BENGALI REPRESENTATION IN PAKISTAN DEFENCE FORCES (1947-1971): A REVISIT

This article revisits the contentious issue of the under-representation of Bengalis in the defense forces of united Pakistan from 1947 to 1971. It provides a historical and statistical analysis of the recruitment policies and practices of the Pakistan military, which was dominated by personnel from the western wing, particularly from Punjab. The study examines the colonial-era "martial races" theory, which was inherited and perpetuated by the Pakistani military establishment to justify the low recruitment of Bengalis. The research explores the political consequences of this institutionalized discrimination, arguing that it was a major source of grievance for East Pakistan and a key factor in the growing sense of alienation that ultimately led to the Bangladesh liberation movement. The paper concludes that the exclusionary nature of the military was a powerful symbol and a core component of the broader system of internal colonialism that was imposed on the Bengali population.

The composition of the defense forces was one of the most significant and politically charged issues in the history of united Pakistan. This paper revisits the question of Bengali representation, or the lack thereof, in the military from 1947 to 1971. The study begins by providing hard statistical data that illustrates the stark disparity in the representation of personnel from the eastern and western wings at all levels of the armed forces. The core of the article is a historical analysis of the reasons for this disparity. It debunks the official justifications by tracing their origins to the British colonial "martial races" theory, a pseudo-scientific ideology that classified certain ethnic groups as inherently more suitable for military service than others. The paper argues that this colonial construct was enthusiastically adopted by the West Pakistani military elite to maintain its institutional dominance. The second part of the study examines the profound political implications of this policy. It shows how the military, as the most powerful institution in the state, became a symbol of West Pakistani domination. The paper argues that the consistent refusal of the central government to address the Bengali demands for a fair share in the defense services was a crucial factor in the radicalization of Bengali nationalism. The findings underscore that the issue was not merely one of employment, but was a fundamental question of political power, national identity, and the very nature of the Pakistani state.