on these
loans were being paid by East Pakistan.

19
Six-point Movement- Aftermath
The impact of the six-point demand of the Awami League was
felt far and wide.
The central government dubbed it as a demand for the
separation of the Eastern Wing from the rest of the country, and
launched a propaganda campaign which called for a strong
central government and decried the autonomists.
On June 6, 1966, there was a province-wide hartal (strike) in
East Pakistan sponsored by the Awami League to press the
demands embodied in the six-point program.

20
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with several of his lieutenants,
were again put into the prison.
The government also blamed "foreign interests" in the agitation
led by the six-pointers.
After about a year several East Pakistani civil servants and
military officers were arrested on the charge that they had
conspired to separate the East Wing by violent means in
collusion with India.

21
Eventually, the so-called "Agartala Conspiracy case" was
initiated against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 34 others for
alleged high treason.
The trial was opened at the Dacca Cantonment by a special
tribunal consisting of senior judges of the Supreme Court and
High Courts of Pakistan.
Eleven of the accused turned approver- witness on behalf of the
government (they were pardoned by the Government) but
the rest, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, denied the charges
brought against them.

22
The "Agartala Trial" was soon synchronized with the country-
wide movement against the Ayub regime which also demanded
greater autonomy for East Pakistan.
The opposition leaders met at Dacca and formed the
Democratic Action Committee (DAC) which demanded the
restoration of parliamentary democracy and a direct franchise.
Under great pressure, President Ayub was compelled to
withdraw the "Agartala Conspiracy" case against Sheikh Mujibur
Rabman and his co-defendants.

23
 He also agreed to meet the opposition leaders at a Round
Table Conference to discuss the constitutional problems of the
country.
 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged from being the primary
defendant in a treason trial to the status of a leader
dominating national opinion.
 At a large public meeting immediately following his release
Mujib was given an honorific that would stick: Bongobondhu
or Friend of Bengal.
 The feelings in the East Wing ran high against West Pakistan
and the central administration.

24
 During the political turmoil, the army (mostly from West Pakistan) had
been used to put down agitations and many had been killed in East
Pakistan.
 In West Pakistan, the political agitation turned against Ayub because of
his "failure" in the 1965 war with India,
 but East Pakistan looked upon his political system as the instrument of
West Pakistan's domination.
 The political concession made by President Ayub did not satisfy the
people in the East where the agitations and violence gradually spread
into the rural areas.
 In this context, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman could not moderate his demand
for regional autonomy without risking his political future.

25
At the Round Table Conference, he demanded full autonomy for the
Eastern Wing and representation in the central legislature on the
basis of population (which would give a majority to East Pakistan).
The resurgence of the Awami League after 1965 was embedded in a
broader development in East Pakistan politics: a polarization of left
and right.
The Awami League was made up of Bengali nationalists who were
socially middle-of-the-road or conservative; their Six Points did not
envisage social change.
Pitted against them were leftists of various parties who advocated
social revolution. The most popular was the National Awami Party,
which had recently split into pro-China and pro-USSR factions.

26
This division became important in 1968–9, when a new wave of
unrest swept over Pakistan.
 Started in West Pakistan with the aim of toppling the Ayub
regime, the uprising spread to East Pakistan where it took on
Bengali nationalist overtones.
An alliance of East Pakistani student organizations took the
initiative to form a united front that adopted an eleven-point
manifesto.
This included the Awami League’s six points but also social
demands to attract leftists: lower taxes on farmers, higher
wages for workers and the nationalization of big industries and
banks.

27
The movement radicalized as industrial workers and urban and
rural poor pressed for their own demands.
The leaders of the established political parties were not in
control of the movement and they had a hard time following
the popular upsurge.
Months of gheraos and street violence followed.
The movement came out victorious when Ayub Khan fell, the
governor fled and the autonomists were emboldened to up the
ante.

28
Mujib now demanded a dominant position for the eastern wing
as well as parliamentary government with full regional
autonomy and relocation of the country’s capital to East
Pakistan.
When Ayub Khan was forced to step down in March 1969, the
commander-in-chief of the Pakistan army, General Yahya Khan,
took his place.

29
Yahya represented the same military-bureaucratic alliance as his
predecessor and he immediately declared martial law with a
view to protecting that alliance’s position.
But Yahya chose a different path from Ayub.
He sought conciliation rather than confrontation and he tried to
bring the politicians back into the power equation in Pakistan.
He announced that political activities were to be allowed from
early 1970 and that Pakistan’s first general elections for the
National Assembly would be held towards the end of the same
year.

30
The Awami League sought public mandate in favor of the Six-
point Program in the general elections of 1970
in which Sheikh Mujib received the absolute mandate from the
people of East Pakistan in favor of his Six-point.
But Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto refused to join the session of the
National Assembly scheduled to be held on 3 March 1971
unless a settlement was reached between the two leaders
beforehand.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party sat in a protracted
dialogue from 15 March 1971.
The dialogue failed to produce any positive result.
The army crackdown of 25 March sealed the fate of the Six-
point including the fate of Pakistan.

His103 Nsu Six+Points+Movement+1966.pptx

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