Kennedy brushes off Pak diplomat
The Political Consellor for the Pakistan Ambassador in the USA called upon Senator Kennedy on Monday to protest against the Senator’s planned speech prepared for Congressional hearings, report agencies. sources close to Mr. Kennedy said the Senator kept the diplomat waiting for 30 minutes and then bluntly brushed him off.
In his speech, Senator Kennedy has warned of a possible “nightmare of death for millions” in East Bengal unless concrete relief efforts were mounted.
At the same time, the British Labour Party spokesman un Foreign Affairs. Mr. Denis Healey has said that the present situation in East Bengal represented “a human tragedy with few precedents in recent history”.
“If East Bengal is robbed of democratic leadership other forces might take over and this could be dangerous for the whole of the subcontiment.” Mr. Healy warned.
Mr. Healey was commenting on Tuesday night in the House of Commons over the report made by the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Alec Douglas Home, on the situation in East Bengal
Sir Alec announced that an 11-nation, western Aid Consagitium, including the USA. Britain and Japan had been conside the programme of help it provided for Pakistan in the light of the present situation.
Some member-countries suspected their aid had been of could be misused by enabling the Pakistan Government to step up its drive to crush Bangladesh freedom fighters. The group had assigned a special envoy, Mr. Peter Cargil, to Islamabad to look at conditions. He is due back within a week.
Appearing as the opening witness on Tuesday at the first Congressional hearing on the East Bengal situation since civil war broke out there in March. Senator Kennedy charges that nothing but inertia was preventing a meaningful relief effort led by the USA.
The Massachusetts Democrat told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Asian and Pacific Affairs that official reports received by US Government officials indicated that the current food shortage in East Bengal was expected to develop into an acute situation within a month.
“The precarious situation which exists today will evolve into a nightmare of death for millions unless immediate and concerted efforts are made to meet the needs of the people involved,” he said.
Senator Kennedy told the panel: “Representatives of the Pakistani Government have assured me of their Governent’s willingness to accept humanitarian aid and personnel through UN channels and private voluntary organisations”.
“Thus there is nothing but inertia to prevent a meaningful belief efforts”.
Senator Kennedy said that “In the name of neutrality, some in our Government say we must not be involved in East Pakistan today”.
“But we are involved”.
American weapons had been used by the West Pakistan forces. American aid had helped East Pakistan’s development for more than a decade and President Nixon and other Administration officials were now involved in discussions with Pakistan officials for even more aid, he said.
“So we are involved. The only question is what this involvement will be”.
Senator Kennedy who is chairman of the Senate judiciary subCommittee on Refugees, also said that the official reports received by the US government suggested that the great bulk of the population in East Pakistan was “alienated. prehaps forever”, against the Government in Islamabad, in the West.
He said the reports indicated that teelings were intense between the civilians and the Army.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 18.5.1971