Bangladesh to figure in PM’s foreign tour
From Our London Office, September 4.-Though a general impression persists in the West that the main purpose of Mrs. Gandhi’s mission abroad towards the end of next month is to see how far the Nixon Administration is committed to Pakistan and how the scope for Indo-American understanding can be widened, it is quite significant that serious Indo-British summit talks which Mrs. Gandhi is scheduled to have with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Heath, during her official visit to Britain at the invitation of Mr. Heath-are being arranged to cover bilateral issues and urgent international problems, particularly Bangladesh and to reach understandings.
The venue for their talks is likely to be the British Premier’s country residence at Chequers where two or three long sessions may be held in addition to other sessions.
It is gathered here that the British and India Governments have already agreed that the Indo-British summit talks should be meaningful and farreaching notably on Bangladesh whose envoy in Europe, Mr. Abu Chowdhury, implied (when he inaugurated the Bangladesh mission in London last week and assured the status of “High Commissioner to the UK”) that Bangladesh would remain within the Commonwealth.
Britain has already taken it for granted when her officials in London met “un-officially” Mr. Chowdhury, Britain seems to believe that India’s recognition of Bangladesh is fast approaching and that such a measure does not mean India’s war on Pakistan. But it Pakistani rulers take it as an excuse to attack India militarily. India will be forced to accept the challenge.
Although apparently Pak-British relations appear strained after Pakistan’s several protests to Britain, the Heath Government maintains good contact with them and has pressed them again to release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and open negotiations with them. Mr. Peter Shore, a former Labour Cabinet Minister told Sir Alec Douglas Home after his visit to the Indo- Bangladesh border that Bangladesh had come to stay and that the Pakistani rulers should be made to realise it and take measures for Pakistan’s “disengagement” now from Bangladesh before it becomes too late. If such negotiations are not opened by the Pakistani rulers before Mrs. Gandhi’s visit to Britain, the Heath Government would be forced to recommend to the Aid Pakistan Consortium next month not to resume aid to Pakistan without which even West Pakistan itself would be in trouble.
The activities of the Mukti Bahini in Bangladesh have been intensified and famine conditions in the Pakistani occupied parts of Bangladesh have aggravated the situation.
Britain shares India’s view that only a political settlement acceptable to Bangladesh can enable refugees to return to their country. Britain also seems to agree with India that the appointment of Dr. Malik as civilian Governor for what was East Pakistan and his expected Council of Ministers will not bring a political solution any nearer. Rather there are going to aggravate the situation.
A daughter of Dr. Malik and her husband, who are living abraod, have denounced him, top East Bengali sources close to the couple said in London.
The daughter had written a letter to her father that he should not take the post and that she and her husband would regard his acceptance of the Governorship as a sign of “his senility”. They also fear that the Mukti Bahini forces would look upon the Governordesignate and his would-be Ministers as ‘collaborators’ of Pakistan’s occupation forces responsible—along with the Pakistani rulers in Rawalpindi-for the present sufferings and deaths of East Bengalis in Bangladesh.
Both the Indian and British Prime Ministers are expected to deal with some bilateral questions.
Although the question of China’s admission to the UN will be raised at the next session of the General Assembly, both agree that China’s admission may not come about this year unless China accepts the two-China theory of the USA or the USA betrays the Republic of China based in Formosa. Chances of either are almost nil.
India has also made known that she would support any move for the admission of West Germany and East Germany separately into the UN. Britain has not yet indicated her intention but if it is true that the West German Government is not inclined to oppose East Germany’s UNO membership, Britain and the US are not going to oppose it.
The question of Bangladesh is bound to be raised at the General Assembly. India will not take any initiative for it but she has made it in won to Britain and others that she is quite prepared for it.
Both the USA and Britain may have indicated that they would like Mrs. Gandhi to accept President Yahya Khan’s invitation for talks anywhere and at any time but they also note the force of arguments that such talks would be counterproductive without a political settlement in East Bengal. Talks at this stage can hardly assist in bringing about a political settlement in East Bengal where, short of Independence from West Pakistan, nothing will satisfy East Bengalis.
Agencies add : Mrs. Gandhi will be in the US from November 3 to 7 in the course of her forthcoming tour abroad.
The State visit to the US will take place at the conclusion of her State visit to the UK.
Bonn’s stand
West German officials and Government leaders are looking forward to Mrs. Gandhi’s visit to Bonn projected for the middle of November for wide-ranging discussions in Indo-German economic cooperation and political problems involving Bangladesh.
Boon officials have expressed concern at the situation in East Bengal and its potential for conflict. They gave their assessment that the dangers of an Indo-Pakistan conflict had been averted or at least lessened by the Indo-Soviet treaty and showed keen awareness of the economic and other problems facing Indian because of the Bangladesh situation and the huge influx of refugees into India.
Boon is one of the leading aid givers to both India and Pakistan. Last year Bonn gave India 270 million Deutsche marks including 110 million for debt rescheduling while Pakistan got 150 million.
The policy that Bonn might follow in the matter of aid to India is likely to be formalised only after Mrs. Gandhi’s visit and subsequent bilateral talks of economic officials of the two countries.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 4.9.1971