Pakistan’s rich allies’ blamed by Mrs Gandhi
Delhi Dec 12– Mrs Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, today accused “rich allies” of encouraging Pakistan to go to war, and declared that India was fighting in East Pakistan to uphold freedom in the world.
She told a mass rally in Delhi that foreign powers supplying arms to Pakistan were weakening the country instead of strengthening it, and added : “If any harm comes to Pakistan, it is these countries who will be responsible.”
So-called “votaries of democracy” had “armed Pakistan to the teeth and encouraged its rulers to ignore the aspirations of the people”. In an obvious reference to the United States, Mrs Gandhi said that the same country which had armed Pakistan to ward off any communist thrust was now trying to woo communist China.
In justifying Indian’s invasion of East Pakistan, the Prime Minister said India would have supported the Bangla Desh secessionist against their “oppressors” even if Pakistan had been thousands of miles away and not a neighbor of India – AP.
Reference: The Guardian, 13 December, 1971