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1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India
The year 1971 exists everywhere in Bangladesh-on its roads, in sculptures, in its museums and oral history projects, in its curriculum, in people's homes and their stories, and in political discourse. It marks the birth of the nation, it's liberation. More than 1000 miles away, in Pakistan too, 1971 marks a watershed moment, its memories sitting uncomfortably in public imagination. It is remembered as the 'Fall of Dacca', the dismemberment of Pakistan or the third Indo-Pak war. In India, 1971 represents something else-the story of humanitarian intervention, of triumph and valour that paved the way for India's rise as a military power, the beginning of its journey to becoming a regional superpower.
Navigating the widely varied terrain that is 1971 across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, Anam Zakaria sifts through three distinct state narratives, and studies the institutionalization of the memory of the year and its events. Through a personal journey, she juxtaposes state narratives with people's history on the ground, bringing forth the nuanced experiences of those who lived through the war. Using intergenerational interviews, textbook analyses, visits to schools and travels to museums and sites commemorating 1971, Zakaria explores the ways in which 1971 is remembered and forgotten across countries, generations and communities.
Navigating the widely varied terrain that is 1971 across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, Anam Zakaria sifts through three distinct state narratives, and studies the institutionalization of the memory of the year and its events. Through a personal journey, she juxtaposes state narratives with people's history on the ground, bringing forth the nuanced experiences of those who lived through the war. Using intergenerational interviews, textbook analyses, visits to schools and travels to museums and sites commemorating 1971, Zakaria explores the ways in which 1971 is remembered and forgotten across countries, generations and communities.
402 pages, Hardcover
Published December 16, 2019
59 people are currently reading
1192 people want to read
About the author
Anam Zakaria
7 books87 followersAnam Zakaria is the author of 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India (2019), Between the Great Divide: A Journey into Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (2018) and The Footprints of Partition: Narratives of Four Generations of Pakistanis and Indians (2015), which won her the 2017 KLF German Peace Prize.
She works as a development professional and writes frequently on issues of conflict and peace. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Toronto Star, CBC, The Hill Times, Al Jazeera, Dawn, Wire.in and Scroll.in among other media outlets.
She works as a development professional and writes frequently on issues of conflict and peace. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Toronto Star, CBC, The Hill Times, Al Jazeera, Dawn, Wire.in and Scroll.in among other media outlets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 22, 2023
This is perhaps the only form of history that is valid for disentangling the multitude of conflicting narratives surrounding the events of 1971 and their aftermath. Anam Zakaria masterfully sifts through and shares the experiences, memories, and perspectives of individuals spanning two different generations of various ethnicities involved in the conflict. By doing so, she sheds light on the lived realities that have often been overshadowed by the state-sponsored narratives of all three conjoined triplets stuck in the historical tunnel of subcontinental tri-partition.
Zakaria's meticulous research and empathetic storytelling make this book a remarkable contribution to the understanding of a pivotal period in South Asian history. Through the personal accounts and collective voices she presents, the reader gains a comprehensive view of the complex socio-political landscape of the time. This inclusive approach serves as a powerful antidote to the dominant narratives that have shaped historical understanding so far in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
This should serve as an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the events and their lasting impact on the region. By bridging the gaps between the narratives of different communities, Zakaria offers a path toward reconciliation and healing.
Furthermore, this book raises important questions about the way history is taught in Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi schools. It underscores the urgent need for reforming these syllabi, which often perpetuates a one-sided version of events. By incorporating such books into the curriculum, students can gain a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of their country's past, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and a broader perspective.
Zakaria's meticulous research and empathetic storytelling make this book a remarkable contribution to the understanding of a pivotal period in South Asian history. Through the personal accounts and collective voices she presents, the reader gains a comprehensive view of the complex socio-political landscape of the time. This inclusive approach serves as a powerful antidote to the dominant narratives that have shaped historical understanding so far in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
This should serve as an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the events and their lasting impact on the region. By bridging the gaps between the narratives of different communities, Zakaria offers a path toward reconciliation and healing.
Furthermore, this book raises important questions about the way history is taught in Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi schools. It underscores the urgent need for reforming these syllabi, which often perpetuates a one-sided version of events. By incorporating such books into the curriculum, students can gain a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of their country's past, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and a broader perspective.
December 5, 2021
This is the best book written in English by a Pakistani or about South Asia that I've read. Having said that, do not expect the book to go beyond its scope, i.e. beyond the partition of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. If you seek to understand what led to Independence from British rule and the Partition of India in the way that it happened, look to Ayesha Jalal, Sugata Bose, Maria Mishra, Maya Tudor. If you seek a political vision of Pakistan, look to Aitzaz Ahsan. If you seek to understand the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan's support of it, look to Ahmed Rasheed, and the interaction with the Cold War, Mahmood Mamdani and Saadia Toor. You'll do no better than Farahnaz Ispahani to understand the state of affairs for Pakistan's religious minorities. For India's political ideology in scholastic terms, look to Pradeep Chhibber and in lay terms, Arundhati Roy. If you want florid semi-historical accounts of Mughal dynasties, look to William Dalrymple.
Anam Zakaria masterfully weaves together a thoroughly researched history of military, diplomatic and judicial affairs with interviews of people in Pakistan and Bangladesh to understand the various truths and lived experiences as events on the ground unravelled. She digs deep to unearth the nuance that is almost always lost in accounts of history, my own included, which dealt only with atrocities of the Pakistan army and not of Mukti Bahini (since I was writing as a Pakistani to influence a Pakistani audience - she also makes mention of my initiative to crowd-source an apology to Bangladeshis). How in Bangladesh, Bengalis claim the trauma of violence as an exclusive experience, i.e. exclude Biharis and pro-Pakistan Bengalis.
She unpacks the internal political tensions between Sheikh Mujibar Rehman, who, like Mohammad Ali Jinnah before him, advocated a weak federal centre, and secessionists, and how Rehman's popularity would likely have fizzled had the outcome of the 1971 election been respected. She takes a look at the textbook accounts of history in Pakistan and compares and contrasts what is taught in state versus private schools. She interviews children in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh to illuminate their understanding.
Unlike most books that cover weighty topics, Zakaria has made this emininently readable, and targeted the lay reader, as one would expect from an empathetic teacher. This in part is facilitated by her use of the first person since the interaction with her respondents provides context to what they say. Her use of first person is never indulgent. What's surprising is how well structured and narrated this is for one who doesn't write for newspapers, work in consulting or come from academia.
Having guided the reader through the worst parts of 1971, illuminated the Pakistan state's facile takeaway from 1971 that it was India's doing and not its own, and also illuminated the problematic divisions that exist in Bangladesh's politics today, Zakaria leaves us with the ongoing hardships of those whom have been left stateless in Karachi and at Geneva Camp in Bangladesh.
Anam Zakaria masterfully weaves together a thoroughly researched history of military, diplomatic and judicial affairs with interviews of people in Pakistan and Bangladesh to understand the various truths and lived experiences as events on the ground unravelled. She digs deep to unearth the nuance that is almost always lost in accounts of history, my own included, which dealt only with atrocities of the Pakistan army and not of Mukti Bahini (since I was writing as a Pakistani to influence a Pakistani audience - she also makes mention of my initiative to crowd-source an apology to Bangladeshis). How in Bangladesh, Bengalis claim the trauma of violence as an exclusive experience, i.e. exclude Biharis and pro-Pakistan Bengalis.
She unpacks the internal political tensions between Sheikh Mujibar Rehman, who, like Mohammad Ali Jinnah before him, advocated a weak federal centre, and secessionists, and how Rehman's popularity would likely have fizzled had the outcome of the 1971 election been respected. She takes a look at the textbook accounts of history in Pakistan and compares and contrasts what is taught in state versus private schools. She interviews children in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh to illuminate their understanding.
Unlike most books that cover weighty topics, Zakaria has made this emininently readable, and targeted the lay reader, as one would expect from an empathetic teacher. This in part is facilitated by her use of the first person since the interaction with her respondents provides context to what they say. Her use of first person is never indulgent. What's surprising is how well structured and narrated this is for one who doesn't write for newspapers, work in consulting or come from academia.
Having guided the reader through the worst parts of 1971, illuminated the Pakistan state's facile takeaway from 1971 that it was India's doing and not its own, and also illuminated the problematic divisions that exist in Bangladesh's politics today, Zakaria leaves us with the ongoing hardships of those whom have been left stateless in Karachi and at Geneva Camp in Bangladesh.
October 6, 2021
This book is necessary reading to cement our understanding of a fact that we all need to remember in our personal and public lives—in a conflict, no one side is fully in the right or fully in the wrong.
The author's objectivity is commendable, seeing as she is Pakistani but brought forth a variety of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian points of view without judgement. Definitely recommended for people of the subcontinent.
The author's objectivity is commendable, seeing as she is Pakistani but brought forth a variety of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian points of view without judgement. Definitely recommended for people of the subcontinent.
June 25, 2023
This is possibly the most eye-opening piece of history I have ever read about. That to this day, Bangladesh claims the systematic genocide of 3 million Bengali people by the Pakistan Army and Pakistan admits a number no greater than 30,000 is deeply troubling. Wherever the true number lies, conflicting narratives of the war have been taught and continue to be taught to generations of people in each country. And these unresolved tensions directly contribute to the political hostilities between the three countries today. It is hard to envision a peaceful future for the tripartite without a shared acknowledgement of the legitimacy of Bangladeshi sovereignty, Pakistani violence against Bengalis, Bengali violence against Punjabis, and India's role in inciting violence between them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is as ignorant of South Asian history in the last century as I was. It's a great foundation to understanding the contemporary social and political relations between these three countries. The 1971 liberation war is the bloodiest event in recent history, and it makes for national identities that are much more personal than we might realize from the outside.
My only criticism is that the book might have benefited from some tighter editing. It was slightly repetitive at times and probably could have been cut down by about 50 pages. For just a high level history, I think reading Part 1 is sufficient. I thought the events between 1947 and 1971 were very adequately explained.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is as ignorant of South Asian history in the last century as I was. It's a great foundation to understanding the contemporary social and political relations between these three countries. The 1971 liberation war is the bloodiest event in recent history, and it makes for national identities that are much more personal than we might realize from the outside.
My only criticism is that the book might have benefited from some tighter editing. It was slightly repetitive at times and probably could have been cut down by about 50 pages. For just a high level history, I think reading Part 1 is sufficient. I thought the events between 1947 and 1971 were very adequately explained.
June 3, 2021
It's a really well-written book and it takes you in from the moment go. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in 1971 and its aftermath, especially to the Pakistanis who've no idea how Bangladesh came into being.
It's not a book that is there to tell you what the newly discovered "facts" are or what the "real story" is of 1971. In fact it's a story of multiple stories. Anam is more interested in people's experience of the war; each individual experience is important. And she keeps comparing it to the state narrative and the history books taught in schools and shows how some stories are highlighted by the state and some erased; and how at times the state narrative affects the individual narrative, how at times individual narrative is in reaction to the state narrative or dominant narrative. It's also an easy read. No pretensions of writing something "academic and hard to fathom" and yet it's a very carefully researched book. Excited to read more of Anam's work.
It's not a book that is there to tell you what the newly discovered "facts" are or what the "real story" is of 1971. In fact it's a story of multiple stories. Anam is more interested in people's experience of the war; each individual experience is important. And she keeps comparing it to the state narrative and the history books taught in schools and shows how some stories are highlighted by the state and some erased; and how at times the state narrative affects the individual narrative, how at times individual narrative is in reaction to the state narrative or dominant narrative. It's also an easy read. No pretensions of writing something "academic and hard to fathom" and yet it's a very carefully researched book. Excited to read more of Anam's work.
January 19, 2025
This is the book on 1971 that every South Asian needs to read. It highlights the silences of state narratives in 🇵🇰 & 🇧🇩 that condemn Bengalis in Pk & Biharis in Bd to statelessness & discusses the war as a collective pain rather than an exclusively Bengali/Bangladeshi one.
October 14, 2020
Each nation needs its own myth to survive. On 3 June 1947, four men informed from the broadcasting station of All India Radio to the mass of four hundred million the plan to divide the crowned jewel of the British Empire into two new nation states – India and Pakistan. Over the course of several years since the announcement, close to 2 million people died and 14 million were displaced. The two nation states gained their Independence from the British Raj amidst the blood bath and mayhem of millions of people. In 1971 after a prolonged war, Pakistan was further bifurcated and erstwhile East Pakistan became Bangladesh. Anam Zakaria’s book, 1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, is an inquiry into the people’s memory. There exists an underlying tension between the state-sponsored narrative and people’s memory, often the former influencing the latter through silence, selective remembrance, and half-truths. This book examines the conflict and helps making sense of ourselves.
History is a deeply contested political terrain. To argue otherwise would be to live in the fool’s paradise. As government changes, so do history books taught at schools. History textbooks in India end at 1947, with little to no information about what happened after, as if the march of history stopped there. While in Bangladesh, the government has changed textbooks more than twice over the years including graphic details of violence that occurred during the liberation war and the contested legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In Pakistan, the textbooks at government-run schools are aimed at constructing the enemy, often they are Indians, minorities, and kafirs. A school serves as the first political background wherein the next generation of citizens are given ideological training by the State. The construction of an outside enemy helps the nation to ignore its own failing. The modern post-colonial nation states depend on the narrative of othering to carve their own identity. They need ‘otherness’ to justify their own hegemonic rule and most of the time this comes at the cost of disfranchising their own citizens socially, politically, and economically.
The year 1971 has different meanings to the countries in the subcontinent. For Pakistan, it is the year, when disloyal Bengalis under the influence of Hindu infidels and with the help of Indians rebelled against the Pakistan state, leaving them little choice, but to fight the enemy both within and outside. For Bangladesh, it is the year, when it gained Independence through prolonged struggle and ‘genocide’ caused by Pakistan. For India, it is the year, when it dismembered Pakistan and successfully proved the failure of two-nation theory to the world. Amidst all these state versions of that particular year, Zakaria’s book captures the left out people’s tale of suffering, pain, courage, and grief. These tales make the distinction between the political and private sphere appear superfluous. This book is a rallying cry against the over-simplification of history, as it tries to bring a nuanced understanding through people’s personal history. Over time people’s memory also get entangled with the state narratives and taints one’s opinion. The author conducts several interviews with the people directly affected during the liberation war of 1971 across the three countries. Some of the people interviewed affirm multiple identities – a Bangladeshi Bihari, a Bangladeshi Punjabi, and a Pakistani Bengali, all of the identity in conflict with one another in the present geopolitics of the subcontinent. Looking at the subcontinent through these people’s stories, the Radcliff line gets blurred and the division makes little sense. The book provides a detailed account of present Bangladeshi political discourse, the fractures within the Bangladeshi nationalism and Bengali nationalism, and most specifically the people left out of those discourses.
Zakaria also captures the reactions of the second and third generation from the subcontinent, when they meet her for the first time as a ‘Pakistani’. Most of the younger generation people only grew up listening to the tales of war from popular media and personal histories, often constructing the other as enemy. Her fun exercise as a cultural facilitator, connecting Indian and Pakistan students virtually, and asking them, what is the first image, thought, feeling that comes to their mind, when she says Pakistan-India-Bangladesh, gives us a great insight into how identities are constructed through popular mass media and the author’s own sense of identity. Most of the time, these identities are not as rigid as they are portrayed to be and in the present political environment this becomes the cause of friction. While listening to victim’s story of 1971, the author doesn’t try to disown her country’s past or play blame game. Rather, through people’s stories, she tries to understand it. This at times becomes therapeutical to the people narrating stories of grief and loss, in some cases even unacknowledged by the State.
In the subcontinent, the idea of citizenship has been deeply contested in the present times. Citizenship, as the right to have rights, is closely linked with one’s identity vis-à-vis the nation’s self. The recent Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian Parliament makes an attempt to make our identity rigid and stiff and this will only cause more friction, given the complex colonial history. 1971: A People���s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India serves as a testimony to our shared past, at a time when crossing boundaries is becoming more and more difficult. Zakaria’s answer to our respective government’s project, to paint us all in a single colour, is to see identities in all its different hues and colours. However, the book leaves out narratives of other minority communities who have often suffered colossally in the project of nation-states. For instance, the author does not interview anyone from the Chakma community, who has their own story to tell about the war of liberation. Nonetheless, this book is an important contribution to the literature coming out of the subcontinent. To understand our history better, we need a cross-boundary study of history, wherein historians from the subcontinent can engage and exchange ideas. In the present political environment, one can only hope for that.
published here:
https://cafedissensuseveryday.com/202...
History is a deeply contested political terrain. To argue otherwise would be to live in the fool’s paradise. As government changes, so do history books taught at schools. History textbooks in India end at 1947, with little to no information about what happened after, as if the march of history stopped there. While in Bangladesh, the government has changed textbooks more than twice over the years including graphic details of violence that occurred during the liberation war and the contested legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In Pakistan, the textbooks at government-run schools are aimed at constructing the enemy, often they are Indians, minorities, and kafirs. A school serves as the first political background wherein the next generation of citizens are given ideological training by the State. The construction of an outside enemy helps the nation to ignore its own failing. The modern post-colonial nation states depend on the narrative of othering to carve their own identity. They need ‘otherness’ to justify their own hegemonic rule and most of the time this comes at the cost of disfranchising their own citizens socially, politically, and economically.
The year 1971 has different meanings to the countries in the subcontinent. For Pakistan, it is the year, when disloyal Bengalis under the influence of Hindu infidels and with the help of Indians rebelled against the Pakistan state, leaving them little choice, but to fight the enemy both within and outside. For Bangladesh, it is the year, when it gained Independence through prolonged struggle and ‘genocide’ caused by Pakistan. For India, it is the year, when it dismembered Pakistan and successfully proved the failure of two-nation theory to the world. Amidst all these state versions of that particular year, Zakaria’s book captures the left out people’s tale of suffering, pain, courage, and grief. These tales make the distinction between the political and private sphere appear superfluous. This book is a rallying cry against the over-simplification of history, as it tries to bring a nuanced understanding through people’s personal history. Over time people’s memory also get entangled with the state narratives and taints one’s opinion. The author conducts several interviews with the people directly affected during the liberation war of 1971 across the three countries. Some of the people interviewed affirm multiple identities – a Bangladeshi Bihari, a Bangladeshi Punjabi, and a Pakistani Bengali, all of the identity in conflict with one another in the present geopolitics of the subcontinent. Looking at the subcontinent through these people’s stories, the Radcliff line gets blurred and the division makes little sense. The book provides a detailed account of present Bangladeshi political discourse, the fractures within the Bangladeshi nationalism and Bengali nationalism, and most specifically the people left out of those discourses.
Zakaria also captures the reactions of the second and third generation from the subcontinent, when they meet her for the first time as a ‘Pakistani’. Most of the younger generation people only grew up listening to the tales of war from popular media and personal histories, often constructing the other as enemy. Her fun exercise as a cultural facilitator, connecting Indian and Pakistan students virtually, and asking them, what is the first image, thought, feeling that comes to their mind, when she says Pakistan-India-Bangladesh, gives us a great insight into how identities are constructed through popular mass media and the author’s own sense of identity. Most of the time, these identities are not as rigid as they are portrayed to be and in the present political environment this becomes the cause of friction. While listening to victim’s story of 1971, the author doesn’t try to disown her country’s past or play blame game. Rather, through people’s stories, she tries to understand it. This at times becomes therapeutical to the people narrating stories of grief and loss, in some cases even unacknowledged by the State.
In the subcontinent, the idea of citizenship has been deeply contested in the present times. Citizenship, as the right to have rights, is closely linked with one’s identity vis-à-vis the nation’s self. The recent Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian Parliament makes an attempt to make our identity rigid and stiff and this will only cause more friction, given the complex colonial history. 1971: A People���s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India serves as a testimony to our shared past, at a time when crossing boundaries is becoming more and more difficult. Zakaria’s answer to our respective government’s project, to paint us all in a single colour, is to see identities in all its different hues and colours. However, the book leaves out narratives of other minority communities who have often suffered colossally in the project of nation-states. For instance, the author does not interview anyone from the Chakma community, who has their own story to tell about the war of liberation. Nonetheless, this book is an important contribution to the literature coming out of the subcontinent. To understand our history better, we need a cross-boundary study of history, wherein historians from the subcontinent can engage and exchange ideas. In the present political environment, one can only hope for that.
published here:
https://cafedissensuseveryday.com/202...
February 8, 2023
1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India is a gripping book in the sense that it hits you hard with stories of people who were actually there and had to suffer pain and grief. As I finished this book, I am feeling an emptiness inside; feels like I want more stories from either side. However, the book is an excellent work of collecting people's stories across three nation states. First of all, it gives an account of how much resentment the Bangladeshis hold against Pakistan. As the case was at the time of the events taking place, Pakistanis are still distant from the truth of what actually was happening in East Pakistan around 1971.
As a person having a punjabi background, this book is a real eye opener for me. The people of Bangladesh saw Pakistan Army as representative of punjabis' control over East and West Wings of Pakistan. This fact is also seconded by 'Dead Reckoning' by Sarmilla Bose wherein she mentions that Bangalis had bitter memories of and suffered maltreatment at the hands of punjabi soldiers only.
The book also mentions that each nation i.e. Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, have their own notion of what was the truth behind the events that led to events of 1971. Each nation believes that they were on the right side of history; each one a victim of circumstances and how each one was pushed to do things, they didn't want to do.
Also, religion remains a recurring theme and keeps on impacting and molding the national psyche of the three nations. Despite the claim by Ms. Indira Gandhi of India that after the establishment of Bangladesh, the two nation theory had sank, a number of people still draw boundaries when it comes to religion in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Summing up, the book is an excellent read and every Pakistani needs to read it. This could be the first step in accepting the actual truth about the events of 1971 instead of each nation having its own version of truth.
As a person having a punjabi background, this book is a real eye opener for me. The people of Bangladesh saw Pakistan Army as representative of punjabis' control over East and West Wings of Pakistan. This fact is also seconded by 'Dead Reckoning' by Sarmilla Bose wherein she mentions that Bangalis had bitter memories of and suffered maltreatment at the hands of punjabi soldiers only.
The book also mentions that each nation i.e. Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, have their own notion of what was the truth behind the events that led to events of 1971. Each nation believes that they were on the right side of history; each one a victim of circumstances and how each one was pushed to do things, they didn't want to do.
Also, religion remains a recurring theme and keeps on impacting and molding the national psyche of the three nations. Despite the claim by Ms. Indira Gandhi of India that after the establishment of Bangladesh, the two nation theory had sank, a number of people still draw boundaries when it comes to religion in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Summing up, the book is an excellent read and every Pakistani needs to read it. This could be the first step in accepting the actual truth about the events of 1971 instead of each nation having its own version of truth.
December 2, 2021
“Don't ask me who killed whom, who raped whom, what was the religion, ethnic, or linguistic background of the people who died in the war. The victims in the war were the women of this country - mothers who lost children, sisters who lost their brothers, wives who lost their husbands, women who lost everything, their honour and dignity. In the war, men victimized women.”
This quote kind of summarizes the tone of the book, one of the best history books I ever read.
I was on a trip to Kolkata and I picked up this book from a bookshop. I started reading it on the plane on my way back home and I couldn’t stop.
The whole book is written completely from the point of view of the victims of this war. It does not give any statistics, politics, speeches by politicians, lengthy analysis by experts, none. Just the account of the people who suffered from these events and how they continue to suffer from them. How these events shape the outlook of the people of these three countries, again explained through eyewitness accounts, particularly from school children.
I have rarely read any history book written with such fairness, truthfulness and compassion, not even Howard Zinn. Of course I am more interested in these stories than stories about other countries. But even if I looked at it objectively, I must say the author touched my heart with her words, almost made me cry.
I would have given it a six star if I could. An absolute must read for every person from the subcontinent and beyond.
This quote kind of summarizes the tone of the book, one of the best history books I ever read.
I was on a trip to Kolkata and I picked up this book from a bookshop. I started reading it on the plane on my way back home and I couldn’t stop.
The whole book is written completely from the point of view of the victims of this war. It does not give any statistics, politics, speeches by politicians, lengthy analysis by experts, none. Just the account of the people who suffered from these events and how they continue to suffer from them. How these events shape the outlook of the people of these three countries, again explained through eyewitness accounts, particularly from school children.
I have rarely read any history book written with such fairness, truthfulness and compassion, not even Howard Zinn. Of course I am more interested in these stories than stories about other countries. But even if I looked at it objectively, I must say the author touched my heart with her words, almost made me cry.
I would have given it a six star if I could. An absolute must read for every person from the subcontinent and beyond.
January 3, 2021
History is a fickle thing. People have their own interpretation of history whether that's right or wrong. 1971's war is just like that.
The writer did a great job of bringing up all the POVs.
Writer's own prejudice came up during the story couple of times but that's natural for every human being.
The writer did a great job of bringing up all the POVs.
Writer's own prejudice came up during the story couple of times but that's natural for every human being.
January 15, 2024
3.75/5
sheds light on a brutal war that was more nuanced than we were taught. sometimes repetitive.
sheds light on a brutal war that was more nuanced than we were taught. sometimes repetitive.
July 21, 2022
Over the past 12 years, Anam has done a wonderful job bridging the divide and tension between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh through her books, as a panelist and cultural exchange between students of the three countries. She is also a gifted oral historian and has captured the tragedy and the pain of Partition and the Bangladeshi liberation war from people who went through it from all the countries. She has done her best to present the subject material in as objective of a manner as possible. I give her credit for attempting to unlearn and relearn what she was taught from the Pakistani state narrative. Most people will not do that.
I have found some information gaps in her writing which includes this wonderful book. She goes on and on in her talks and books (this one too) about the role The Muslim League played in Partitioning India and that Congress contributed to it too. She also emphasized how much Indian Muslims wanted Pakistan and fought for it. Fine. But here is what irks me about her.
Ms. Zakaria repeatedly brings up how there is little to no education in Indian school text books about the Pakistan movement (and South Asian Muslim nationalism that emerged in the 30s and 40s). In the same way, there also is nothing in Pakistani textbooks about the fact that there were many Indian Muslim freedom fighters who believed in composite nationalism and fought for India’s independence. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Congress leader), Allah Bux Soomro (Governor of Sind) and Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi and Pathan from NWFP) are but a few names.
Just as the meeting for the Lahore Resolution took place in 1940 demanding Pakistan, the All
India Azad Muslim Conference (Indian Muslims who were against Partition) took place the same year in Delhi speaking out against Partition. One third of South Asia’s Muslims remained in India at the time of Partition, and many Indian Muslims of the upper class were neither eager nor interested in migrating to Pakistan.
Why is this information absent in this book? Isn't it important for Pakistanis to know the above if Indians should know about the Pakistan movement? How about Bangladeshis? People should be presented the varied opinions and views that South Asia's Muslims had about Pakistan, Partition and the wrongdoing of the Pakistani state towards the Bengali Muslims of East Pakistani that led to Bangladesh.
I have found some information gaps in her writing which includes this wonderful book. She goes on and on in her talks and books (this one too) about the role The Muslim League played in Partitioning India and that Congress contributed to it too. She also emphasized how much Indian Muslims wanted Pakistan and fought for it. Fine. But here is what irks me about her.
Ms. Zakaria repeatedly brings up how there is little to no education in Indian school text books about the Pakistan movement (and South Asian Muslim nationalism that emerged in the 30s and 40s). In the same way, there also is nothing in Pakistani textbooks about the fact that there were many Indian Muslim freedom fighters who believed in composite nationalism and fought for India’s independence. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Congress leader), Allah Bux Soomro (Governor of Sind) and Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi and Pathan from NWFP) are but a few names.
Just as the meeting for the Lahore Resolution took place in 1940 demanding Pakistan, the All
India Azad Muslim Conference (Indian Muslims who were against Partition) took place the same year in Delhi speaking out against Partition. One third of South Asia’s Muslims remained in India at the time of Partition, and many Indian Muslims of the upper class were neither eager nor interested in migrating to Pakistan.
Why is this information absent in this book? Isn't it important for Pakistanis to know the above if Indians should know about the Pakistan movement? How about Bangladeshis? People should be presented the varied opinions and views that South Asia's Muslims had about Pakistan, Partition and the wrongdoing of the Pakistani state towards the Bengali Muslims of East Pakistani that led to Bangladesh.
November 2, 2023
Brilliant and at the same time one of the most horrifying books I've ever read. This book is the antidote to all those mindless war action films which glorify wars in the most unrealistic way possible. The reality is far more brutal. Pakistani's should be ashamed how they treated their fellow east Pakistanis and its a travesty that those mindsets are still prevalent in the country today in 2023. 52 years after the separation of eastern wing, instead of learning our lesson and treating all ethnicities equally, the security apparatus of the country has become more rabid. Now they are busy in suppressing Baloch's struggle for economic emancipation. We have clearly not learnt our lesson. The decision to not hand over power to Sheikh Mujib and the constant vilifying of Bengali culture and language proved to be disastrous.
More horrifying was the decision to launch operation 'searchlight' and suppress the just movement the Bengali's were fighting for. The book shows how disastrous actions lead to disastrous consequences. So many innocent Bengali and Bihari men, women and children were slaughtered mercilessly by the Pakistani army and the Bengali freedom fighters. The seeds of discontent and hatred were sown by a handful of elite power-brokers who were intent on serving their selfish interests at the cost of blood.
The Pakistani government should 100% acknowledge the folly of their actions and apologize to Bangladesh. Although futile at this point, its the least we can do.
More horrifying was the decision to launch operation 'searchlight' and suppress the just movement the Bengali's were fighting for. The book shows how disastrous actions lead to disastrous consequences. So many innocent Bengali and Bihari men, women and children were slaughtered mercilessly by the Pakistani army and the Bengali freedom fighters. The seeds of discontent and hatred were sown by a handful of elite power-brokers who were intent on serving their selfish interests at the cost of blood.
The Pakistani government should 100% acknowledge the folly of their actions and apologize to Bangladesh. Although futile at this point, its the least we can do.
October 23, 2024
Nearly, on every page (if not, then on every 3 pages) the reader would feel, the writer felt she is a Pakistani and for long, she was unaware of the incidents of 1971. That concern made this book more interesting. Not as just a reader, but a Bangladeshi, enthusiastic on academic and peoples' history, I was occupied with every word of this book. Firstly, I was keen to know how a Pakistani saw 1971, though I knew many of them (specially who writes) know better than the 'public'. In this book, Anam clarified that she was much unaware but came to know more about 1971 when she was working on partition and then she started research on 1971.
This book is a journey of Anam herself, to go through the war of 1971. And here she didn't just compiled data but went door to door, talked to people to know and let the readers know 'the peoples' history'. The writer went to Bangladesh, met many of the 'pro-liberation' people. She took interviews of Pakistani people who were in 'east Pakistan' in 1971. Anam interviewed 'bihari' people stuck in Bangladesh and also Bangladeshis stuck in Pakistan.
This book brings us the perception of different people, how they see 1971. Anam reviewed the textbooks of both the countries and also of India. She also projected light on how the three countries Institutionalized the history as per their interest. Apart from knowing first hand experiences of war victims, the projections are also interesting. And the best thing, Anam judged a little.
This book is a journey of Anam herself, to go through the war of 1971. And here she didn't just compiled data but went door to door, talked to people to know and let the readers know 'the peoples' history'. The writer went to Bangladesh, met many of the 'pro-liberation' people. She took interviews of Pakistani people who were in 'east Pakistan' in 1971. Anam interviewed 'bihari' people stuck in Bangladesh and also Bangladeshis stuck in Pakistan.
This book brings us the perception of different people, how they see 1971. Anam reviewed the textbooks of both the countries and also of India. She also projected light on how the three countries Institutionalized the history as per their interest. Apart from knowing first hand experiences of war victims, the projections are also interesting. And the best thing, Anam judged a little.
June 12, 2021
This books sheds light on the subjective accounts of the people, who suffered firsthand during the 1971 unrest occurred between East & West Pakistan, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh. Anam Zakaria set her course to find out the personal truths, 46 years after the war happened; in pursuit of extracting the memories still lingering in the back of minds, the traumas still haunting.
East Pakistan had been the victim of extreme neglect and prejudice right after the creation of Pakistan in 1947; starting from the language movement of 1950s. The Bengali People were subjected to racism, exploitation, looked down upon, by the West Pakistanis in general, and Punjabis in particular, in every possible way. The hatred continued to pimp inside the Bengalis and over the course of years, transformed into a separate nationalism of their own. The books doesn’t justify the role of either party to the atrocities committed; it just makes the personal stories and personal sufferings come to light, & the imagination is left to the reader. I just wish the book wasn’t too dragging, as Anam Zakaria would rant a lot about her own feelings right into the middle of a personal story.
East Pakistan had been the victim of extreme neglect and prejudice right after the creation of Pakistan in 1947; starting from the language movement of 1950s. The Bengali People were subjected to racism, exploitation, looked down upon, by the West Pakistanis in general, and Punjabis in particular, in every possible way. The hatred continued to pimp inside the Bengalis and over the course of years, transformed into a separate nationalism of their own. The books doesn’t justify the role of either party to the atrocities committed; it just makes the personal stories and personal sufferings come to light, & the imagination is left to the reader. I just wish the book wasn’t too dragging, as Anam Zakaria would rant a lot about her own feelings right into the middle of a personal story.
March 20, 2022
What an amazing book! I loved how Zakaria juxtaposed contrasting narratives of 1971 to provide a more nuanced picture of events. The experiences of some survivors was hard-hitting and frankly shocking.
My only critiques of 1971 would be at times the analysis could be repetitive. I would have like to hear more disparate voices (including more women and more ethno-religious minority groups from Bangladesh eg the Chakma people and Christians). Given the very limited timeframe Zakaria was given on her Bangladeshi visa and the difficulties of conducting these interviews as a Pakistani these limitations are completely understandable.
I think it would have also strengthened the book if more Indian oral histories were included, although I appreciate that beyond Indian states bordering on Bangladesh, 1971 is often either collectively forgotten or reduced to a victory in the latest of a series of Indo-Pakistani conflicts.
My only critiques of 1971 would be at times the analysis could be repetitive. I would have like to hear more disparate voices (including more women and more ethno-religious minority groups from Bangladesh eg the Chakma people and Christians). Given the very limited timeframe Zakaria was given on her Bangladeshi visa and the difficulties of conducting these interviews as a Pakistani these limitations are completely understandable.
I think it would have also strengthened the book if more Indian oral histories were included, although I appreciate that beyond Indian states bordering on Bangladesh, 1971 is often either collectively forgotten or reduced to a victory in the latest of a series of Indo-Pakistani conflicts.
July 24, 2020
An amazing read on the cause and effect of 1971 on the three people who were once one.. the bosses of all three towards each other the official narrative by the respective states which only give their version of the conflict.. the left over people in states where they are forced to stay but are not welcome.. Makes me think of moments history if the community and polity could have been more magnanimous.. the story could have been different.. A Truely unbiased writing brings out the various nuances of the situation of those times and our current biases some due to history and some due to official narratives
June 11, 2025
I was fortunate to be recommended this book. I, in turn, recommend it for anyone seeking to gain an understanding of how post-war narratives can be spun for generations. In the case of Bangladesh and countries adjacent there have been three differing narratives of who was victimized and who was responsible for war crimes committed against minorities and refugees during the 1971 Bangladeshi war. They say truth is written by the victor, but the origins and reasons for this war are obscured for the citizens of each country including, to this day, those of Bangladesh. An excellent analysis and contrast to the unprecedented obfuscation going on in our media right now.
July 7, 2020
One of the very best books on contemporary history I have read in recent times.
The book contains detailed accounts of people from the countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, through which the author has tried to shed light on events prior to, post and during 1971, the year of Bangladeshi independence.
An interesting way to capture history, by focussing on people rather than events, which takes us on a journey across time and borders.
On a lighter note, I had always wondered about the reasons for the immense support given to Pakistan by Bangladeshi fans during Indo-Pak cricket matches, which interestingly the author has also tried to address in her book.
A must read for anyone interested in an account of these times.
The book contains detailed accounts of people from the countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, through which the author has tried to shed light on events prior to, post and during 1971, the year of Bangladeshi independence.
An interesting way to capture history, by focussing on people rather than events, which takes us on a journey across time and borders.
On a lighter note, I had always wondered about the reasons for the immense support given to Pakistan by Bangladeshi fans during Indo-Pak cricket matches, which interestingly the author has also tried to address in her book.
A must read for anyone interested in an account of these times.
July 25, 2023
Liked the book. From history perspective it showed a new way of looking at it. From the learning’s through interacting with all the supposed parties. And within each parties meeting multiple players.
Was interested in knowing how government narratives at different point of time will lead to lies (their version) through TV, books, news, etc.
Also to understand how people’s who were left with nation of not their religion majority are being treated post their lives over the years.
Was interested in knowing how government narratives at different point of time will lead to lies (their version) through TV, books, news, etc.
Also to understand how people’s who were left with nation of not their religion majority are being treated post their lives over the years.
September 3, 2024
My first foray into the history and creation of Bangladesh, along with the complex relationship that she and her sister nations hold. To the best of my knowledge, it is an incredibly impartial amalgamation of diverse experiences and retellings of the events surrounding Bangladesh's birth. Anam Zakaria's 1971 is a necessary work in exposing the difficult reality of Bangladesh's war for independence, both before its inception and after, including the many atrocities.
December 22, 2022
One of the best reads of the year for me. The author objectively highlighted the experiences and perceptions of the people from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India on 1971. State narratives on war like 1971 has always been one sided, but the author explored all of the points of views without trying to find the "truth". Highly recommended!
July 17, 2023
The highlight of this were the personal narratives and oral histories of the war, particularly the focus on people whose suffering/loses exceed or trouble state narrative of victim/victor, and the experiences of communities often occluded by state narratives. Agreed with the review that it could have been more tightly edited as it does get a little repetitive.
July 31, 2023
This book covers the intricacies of 1971 in a comprehensive way. Anam has given the pre and post 1971, a 360 degree coverage. It also list the impact of 1971 specifically in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and somewhat in India. Great read to understand the dynamics of 1971 and understand existing parallels in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.
March 6, 2024
Listened to the audiobook from Audible.com
Very good balanced account of the violent birth of Bangla Desh and the states role in creating their own historical narrative.
As Zakaria writes "The truth IS contradictions.
This book should be required reading in Bangla Desh high schools but it won't.
I will definitely read more by Anam Zakaria.
Very good balanced account of the violent birth of Bangla Desh and the states role in creating their own historical narrative.
As Zakaria writes "The truth IS contradictions.
This book should be required reading in Bangla Desh high schools but it won't.
I will definitely read more by Anam Zakaria.
February 4, 2025
2.5 rounded up
Let's make something clear - a People's History is not a collection of memoirs, and that's what this book is about.
There are no dialectical wires connecting events with the history from below, so how can you have a People's History?
Also, avoid it if it's your first read about Bangladesh or 1971.
The 3 stars are given out of sympathy for reading this while in Bangladesh.
Let's make something clear - a People's History is not a collection of memoirs, and that's what this book is about.
There are no dialectical wires connecting events with the history from below, so how can you have a People's History?
Also, avoid it if it's your first read about Bangladesh or 1971.
The 3 stars are given out of sympathy for reading this while in Bangladesh.
March 13, 2024
this book was very informative in learning about the different first hand recollections and stories of the war in 1971. it’s a good intro to reading more about the history surrounding the conception of bangladesh and the violence that was involved
September 14, 2024
A detailed review of how three countries looked at the happenings of 1971 when a new nation- Bangladesh - was born. I found it a bit repetitive, saying the same thing in different words in different chapters.
March 19, 2021
Reading this was a cathartic experience - highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of South Asia
April 14, 2021
Beautifully captures different perspectives to beat propaganda and bring an unbiased history infront of readers.
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