World Powers for political solution acceptable to Bengalis: Singh
From Our Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI, June 25.—The Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Swaran Singh told Parliament today that the Government of the countries he had visited recently had agreed that a “political solution acceptable to the people of East Bengal was the only way of ensuring a return to normality” in Bangladesh.
The other areas of agreement” that emerged as a result of his talks were : (1) that there could be no military solution and all military action in Bangladesh must stop immediately, (2) that the flow of refugees into India from Bangladesh must immediately stop. (3) that conditions must be created enabling the refugees to return to their homes in peace and security, and that this could happen only if the refugees could be assured of a secure future in their respective homes in Bangladesh and (4) that the present situation was grave and fraught with serious dangers for the peace and security of the region.
Mr. Singh, who made a statement in both Houses of Parliament on his tour abroad, said that it was generally agreed that the burden placed upon the resources of the Government of India by this massive influx of six million refugees into this country from East Bengal was intolerable and that the international community must give assistance in this effort, both in cash and in kind.
He also found in all the capitals he had visited “great appreciation for the generosity displayed by the Government and people of India in looking after this large influx of refugees, which was recognised as an unprecedented one in human history a man-made calamity for the people of East Bengal, and also for this country. The gravity of the situation, the enormity of the burden placed on us. for no fault of ours, and the serious repercussions on the peace and security of this entire region if the present situation was not brought under control speedily, was recognised everywhere.”
The Minsiter had made it clear in each capital that any assistance to the refugees from East Bengal was essentially an assistance given to Pakistan, for they were nationals of that country, uprooted through deliberate and wanton action on the part of their own Government.
He had also clarified and “it was by and large accepted”, that any military assistance to the military rulers of Pakistan at this juncture would have the effect of encouraging and sustaining them in their antipeople activity; and any economic assistance to them would be tantamount to condoning their deplorable action in East Bengal so fully and so irrefutably documented by eye-witness accounts which had been appearing in the world Press all these weeks.
“I pointed out also that. in fact, any economic assistance, excepting that given on humanitarian consideration to the victims of oppression in Bangladesh under international surveillance would have the effect of maintaining in power the military machine of the minority now engaged in oppressing the majority of the people of that country, and thus would constitute an unfortunate form of interference in their internal affairs” the Minister added.
Between June 6 and 22, Mr. Singh had visited Moscow, Bonn, Paris, Ottawa, New York. Washington and London. In each of these capitals he had detailed discussions with the Head of Government and the Foreign Minister. He had discussions with the U. N. Secretary-General and his colleagues. He also met in every capital a number of other Government leaders, legislators, editors, social workers and leaders of public opinion.
In these discussions the focus of attention and emphasis was all along on the “grave and serious situation created for India by the influx of six million refugees from East Bengal and the continuing crisis caused in our region due to the massive killings by the West Pakistani military machine in East Bengal”. Mr. Singh said.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 26.6.1971