On 15 October, a couple of United States Congressmen placed a proposed resolution in the House of Representatives urging US President Joe Biden to consider recognising the atrocities committed by the Armed Forces of Pakistan in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
US Congressman Steve Chabot (Republican), in association with Congressman of Indian origin Ro Khanna (Democrat), urged Biden to recognise the 1971 genocide as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The resolution is eight pages long and is titled “Recognising the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971” and primarily focuses on the active role played by the Pakistan army along with all its functioning ancillary units in the active involvement of mass rape and genocide committed in 1971.
“Proud to join Rep Steve Chabot in introducing the first resolution commemorating the 1971 Bengali Genocide in which millions of ethnic Bengalis and Hindus were killed or displaced in one of the most forgotten genocides of our time,” said Ro Khanna, a US Congressman of Indian origin, on Twitter following the submission of the resolution on October 15. “We must not let the years erase the memory of the millions who were massacred. Recognising the genocide strengthens the historical record, educates our fellow Americans, and lets would-be perpetrators know such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten, “Chabot, a Republican Party member, said in a tweet. The West Pakistani establishment, including the deep state at its core, was fiercely against the opinion of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Awami League President) being the supreme leader of Pakistan who won an absolute democratic majority mandate in the 1970 general elections. They devised a heinous plan, a conspiracy to destroy Bengali unity and ensure that their hopes and liberation would be forgotten for all time. A military crackdown codenamed Operation Searchlight was launched on March 26th, 1971 by the army and its collaborators. Hundreds of thousands innocent civilian, men women and children were mercilessly murdered and ravaged throughout East Pakistan.