Mrs Gandhi Welcomed
Twenty thousand citizens of Pakistan, a country which has often declared India its deadliest enemy, Sunday gave Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi- a loud and emotional welcome, in Petrapole.
The 20,000 were East Pakistani refugees. Many I spoke to Sunday said they had fled from indiscriminate killings by the Pakistan army.
When Mrs Gandhi arrived at the Petrapole Refugee camp, 60 miles east of Calcutta and just one and a half miles (3 km) from India’s Petrapole checkpost on the East Pakistan border, the East Bengalis- as these particular East pakistanis prefer to be known- greeted her with chants of “Indira Gandhir joi, joi Bangla (long live Indira Gandhi, long live Bengal).”
The chants were followed by a loud siren-like wail, which Bengalis use as a sign of greeting.
Mrs. Gandhi then toured the camp, where 10,000 people Hindus, Moslems Christians and Buddhists are accommodated under 360,000 square feet of Tarpaulins spread over Bamboo poles originally intended for 5,000. The other 10,000 present came cii’ier from neighbouring camps or were East Pakistanis who are still awaiting admission to a camp- Rtr.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 18.05.1971