P. M. calls for all-out, disciplined effort to win war on poverty
Bangla Desh needs can be met without help from big powers
By A Staff Reporter, NEW DELHI, JANUARY 2.- The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, said today that India was capable of meeting the post-war economic burdens of its own and also the needs of Bangladesh without help from big Powers.
Speaking at a mammoth rally at Ramlila Ground, the Prime Minister called for an all-out and disciplined effect on the economic front to prove to the world that “we are capable of winning other wars too.”
The rally was organised by Delhi citizens to felicitate The Prime Minister for her contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh and successfully leading the nation to victory in a war imposed upon it by Pakistan.
Mrs. Gandhi attacked the concept of super Powers and the international balance of power. She said these were outmoded concepts although some countries in the West still tried to pedal them. Some had even begun to describe India as a big Power after her victory over Pakistan. “We do not want to become a big Power. We want to remain a peaceful and proud nation without hurting anybody and wishing that none dare hurt us,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that the days when nations could be described as big and small Powers were gone. The entire face of the world community was changing and the age of power balance was over.
She said that many Western commentators had said that both India and Pakistan, two poor countries, had no justification in spending large sums of money on war. “Is war justified if it is waged by a rich nation?”, she asked.
The Prime Minister said that wars never brought any good and India was one country which was against all wars but in the life of a nation often came moments when shying from war was cowardice and dereliction of duty. She declared. “We fought only when we were attacked. We did help Bangladesh because if we had allowed a neighbouring nation to die, we would have lived under shame and stigma for all time to come.”
Mrs. Gandhi said that the liberation of Bangladesh was achieved by the men, women and youths of Bangladesh who made great sacrifices under the banner of the Mukti Bahini to free their nations.
Explaining India’s help in the liberation of Bangladesh, she said. “If we keep silent when injustice is being perpetrated outside we cannot raise our voice when we see injustice in our own land. We believe that the national and international policies of a country should be based on the same principles.”
ECONOMIC BURDEN
Mrs.Gandhi said that after India had won the war some critics had begun focussing attention on its poverty and gloated over “what would India do now. It is so poor.”
The Prime Minister said they could not divert attention from their own problems and interests by focussing it on India’s poverty. There was no country in the world harring a few exceptions which did not have “its own pockets of poverty.” Such countries should fight their own poverty first, she said.
Mrs. Gandhi stressed the need for stepping up production in all spheres in order to fight poverty and bear the post-war economic burden. It could be done through complete self-reliance in all spheres intellectuals, too, must learn to be self reliant. Mentally many people had got used to accepting the intellectual influence of the Western concepts. They should remember that India had given the world new ideas from times immemorial.
She said that the people had to make the same disciplined and massive effort to win the new economic war with which they helped win the 14-day war.
She said “There would be days of hardship ahead but we can banish poverty and met ours as well as our neighbour’s needs. We need economic strength to do this. It depends on how much we are willing to pay for it.”
Referring to the oft-repeated question whether the war with Pakistan is really over, The Prime Minister said. “We do not know yet. Sometimes they make reconciliatory pronouncements and some times they give threats. But it is good that the nation and its Armed Forces are prepared for any eventuality.”
HOMAGE TO MARTYRS
The Prime Minister praised the gallant officers and Jawans of the Armed Forces who had fought and died gloriously in the battle for the nation’s security. There were also men of the Border Security Force and non-combatants like civilian truck drivers who stood valiantly to do their duty during the war.
She cited two examples from the Poonch sector. During her visits to hospitals and other forward areas, the Prime Minister was told the story of a group of Pakistani SSG commandos who entered the hut of an Indian village woman and asked her for food. The voung woman kept her balance and told them that she would bring something befiting their dinner-a chicken from the bazar. The SSG men, tramed for special sabotage and espionage missions, were taken in by the composure and apparent friendliness of the simple village woman. She went to the bazar and came back with an Indian Army patrol who captured the Pak agents.
In another case when an SSG agent, carrying a machine-gun, entered the house of an India village and demanded water, the woman asked him to put down his machinegun so that she could give him water without making the children cry and rise an alarm. The SSG agent put down his machine-gun. The woman pounced upon him, kept him pinned down and raised an alarm to collect villagers and troops nearby who caught the Pak commando.
The Prime Minister said that with this kind of courage and the live qualities of unity, patience, hard work, honesty and co-operation the people could help make India a self-reliance country in all aspects.
Citizens’ tribute armed forces
In an address presented to Mrs. Gandhi on behalf of citizens, it was said that by liberating Bangladesh India and its people had after a long time played a historic role, the credit for which should go to the deft leadership of Mrs. Gandhi. The International Community had begun to look upon India in a different light, it added.
The address paid rich tributes to the glorious performance of the country’s armed forces and said that they had added a new chapter to the international military strategy.
The address was presented by Delhi Pradesh Congress Chief of the “Indira Gandhi Abhinandan Samiti” consisting of 286 organisations of the Capital.
Among those who gailanded Mrs. Gandhi on the occasion were the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor. Dr. Sarup Singh and Rev. Father Angeto Fernandes, Archbishop of Delhi.
The function was attended by several members of Parliament and prominent persons. Also present were the Defence Minister. Mr. Jagjivan Ram, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Raj Bahadur, the Education Miniater. Mr. Siddhartha Shankar Ray. The Minister of State for Home. Mr. K. C. Pant and the Congress General Secretaries, Mr. S. D. Sharma and Mr. Chandrajit Yadav.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 03.01. 1972