Yahya’s bid for war psychosis
“The Times of India” News Service, MUJIBNAGAR, October 13, A BANGLADESHI Government spokesman today described the broadcast of the President of Pakistan, Mr. Yahya Khan, as a tardy attempt to make India the scapegoat of his own crime of destroying Pakistan.
The broadcast had no relevance for the people of BanglaDesh who were determined to be independent and were doggedly fighting to achieve their goal.
“The broadcast appears to be an exercise in make-believe and an attempt at creating a war psychosis in West Pakistan to rally the people there behind the military regime.”
The spokesman pointed out that the Yahya plan to hand over power to the people was nothing but an attempt to mislead world opinion which was ranged against him.
“His allegations against India are only meant to divert the main issue in BanglaDesh. His occupation army is not fighting the Indians but the 75 million Bengalis determined to free their country.”
Mr. Yahya Khan had blamed India for all his troubles and termed the liberation war in BanglaDesh as an Indo-Pakistani issue only to create a war hysteria in West Pakistan to overcome the difficulties he was facing from the people.
The spokesman recalled that on June 28. Mr. Yahya Khan has said that power would be transferred to the people within four months. The broadcast yesterday only exposed the design of the military junta to continue to cling to power for an unlimited period.
– The whole plan of the junta is to buy time to continue with its acts of genocide and repression in Bangla Desh and at the same time to put up a facade of transfer of power.
“He has ignored realities in BanglaDesh and it is high time that he should recognise the ‘fait accompli’. He should be fully convinced that his occupation army, under heavy and increasing pressure from the Mukti Bahini, has no other option but to vacate the soil of BanglaDesh. The only way out for the junta is to release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, withdraw troops from BanglaDesh and accept it as a sovereign State,” the spokesman said.
The “constitution” Mr. Yahya Khan had in his mind might be meant if at all, for West Pakistan. It would have nothing to do with BanglaDesh.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 13.10.1971