China May not back ‘Pindi in War -Swaran Singh
India sure of total Soviet support
From Four Special Correspondent, New Delhi Oct. 28.-While asserting that India could be sure of total support from the Soviet Union in the event of an Indo-Pakistani war, Mr. Swaran Singh said here today that, according to his assessment, China was unlikely to support Pakistan. China was bound to appreciate that India was not the aggressor and that a war had been thrust on her by Pakistan.
The External Affairs Minister is learnt to have told the consultative committee of Parliament for his Ministry that the Soviet Union was a “steady friend” of India and would continue to stand by this country in any emergency.
Mr. Swaran Singh’s remarks followed queries by some M. P.s about the ambivalent nature of the Soviet position in the joint Soviet Algerian communique and Moscow’s insistence on the use of the term “East Pakistan”, in the Indo-Soviet joint statements. He clarified that the Soviet Union preferred to use the term in view of its diplomatic relations with Pakistan but cautioned members against drawing adverse inferences. The approach of India and the Soviet Union to the Bangladesh problem was identical, and this had emerged more clearly in the recent joint Press release on the talks between himself and Mr. Firyubin Each country, he explained sought to view things from their own perspective but the main test for India was whether the Soviet Union would support India in a “developing situation”. This according him, the Soviet Union was doing.
SIMLA STATEMENT Several members are understood to have raised the subject of the Minister’s own statement on Bangladesh at the AICC session at Simla. Mr. Swaran Singh denied that India had shifted her stand or had modified it. Even a “political solution” advocated by India could lead to an independent Bangladesh. India was the first to use the term “political solution”. There was no question of the Government becoming lukewarm to the concept of an independent Bangladesh because the Soviet Union preferred a solution only within the framework of Pakistan. Long before the Indo-Soviet treaty was signed. India had advocate a “political solution” and had opposed a “military solution”.
One of the members warned the Government about the convergence of a large number of foreigners in Calcutta and of potential for mischief, especially in the context of the possible emergence of an independent Bangladesh. Mr. Swaran Singh took note of the warning. He said that the all-party coordination committee on Bangladesh was also seized of the problem of the presence of a large number of “quislings” who were associating themselves with the . Bangladesh movement. The committee would weed out these undesirable elements.
The Minister made the following other points. India welcomes the admission of China into the U. N. but it was premature to guess how this development would share the future course of world politics. The Government desired to normalize relations with Peking and had conveyed this desire to China.
The activities of the Mukti Bahini were on the increase and the moral of the West Pakistani Army in Bangladesh had been affected by the guerrilla operations.
International opinion on Bangladesh was increasingly turning favourable to India, especially on the question of the return of refugees and the need for a political solution. The series of defections by Pakistani Diplomats had influenced opinion in many countries in favour of Bangladesh.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 28.10.1971