A WORLD PROBLEM
“The world has waited too long. True, aid had been offered and in the beginning this was refused by the military authorities in East Pakistan. But the international community has lamentably failed to take a moral stand on what clearly was a ruthless attempt to subdue a whole people. Evidence has not been wanting. The bloodshed and destruction have been on a scale which can best be described as a pogrom.
“But the clearest evidence of all is the continuing fight of East Pakistanis into India. They could well number ten million before too long. They have gone to conditions no better than those they left- to emphasise their utter rejection of West Pakistani rule.
“It is painful to think that all this evidence has not stirred the world community and the United Nations to some action to persuade Islamabad to stop the terror and create an acceptable civilian Administration. However rightminded President Yahya Khan and other West Pakistani leaders may have left when the crackdown began, it should have been clear to them as weeks went by what a terrible mistake they have made. The civil war is still not over. The nation is almost bankrupt. Stupendous problems of reconstruction lie ahead. What is to be the end of it all?
“Even if the cholera epidemic is contained, what is to become of the millions of refugees in India? That is not their home. It is not India’s problem. It would be the height of cynicism to regard it as such, besides condoning the circumstances which drove these multitudes across the border.
“It is an international problem and the international community and the United Nations must accept the responsibility of rehabilitating the refugees in their own homeland. This means prevailing upon the Pakistan authorities to create conditions which would enable the refugees to return and to assist in the mammoth task of moving them back.
“The use of force has reaped a bitter harvest for Pakistan and further pursuit of this course could lead to national disintegration. There is still an opportunity for national conciliation. The world should help Pakistan seize it.”
Reference : The Straits Echo, 10.06.1971