INDIRA CALLS FOR SUPPORT TO E. PAKISTAN
INDIA REINFORCING W. BENGAL FORCES?
New Delhi, April 4 (AP).
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s ruling Congress Party Sunday urged “the people of India to lend their whole hearted support” to the East. Pakistan independence movement.
But a resolution passed unanimously by the party’s 700 national committee members avoided any commitment of direct aid to the East Pakistanis.
“What we are doing is to raise our voice in the capital’s of the world and in the United Nations over the brutal massacre across our borders,” Mrs Gandhi said in rejecting demands from some delegetes that India should give arms to the East Pakistanis.
The Prime Minister also rejected criticism from President Yahya Khan’s government that India has no business in commenting on the developments in East Pakistan.
“India has no desire to interfere in the internal affairs of another country.” Mrs. Gandhi said. “But it cannot remain silent over the opporession and women killing across the border.”
“What is happening there makes one angry, but one must get over this and consider things calmly,” she added.
“We should be careful that we do not say or do anything that will only add to the suffering in East Bengal (Pakistan).” Foreign Minister Sawaran Singh, who proposed the resolution, similarly said the
government claim that the developments in its Eastern province were an internal matter and could not be accepted by the world community.
“For India, in particular, this is a matter of concern,” he said, “because the people against whom tanks and sophisticated weapons had been used are our own brethern and our neighbors. We cannot remain unaffected by what happens there.”
The Foreign Minister, however, turned down demands from some delegates that India should grant immediate diplomatic recognition to an independent government of East Pakistan.
REINFORCEMENTS
India has over 100,000 men- the equivalent of five divisions- under arms in West Bengal and more are being flown in from Delhi, according to reports reaching Rawalpindi from East Pakistan.
The reports said the troops are removing there official border security force markings, and jeeps are being repainted in civilian colors.
India Denies
United Nations, April 9 (AP) India in a letter published here Friday, denied Pakistan’s charge that it had created a “serious situation” between the two countries by banning Pakistani flight over Indian, territory.
“The allegation of a ‘serious situation being created by my government has no suhannce in fact, wrote Indian ambassador Samar Sen.
“Indeed,” he continued, “the situation itself can be resolved by Pakistan fulfilling its obilgation and entering into purposeful negotiations with my government.”
Reference : The Indian Observer, 10.04.1971