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Why the Newborn Nation May Not Survive
Bangladesh is a child born of
bitter hate and human ani–
mosity . lt stands as a tragic
example of man's inhuman–
ity to
man.
by
Gene
H.
Hogberg and
Harry Eisenberg
M
OST DOCTORS
agree that an in–
fant's very first year of life
is the most critica!. Once the
chiJd passes this critica! period, he
stands an excellent chance of sucviving
to aduJthood.
This fact of life applies equally to
newborn nations. For it is in the very
beginning that the vital nationaJ institu–
tions such as government, education, and
the economic system must be developed
as the sinews of a new state.
And few nations have started out in
life with less than Bangladesh.
A Stepchild
In 1947 two predominantly Moslem
flanks in the eastern and westecn por-
tions of old British India were separated
out to become the sovereign nation of
Pakistan.
United solely by religion, West
Pakistan and East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh) were separated by 1,100
miles of Indian territory.
Despite the fact that the East had a
popuJation of sorne
lO
to 20 million
more than the West, the latter nonethe–
less contained the nationaJ capital. West
Pakistanis, furthermore, received 80 per–
cent of aJI civil service positions and an
even higher percentage of
key
military
appointments. This discrimination ex–
tended into economics as well.
Even though exports from the East,
especially jute and tea, brought in over