The schoolboy soldier
Anisur Rahman is moved by some battlefield stories
The superbly driven narrative tales in Mazibar Rahman Khoka's book Ekjon Kishor Muktijoddhar Juddhakatha have exposed the state of the mind of a young boy and his spirit, connecting many diverse happenings during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971. The 110-page work is a collection of Khoka's reflections, obsevations and memories featuring his participation in processions as a schoolboy and then as a freedom fighter overwhelmed with confidence, courage, commitment, dreams and aspirations. One notes, though, that the writer presents many parallel issues in line with his days in Natore, Brahmanbaria, training camps in India, his accounts of fighting against the Pakistan occupation army and cooperation from the poor Bengalis. Such images are drawn in a subtle way. At the beginning of the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, juvenile freedom fighter Khoka's original intention was to manage permission from his family to flee to India for training in order to fight against Pakistan. Anyway, it was not tough for him as his family was too involved in the war and convinced of the urgency of Khoka's participation in the war. His father helped him in attaining his objectives. The writer also makes observations of the discrimination between the two separate parts of what used to be a single Pakistan, the arrogance of West Pakistani ruling elements, class divides, hypocrisy of razakars or collaborators, heinous faces of Pakistani soldiers, poor Bengalis' sacrifices, their patriotism and much more. And thus, Khoka, an eminent publisher by profession, is now winning attention as a writer too. Khoka grew up in different muffasil towns as his father was a government official who had postings at ifferent places. Their ancestral home is in Brahmanbaria, but when the Liberation War started, their family was in Natore. As now the issue of trial of war crminals has seen a boom in media and politics, opening up a much wider space for the republic, such a book will certainly strengthen the initiative as well. Such a book presented by a young freedom fighter will inspire this generation and those to come in future as well. Readers will make note of the bourgeois political nature in some political leaders even in 1971 along side the poor people's progressive, sacrificial as well as secular spirit. The writer has keenly accounted all of these in his memoirs. Khoka's mindset as a young freedom fighter was so strong because he could dare to argue with his commanders regarding a commencement of operations against the Pakistani forces and their collaborators the razakars. The book will hopefully make young readers curious about the country's liberation war and when they read these tales and reflections, one hopes that they will be in such a state of mind as to start to think of the stories as their own. As a result, it is expected, they too will raise their collective voice in ensuring the trial of war criminals --- the notorious killers of women, children and men in 1971. Khoka will be causing most excitement to the young, having grown up in in a liberal progressive atmosphere. The work is a reflection of his days in training camps as well as on the fields of war. Readers will also come across many more personal tales that are naturally connected with Khoka's days on the battlefield. My teacher Serajul Islam Chowdhury has written in the introduction of the book that Khoka has done rewarding good work by participating in the Liberation War of Bangladesh and, additionally, has done the finest work by narrating the tales connected with his participation in the war. The writer deserves thanks twice. Moreover, through this book, publisher cum writer Mazibar Rahman Khoka has come up with art, with a real sense of urgency and personal commitment. Yes, commitment to war, to country, to people and of course to readers.
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