HINDUSTAN STANDARD, NOVEMBER 9, 1971
DELHI STUDENTS RALLY DEMANDS ALI S RELEASE
From Our Correspondent
New Delhi, Nov. 8- Thousands of school children today gathered in front of the Pakistan High Commission here to express their solidarity with Murad, 8 and Murshed, 6 whose parents Mr. and Mrs. Hossain Ali-and sisters are being forcibly detained in the High Commission. They also demanded that the detained persons be immediately released.
The children not only brought placards denouncing the Pakistani atrocities but also garlands and sweets for Murad and Murshed whom they carried on their shoulders.
Rose petals were showered on Murad and Murshed who were at the head of the three-hour demonstration.
The children asked for an interview with the High Commissioner Mr. Sajjad Hyder. Mr. Hyder declined. No representative of the High Commissioner was either willing to hear them.
The children pasted a memorandum on the entrance to the chancery. It expressed profound regret at the ill-treatment of Bengali members of the High Commission staff and demanded the release of the Alis.
The memorandum also said that the children of Delhi and the rest of India were solidly behind the children and people of Bangladesh in their struggle for liberty.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Yuba Samiti Chairman, Mr. A. H. Badsha, and the General Secretary, Md. Nazrul Islam today warned the Pakistani High Commissioner in India that unless he immediately freed the Bengali employees of the High Commission the Bangladesh evacuees in India would march into it and free their fellowmen, UNI adds from Mujibnagar.
In a joint statement, they said once they marched into the High Commission they would also occupy forever the High Commission building which “is built by money earned by the sweat and blood of the people of Bangladesh”.
The Bangladesh Mission here also does not rule out the possibility of such a march, adds our Special Correspondent.
Mr. Amjadul Huq, Press Attaché in the Bangladesh Mission said they were still waiting action by the League of Red Cross Societies and the UN Secretary General on their appeal to save the life of Mr. Ali.
Asked for his comments on the possibility of a march into the Pakistani chancery in Delhi and occupy it if the Alis were not released, Mr. Huq said “We can’t rule out the possibility”.
“After all how can we check our people when one of our brothers and his wife and a daughter are being tortured and illegally detained by the Pakistanist”, he added.
“The criminals” Mr. Huq declared “will not go unpunished. Our avowed policy is a tooth for a tooth and a nail for a nail”.
Meanwhile no information is available about the condition of Mr. Ali who was assaulted severely by the Pakistani staff of the High Commission.
Dr. Mrs. Sundershan Gujral an Indian doctor employed by the High Commission, said today she knew nothing about Mr. Ali. She had not seen him at all.