Prabhupāda: What was the condition at that time, general, during the war?

Prabhupāda: What was the condition at that time, general, during the war?

Gargamuni: There was starvation immediately. There was no food in the whole city. I was living on cāpāṭis. That’s all we had. Course, we were very nervous, so we couldn’t eat so much anyway because there was so much going on in the city—bombings, firing. And most of the army—they imported the army from Pakistan—these men were six feet tall.

Prabhupāda: Pathan. Pathan.

Gargamuni: Yes. Very huge men. So in comparison to the Bengali, they were very small. So they were very fearful of these fighters. The whole Pakistani army was made of these Pathans. And all of the equipment was imported from America, all the tanks, the jeeps, all the planes and—all American. When I was there, there were many doctors and lawyers, and I think all of them have been murdered.

Prabhupāda: Acchā.

Gargamuni: I think the only Hindus that are left are the poor people. But while I was there the teachers and the lawyers—the most prominent lawyer was Hindu—doctors, all educated men…

Prabhupāda: Dead.

Gargamuni: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Just see the policy.

Gargamuni: But they annihilated all, anyone who had any education. Just like that boy, he was translating your books? They shot him in front of firing squad. One boy. I printed one book there in Bengali. I think three thousand copies: The Peace Formula and Who is Crazy. It was about fifteen pages. They gave me some donation. His name was Gopāla Kṛṣṇa brahmacārī. He also gave me from his pocket. And I printed… We had it translated in Bengali.

Prabhupāda: He was killed?

Gargamuni: Yes, for translating. He was shot. Not him, but this other brahmacārī, young boy, very nice boy. They wanted to annihilate anyone who had any literary talent. That was their idea.(Pakistan) Or anyone who had any education. So that after they left the country there wouldn’t be anything. Because they knew they had to leave one day because of the revolutionary spirit. So they thought, “Let us ravage the whole country and then leave.” And that’s what they did. Their main attack was the university. When I was there that was their first attack, ’cause that university was a very old one

Prabhupāda: Yes, Dacca University next to Calcutta University. Just see how human beings are becoming less than ferocious animals.

Gargamuni: Even one man, he was making a plaque in your name in thankfulness for preaching this Vaiṣṇava dharma. He was making a wooden plaque, and he was a doctor of physics at the university. And one night they came in and shot him and his whole family.He was very helpful to us while we were there.

Prabhupāda: Only fault that he was making some…

Gargamuni: No, his fault is that he had some education. Anyone who was doing anything. This one boy who was translating your books, he was a very educated person. He was about thirty years old.

Prabhupāda: Hindu.

Gargamuni: Hindu. Yes. He was brahmacārī there at the āśrama. He was the chief pūjārī. But he joined us. We toured a few areas, and he came with us and arranged for everything. And he joined us, and he was translating. And we printed the book. I saw it. But then the war broke out a few days after it was ready, so I had to leave all the copies there.

Prabhupāda: What Pakistan has gained by this separation? Actually they have not gained.

Gargamuni: Oh, they haven’t gained anything.

Prabhupāda: Karachi is finished. Nobody goes there.

Gargamuni: No. It’s a desert. I have been there. It’s horrible place.

Prabhupāda: When you went there?

Gargamuni: When I came from Dacca there was only one flight a day because of the war. They could not overfly India, so there was one flight a day from Dacca to Ceylon to Karachi.

Prabhupāda: Oh, long distance.

Gargamuni: Yes. Very long flight. So I was number 15,000 on the list. Everybody camped out at the airport. Because of the war, everyone wanted to leave. So there was a line of 15,000 people. They gave me my number; I was 15,000. So we waited at the airport. I said, “I can’t wait here,” because the bombs were dropping and the tanks were coming and the troops were coming and… I said, “I gotta get out of here.” So I spoke with the commander, and I played him a tape of kīrtana. I had a tape, and they… All the officers, they were Mussulmen from Pakistan, and they started clapping: “Oh, kīrtana,” you know. So I asked him, “Could you allow me to go on board before all the others? There’s no use in us staying here. Who knows what will happen? We are foreigners.” We were dressed as sādhus also. So he allowed us to go on in front of everyone. So we managed to leave.=> Room Conversation — January 19, 1977, Bhubaneswar

[Note: This is the only flight I ever made with flying chickens and goats in the aisles of the plane cabin–flight time from Dacca to Karachi–22hrs]

[In the last three years the ‘Mullah’ responsible for the Hindu Genicide in 1971 was tried and Hanged by the Bangladeshi Gov’t]