India not Opposed to Troops withdrawal
-But Pak Army must quit Bangladesh First :P.M.
From Four Special Representative, NEW DELHI Nov. 30.- Mrs Gandhi today forsaw “next month” as a period “of very great difficulty for us and also for the people of Bangladesh” although she had no doubt that both eventually would emerge from the dark period”.
“Nobody can predict what the future will bring”, she told the Rajya Sabha. “Nothing is going to ease the situation immediately, no matter what happens, what steps we take”.
Attempts to bring the U.N. into it she thought, were part of the game of confusing the realities of the situation and those who made the attempts “cannot but be suspect in the eyes of the Indian People”.
Explaining the Indian stand that after having been caught unawares twice by Pakistan, she could not withdraw from the border the troops India had to deploy after Pakistan had massed her Army there, Mrs Gandhi reiterated Delhi’s stand that India was not opposed to troops withdrawal as such, but the first to be withdrawn should be the Pakistani troops in Bangladesh.
“They were far from their homes and suffering”, she said adding “I do feel that in the present situation the very presence of these troops there is a threat to our security.”
Replying very briefly to a three hour debate on her November 15 statement on her European and U. S. visits, Mrs Gandhi said she had nothing to add on the subject.
Though reminded of it as she sat down. Mrs Gandhi also ignored the Opposition demands for recognition of Bangladesh and the Jana Sangh member. Dr Bhai Mahavir’s question on the Indian High Commissioner’s reported statement in Islamabad suggesting that induction of a civilian Government in Pakistan would reduce by half the present threat of an Indo-Pakistani conflict.
The Prime Minister said the Mukti Bahini was fighting “very bravely” and “they have our good wishes and (after a pause) our support.”
Mrs Gandhi had commented in her opening remarks on Dr Mahavir’s suggestion that the Government had exercised its much lauded restraint at the wrong time by declaring that restraint was always exercised by a Government, especially one “sure of itself and its people.”
She added that withdrawal of troops from Bangladesh would be a “positive response” by Pakistan to a solution for the Bangladesh problem.
POLITICAL SOLUTION
Replying to a comment by Mr. A. P. Chatterjee (CPI-M) that the Government was still harping on a political solution in Bangladesh when its representatives had clearly declared their independence of Pakistan. Mrs Gandhi said : “I have been harping on a political solution because when it comes it will have to be a political one.”
“Everywhere” in her discussions with leaders in the countries she had visited, she had been told that the situation would ease if only “you would talk to Yahya Khan”, but she had said she had no authority to say what should happen in Bangladesh : “My stand was that it was only the people of Bangladesh who has the authority” to say what they wanted to. But she had expressed it as “my own view that they would not settle for anything less than liberation.”
“Naturally”, she added, she had said that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, their leader, must be freed to know what they wanted.
Declaring that efforts to bring in the U.N. in the situation were aimed at confusing it. Mrs Gandhi reiterated India’s complaint that the influx of refugees, many among whom “were not genuine”, had caused a threat to India’s security and stability.
In reply to Mr. Ruthnaswamy (Swa), Mrs Gandhi denied that one of her handicaps on her tour was the Indo-Soviet treaty. “Nobody, except at Press conferences, mentioned it”, she said. “I do not think anybody really thinks that India has changed, or is going to change her independent foreign policy, she added.
CHARGE DENIED
Denying also Mr. Chatterjee’s charge that the emphasis in her discussions had been more financial aid because of the burden of the refugees, the Prime Minister said she had not sought any aid. But she could not help answering questions on it.
“Neither did I give advice to others’, she added. “I told them it is for you to decide what is in your national interest, but we think what is happening on the sub-continent will have consequences affecting peace not only in Asia but also in all countries in the world. I said it was better for them to realize the situation and face up to it now rather than make changes in their policy later on.”
Opening the debate. Mr. Bhupesh Gupta (CPI) declared the situation was graver than what it was when the Prime Minister had made her statement.
They never had any “illusions” about her tour’s likely achievement and they had been proved right when the first country she visited. Belgium (acting under U.S. instructions) came forth with a resolution seeking U.N. intervention.
The tour, however, had gained much public understanding of the situation and he thought they had put Pakistan’s supporters on the defensive.
MUKTI BAHINI
He thought such efforts as the Belgian and the U.S. ambassador’s meetings with the Prime Minister were “political diversions” being attempted in the face of mounting successes of the Mukti Bahini.
Depreciating the Indian High Commissioner’s statement in Islamabad, he charged him with having shown a lack of “grey matter” also in the past.
Mr. Babubhai Chinai (C-O) congratulated the Prime Minister on the way she had explained the nation’s views abroad and her diplomacy.
He thought the time was ripe for recognition of Bangladesh, but said he would leave it to the Government.
Mr. Mahavir (J.S.) appreciated the purpose of the Prime Minister’s tour but thought its results were not up to expectations. Nor had it roused what had been officially sought to be made out. He said the country had thought concrete action would follow. But the Prime Minister returned only to counsel patience.
Mrs. Purabi Mukherjee (C-R) described the Prime Minister’s visit as eminently successful in that the public opinion it had created would bring pressure on governments to persuad Pakistan to see reason.
P.M.’s SPEECH IN RAJYA SABHA
Mr. Gaure Murahari (SOC) declared that public opinion in India considered Bangladesh’s fight as India’s own and warned that any delay in giving concrete help to it would be greatly resented.
The time could not be better than now for recognition of Bangladesh, he said, because next month Pakistan would stage the drama of getting a constitution for the county.
MISSION OF PEACE
Mr. Joachim Alva (C-R) said the Prime Minister did not ask for favours from any country she had visited. Hers was a mission of peace and humanitarianism and it had succeeded as such.
Mr. A. D. Mani (Ind) complimenting Mrs Gandhi on the necessity of her personal diplomacy, wished she had also addressed the nonaligned nations at the U.N. to achieve greater understanding of the issue among them.
He was glad also that by emphasizing India’s faith in “open society” and speaking of her interest in foreign investments. Mrs Gandhi had made it clear that India had not been drawn into the Soviet orbit.
Mr. Mani was one of those who were complimented by Mrs Gandhi on their speeches. Another was Mr. Pranab Kumar Mukherjee (BC), who declared that India had acted quite correctly.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 01.12.1971