Dhaka, March 29 -- We had developed an assignment in our history course where we would ask the students to write a research based essay on 1971 events, As it is, the topic is not a popular one and the younger generation has drifted away from the issue due to many reasons including politicization of history.

However, what we would do is ask the youngsters to talk to their family members and find out about 1971 history. In other words, the switch was from a "national" history to a "family'' history and the result was amazing. Suddenly the scenario changed as the children could talk to their grandparents about what happened in 1971, matters of their own past that they had not shared with their own family.

The students reporting on the assi...