My heart overflows as I come to your beautiful country and to this historic ground. For many years, we had all heard of the beauty of Bangladesh. For many years, we had known about the agony you have suffered, and especially the fierce atrocities of last year. The story of your journey through darkness has moved the hearts of people and brought tears to the eyes wherever people value the human spirit.
I have come here today to pay homage to those millions who have sacrificed their lives and to the young and old who have borne arms to liberate their country. I salute the gallant men who have fought this battle, for it is their sacrifice and courage that has brought you freedom. To the ten million, who had to leave their homes and seek shelter in our country, and the millions more who were forced out of their homes, and who today are starting a new life, I give my good wishes.
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Many attempts were made to silence the voice of Bangladesh, but owing to the efforts of the colleagues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whether they were in Mujibnagar or elsewhere, the true voice of Bangladesh was heard around the world. In course of time, the world attitude changed and everyone came to acknowledge that Bangladesh is a reality. At the same time, gallant young men of the Student’s League and later of the Mukti Bahini, took up arms and resolved to lay down their lives if need be for their country. There is a saga of courage, of the flame of truth, the flame of justice. It is this flame which keeps a nation alive.
If India has helped you, it is because we could not sit idle by after hearing your voice and after knowing of the sorrow and suffering that you have undergone. If we have helped you, it is in order to be true to ourselves, and to the principles which we have adhered for years. I trust that, in the coming years, friendship between our two countries will be built not on the basis of the assistance that we might have given to you now but on the basis of the full equality and mutual benefit of two free and sovereign nations.
One by one, the nations are hastening to accord diplomatic recognition to you. But there was a time when the same nations turned their faces away even though their own newspapers wrote with conviction and authentic documentation of the events which took place here. How many countries were ready to speak out on behalf of truth and justice and the common people’s right to live, or cared to prevent the indignities? How many of them cared to donate even a minute portion of their luxurious affluence for you or for those who sought shelter in India? It fell to the Indian people to share from out of their poverty and want, in spite of the fact that we had our own difficulties. The poorest of the poor in our land willingly came forward with whatever they could give.
Today, you have given me a most moving welcome, but I know that this is not a welcome for an individual but for the representative of a great people who, not only now, or in the recent past, but for centuries, have tried to be guided in their policies by some basic principles. We have shown to the world that although we may be poor and illiterate, our voice has been raised whenever injustice or wrong is done. That has been the endeavour of the Indian people. We hope that whosoever is in difficulty, whether from poverty or injustice, the people of Bangladesh and India will fight together against injustice and tyranny. For, if there is injustice in any part of the world, its shadow falls on all other countries.
We know from our own experience that freedom is not an end but a beginning. Freedom opens the door to new opportunities and to a new life. This new life is not built by a handful of leaders but by the entire nation, through its sacrifice, its endeavour, its discipline and its unity. Your country is a beautiful country. It is a golden land. But the gold will be seen only when the burden of the people is lightened, and there is beauty in their lives. We found that when we proclaimed the ideal of socialism for our country and adopted measures to remove poverty and bring about equality, we incurred the wrath of many vested interests at home and abroad. They are continuing to oppose us. Similarly, when we espoused the cause of the democratic rights of the people of Bangladesh and pressed for the release of Bangabandhu and its return to Bangladesh, and finally when we give support to the fight of Bangladesh to survive and live in freedom, we annoyed powerful interests and countries. But we were not daunted by their opposition.
I want to tell you from our experience that whenever we take a forward step, new controversies and differences arise. We might imagine that the world has changed but even the new often falls into the old rut, the rut of old thought and methods of work. The freedom of Bangladesh is not only your birthright and the assertion of your destiny; it is equally essential for us in India. It is in India’s interest that Bangladesh should be free and strong. If we offer you cooperation, it is not out of any desire to wield influence over you. We want you to stand on your own legs. The burden you bear is not of Bangladesh alone but of the poor and the oppressed all over the world. In bearing it we should all be together. Just as we seek a strong and friendly Bangladesh, so also we seek friendship with all our other neighbours. We want all of them to be strong. We do not want any country to dominate or pressurise other countries. Every nation should seek friendship with others but achieve internal strength through solving the problems of its own people.
Only then will the countries of Asia be able to make progress, and Asia will be strengthened.
The freedom struggle of India was a long-drawn-out one. Each step forward was achieved through the sacrifice of millions of people. And finally we became free. We then found that the difficulties of the freedom struggle were nothing as compared to the difficulties which came after freedom was won. When unity was the need, voices of dissent arose. Some people expected miracles, and thought that freedom would work some magic to remove poverty, unemployment and all of other problems. The hardest moment is when a new nation is born. If the people remain united and everyone bears his responsibilities, then it will be possible to lay firm foundations of a new society. A new nation has to face not only internal problems but many external challenges as well. Other nations will attempt to induce you to follow their path. I am sure that you will decide for yourself what your path should be, what kind of future you want for your people and what kind of society you want to create. This is what we did in India. It is a long and time-consuming journey.
Voices are bound to be raised outside the country, and even inside, to make you choose the easy path. No help or soft words should corrode the determination and the will to strive. I reminded of the lines of Gurudev who told us that however dark and difficult the path, and even if no one else kept you company, you should be ready to walk alone. If we called out for help and no help came, then in the darkness we should become a light unto ourselves and go forward. Every free nation should follow its own road and face the difficulties that might arise. I know that you will face your difficulties with courage and not let weakness overtake you. Every difficulty strengthens, every danger challenges. This is how a nation’s character and a nation’s future are moulded.
Change is the law of life. Many changes are taking place in the world today. It is our duty in India and Bangladesh, and in all the other poor countries, to bring about a change in the lives of our peoples. Our policies in India are built upon democracy, secularism and socialism, not because they are fine-sounding words but because only a combination of these three principles can enable a country of our size and diversity to be united and strong. We have chosen democracy because it is only in a democratic system that the people’s voice is heard and that they can play their full part in building the country and transforming it. We have chosen secularism because it accords equal honour and treatment to all religions. We have chosen socialism because without economic and social justice, democracy cannot be real and its foundations cannot be strong.
Common principles and objectives have brought Bangladesh and India together. We shall firmly stand together by them. and derive inspiration from them for our march forward. Each of our two countries will be able to cooperate with and help the other better if we grow stronger internally. You have just become free. You have thanked us, but whatever we have done, let me tell you, we have not done for your sake but for the sake of the human spirit and for the sake of doing our own duty. Whatever the immensity of the problems facing Bangladesh, yours is a rich country because of the ability and heroism of your people. There is much that your people can give the whole world and India. And I have every confidence that through your internal strength you will build a new life not only for your own country but contribute to the building of a better world.
This is part of ThePrint’s Great Speeches series. It features speeches and debates that shaped modern India.