INDIAN ARMY READY TO MOVE TO BOUNDARY
The Indian Army has been put on alert to takeover border outposts from the paramilitary Border Security Forces on the borders with East Pakistani if the need arises, the Indian Parliament was told Thursday.
Minister of State for Home Affairs K.C. Pant said in the Lower House that troops would move in if it was felt that the Border Security Force (BSF) was not able to meet the situation arising out of the Pakistani action along the borders.
International ground rules governing deployment of troops on the border would not be allowed to come in the way if it was found necessary to move the army up along the boundary, he told angry members.
Tension
Meanwhile, Indo-Pakistan tension along the East Pakistan broders continued to run high Thursday with India accusing Pakistani troops of firing at more Indian outposts.
The Prees Trust of India news agency reported Wednesday night that at least 120 Pakistani troops were killed by the BSF when they allegedly intruded into the Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya in the previous 48 hours.
Assam Chief Minister Mahendra Mohan Choudhury charged in Shillong that Pakistani troops opened up with mortar and machinegun fire on an Indian outposts in the state Thursday morning.
He said the troops fired at the Chatrasal outpost in the Goalpara district of Assam. The Pakistanis were engaged in “feverish military activitiy” and were digging in across the border in that area, he said.
Indian border sources said in the Paraganas district of west Bengal that Pakistani troops shelled the major Petrapole outpost in the district Wednesday night and the fire was returned by the BSF.
The Minister’s assurance in Parliament came as the House discussed the alleged occupation of two Indian out posts in Assam state by Pakistani troops two days ago, in which 22 Indians including men of the BSF were killed.
Members from all parties shouted that Indian outposts were being occupied by Pakistani troops and “you are keeping this country in the dark”.
Pant said reinforcements were sent to the out posts attacked and they were “recaptured”.
He said whatever action was necessary would be taken keeping in view the national interest, but added “we should not take any action which might turn out to be precipitate”.
The Indian Government had charged last Monday that Pakistani troops had crossed the Indian border seven times since the martial law crackdown on the Awami League began in East Pakistan in March. There were 43 incidents of firing across the border it said.
Pakistan does not want war.
In Washington, Pakistan Ambassador Agha Hilaly said Thursday his country did not want war with India, adding that such a conflict would only complicate efforts to secure what he called a reasonable settlement of the crisis in East Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference, Hilaly criticised Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s call Wednesday for big power intervention in East Pakistan, saying that India was trying to “Internationalises an internal problem”.
Mrs. Gandhi, reporting that Indian border troops had clashed with Pakistani forces, said the situation threatened the peace and security of South East Asia. -Reuter.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 29.05.1971