PAK REFUGEES REFUSE TO RETURN
US AND SOVIET PLANES READY TO HELP
Special trains and planes are being laid on to evacuate refugees from the cholera death zone along India’s border with East Pakistan- but many are refusing to go.
Hurried officials revealed this new snag as the airlift of medical supplies into calcutta continued and work went on round the clock inoculating the living, trying to save the dying, and burying the dead.
Already the dead are being counted in thousands, about 2,200 dead is the official figure, but the Health Ministry in this teeming capital city of West Bengal state admits to having unofficial reports of at least 4,000 dead. Twice as many again, however, may have died, according to diplomatic sources here.
The evacuation operation is aimed at partly meeting the shelter problem. While attempts are under way to set up new camps, it is hoped to move out some refugees, possibly as many as 500,000, to the interior.
Special trains already have been put into operation to transfer over 50,000 refugees from the overcrowded border areas to an existing camp at mina in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal Health Minister Zainal Abedin said another 300,000 refugees were to be accommodated in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.
But, he added, some refugees were unwilling to move from the border areas and some were even jumping off the trains along the route.
US-Soviet planes rushed
Four United States Air force Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and two Soviet air force Antonov-12 planes are to help by flying refugees to the interior. Officials from both countries are having discussions with Indian authorities and the U.S. advance team is flying to Assam state and the centrally administered territory of Tripura in the north east for a technical feasibility study.
Dr. Abedin also told reporters in Calcutta Wednesday night that the West Bengal Government was planning to shelter some refugees aboard boats on six lakes in Dinajpur district to the Northeast of Calcutta.
Refugees were still streaming into the town of Barasat just 15 miles (24 km) north of Calcutta, at latest counts more than 200,000 have entered the town in the past few days. Swelling its 90,000 population to around the 300,000 mark.
Relief aids
Relief aids continue pouring from Israel, Jamaica and Australia- Reuter.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 12.06.1971