World MPs to talk, India’s draft plan on evacuees today
From Our New Delhi Office. Sept 3. The Indian resolution on Bangladesh will be discussed by the inter-parliamentary Council to its plenary session on September 4 and if it obtains 2/3rds majority, it will be inscribed in the agenda.
As a result of considerable discussion in the Executive Committee and the efforts made by the Indian delegation, the question of Bangladesh received a great deal of attention in the council and there were on adverse comments from any of the delegates present.
The 59th session of the Interparliamentary Council at the initiative of the Indian delegation led by the Speaker Mr. G. S. Dhillon debated the question of international cooperation in favor of the population and the refugees of East Pakistan.
The speaker Mr. Dhillon in his opening remarks referred to the tremendous problems created for India by the influx of 81/2 (eight and half) million refugees, 3 numbers which was equal to the entire population of some of the countries present at the Inter-parliamentary Council. On the subject of the draft resolution on Bangladesh that had been presented by India. Mr. Dhillon said that the resolution took into consideration three aspects vi (a) origin of the problem, (b) problem of the refugees in India and (c) necessiаty of political solution to the problem.
THE CONFLICT
The British delegate Mr. Williams, ex-counsel of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who then spoke, said that the inter-parliamentary conference would be neglecting its duty if the draft resolution presented by India or something akin to it was not brought on in the agenda of the plenary session. He said that the Inter-parliamentary union must take note of the fact of the refugees in India and also of the conflict between the two units of Pakistan which is still continuing and which is equal to nothing the world has seen. He said that the council should express concern over the present position in East Pakistan and that it was evident that the President of Pakistan was resolutely set against taking any steps which would help resolve the problem.
The Dutch delegate fully supported the British delegate and said that the Council must discuss this “terrible war”.
The Soviet delegate said that Mr. Dhillon’s speech deserved full consideration by the Inter-parliamentary Union and felt that the body must express its opinion and invite countries to contribute to resolving this conflict and creating peaceful conditions.
LACKS MAJORITY
Meanwhile, an AFP report from Paris says : delegates to the inter-parliamentary union conference will not after all discuss the situation in East Bengal, conference Chairman Achille Peretti ruled today.
Although a resolution calling for the question to be placed on the agenda was passed by the conference, the motion failed to gain the required two-thirds majority.
Voting figures were 498 for 74 against and 195 abstentions.
The resolution was put forward by the Chief Indian delegate Dr. G. S. Dhillon, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Opposition came from the Arab and some Moslem Parliamentarians.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 04.09.1971