Blaming Russia will not help Yahya
From J. K. Banerji, UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 1.-Two diplomatic developments leave no doubt about Yahya Khan’s growing predicament in not succeeding to have the United Nations pull his chestnuts out of the fire he himself has lighted all over Bangladesh.
First Yahya Khan’s call to the UN to post neutral observers on the Bangladesh side of the border to catch India troops or Mukti Bahini in flagrante delicto by crossing into Bangladesh.
One recalls that Islamabad had suggested the posting of observers on both sides of the border and for the same purpose. In fact U Thant himself proposed this on the premise that the observers would keep the Indian and Pakistani troops from each other. The undeclared aim of course was to hinder India from helping the Mukti Bahini.
Since India rejected the proposal it was taken to be dead. It must be a sense of desperation that has led Yahya Khan now to revive the proposal in a form that is feasible since he himself is inviting them. The total unreality of the move is underlined by the fact that UN relief personnel in Bangladesh have been for all practical purposes withdraw for security reasons connected with the mounting guerilla activity. How could the UN ever entertain sending anyone near the border area where security will be much less than in the interior.
The second development is the lack of response from Pakistan’s friends to raise the question in the Security Council. True India too, at the beginning had wanted to raise the question but found no taker.
But the position today is not only different but is one that should favour Islamabad.
The Mukti Bahini is now a growing force and India’s contribution in this process, despite disclaimers, is taken by the entire international community to be substantial. Peking’s representatives have condemned this as aggression and subversion.
Secondly, not only Mukti Bahini, the Indian Army is openly operating on Bangladesh soil although India claims self-defence as justification.
Thirdly, Pakistan is making repeated charges that it is the victim of Indian aggression. Why not ask Washington or Peking to make these charges in the Security Council? –
Peking’s behaviour for all its verbal pyrotechnics can not seem too encouraging to Islamabad. Negotiated settlement between East and West Pakistan, withdrawal of troops from both sides of the border are not much of a consolation when they come from a staunch ally like Peking.
The shitting of the main thrust of Peking’s verbal attack from India to the Soviet Union supposedly instigating India to commit aggression against Pakistan should be even less satisfying to Islamabad. Like Moscow, Islamabad too is interested not to let their mutual relations to deteriorate. To say that the main culprit is not India but the Soviet Union is no help to Yahya Khan.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 02.12.1971