Confidence-Creating Settlement Only Solution
Form Our Special Representative, LONDON, JULY 1 – Prince Sadruddin, the U. N. Commissioner for Refugees said here yesterday that it was accepted on all hands that only a political settlement which would create confidence would induce the refugees in India to return home.
Addressing a crowded Press conference, after his meetings with British Ministers and officials the Prince was at pains to project his impartiality on the refugee question and he said he was neither a pro-Pakistani nor a pro-Indian but only “pro refugee”. He explained that India had made it clear that it would not accept the Pakistani refugees as a permanent liability. And it was this insistence which had made him stay longer in Pakistan, because it was his responsibility to create conditions for the refugees return home.
The Prince said India had given him the figure of five million refugees and it was on this basis that supplies were being organized. According to his information, only 15,000 refugees had gone back to East Bengal.
Prince Sadruddin disclosed that Governments the world over had so far pledged $43 million for refugee relief and some of them had told him this ineney could also be spent in Pakistan if a substantial flow of refugees went back.
The Prince was asked to comment on General Tikka Khan’s assertion that India was preventing the refugees from returning. He said there was no evidence of India doing such a thing. Another interesting point he made was that India was using her buffer food stocks to feed refugees and these would have to be replenished.
Asked about the possibility of a meaningful international presence in the refugee area, he said he personally felt it was up to the Government, especially major Governments to give serious consideration to such a presence, adds Reuter.
He described the refugee influx as the greatest humanitarian problem the U. N. had faced. “I hope international interest will remain alive”, he said, “otherwise India and indeed the whole world will face a very serious crisis.”
Prince Sadruddin, whose small U. N. Office was asked by Secretary-General U Thant to act as the focal point for aid to Bangladesh refugees, said as far as he knew, there was no time limit on his mandate. He hoped that the new assignment would not impinge on his office’s work in other areas of need such as Africa and the Middle East.
Asked about recent reports quoting him as indicating conditions were returning to normal in Pakistan the High Commissioner said he had been misquoted or quoted out of context. During his visit to Pakistan, he had received full cooperation but had visited only part of the country. In some areas conditions had seemed to be coming back to normal he said.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 02.07.1971