Time for PM to decide now against Yahya : JP
By A Staff Reporter, Looking remarkably fit for his 68 years even in the hot and humid atmosphere of the Press Club on Thursday evening and in spite of conjunctivitis which made him wear dark glasses. Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan, back from his crusading tour of the world for the cause of Bangladesh, said he had little to add to what he had said in Delhi previously.
The great powers, Mr. Narayan said, were still interested in preserving the statusuo in Pakistan in order to maintain a political balance in South East Asia. Some of them were perhaps willing to share with India the burden of the evacuees but none would pull the chestnuts out of the fire for Bangladesh or India.
The time had come, he said for Mrs. Gandhi to decide whether action should be taken against the Yahya regime which was exporting internal chaos to India.
Since his Delhi statement Mr. Narayan added, two things had happened. The U.S.A. had shipped arms in Pakistan under whatever pretext it might have been. And despite, the stoppage of aid by the AidPakistan Consortium she was considering resumption of aid.
This went plumb against the assurances Mr. Swaran Singh and he had received in Washington. U. S. policy makers had made it clear to Mr. Narayan that they wanted to see political accommodation made with the real representatives of Bangladesh, not with stooges.
What was behind this? Mr. Narayan gave two explanations. The powerful Pentagon had close personal relations with the military rulers of Pakistan. Secondly. Mr. Nixon, while he was vice President during the Eisonhower administration had visited the sub-continent and had submitted a report advocating large-scale arms supply to Pakistan, which unlike-non-aligned India, was thought to be a stable and constant ally. History, Mr. Narayan caustically pointed out, had falsified this assessment of stability. But, there was no indication of Mr. Nixon having departed from it a wee hit.
The Soviet attitude, according to Mr. Narayan was somewhat more helpful. The Russian President. Mr. Podgorny was the only head of a State who had expressed disapproval, albeit mild-of Pakistani action in his letter to Yahya Khan.
Mr. Narayan had only been to Cairo in the Arab countries and at that time it was in the throes of political disorder. He was however disappointed by the lukewarm interest of the people and the indequate coverage by the Press in Cairo which contrasted sharply with what hi found in Indonesia or Malaysia.
Did Mujib commit a blunder by switching over from non-violent resistance to fighting? “I cannot sit in judgment on Mujib said Mr. Narayan. In any event, he saw signs of non-violent resistance in the offensive of the ill-equipped Bangladesh forces. Yahya who obviously took his lessons from Hitler was clearly determined to stamp out the freedom movement. As a true Gan-dhite Mr. Narayan said that a situation which would have led to the degrading of human dignity called for the taking up of arms.
Then came up the crucial question. What should India do? Mr. Narayan made his point in no uncertain terms. “I had said even before the formation of the Bangladesh Government and repeat now India must recognise the concept of Bangladesh and give it all possible assistance”. They might conceivably lead to Pakistani military action against India but that was an unavoidable risk. He hastened to add that he was no warmonger and was against India taking a warlike initiative. And following Indian recognition of Bangladesh he hoped material help would flow to the afflicted area from other countries.
Mr. Narayan could not say how long it would take for the evacuees to return safely to their homes. Six months, may be a year. But the right conditions for their return must bemand he hoped, would be created. And that of course meant Bangladesh throwing off Yahya’s military yoke.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 9.7.1971