পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/১২৪

96 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড support all efforts to increase the scope of the United Nations relief operations and I shall be having talks about this with the Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York next week. Our aim is to play our full part with the international community in bringing an end to suffering and the return of normal conditions to this troubled part of the subcontinent, including making it possible for the return of the refugees to their homes. Mr. Healey: First may I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement, and particularly for the tone in which it was made. May I say that all of us on this side of the House recognize that Her Majesty's Government have an exceptionally good record in regard to this tragic problem; but, as he himself said, the scale of the problem is far beyond the capability of Britain or India or any other" single country or group of countries. Is the Right Hon. Gentleman aware that there is widespread concern throughout this country and the world at the possibility that millions, and perhaps tens of millions, of human beings may die before Christmas unless more effective action is taken by the United Nations organisation? Is the Right Hon. Gentleman further aware of a point that I raised with him a month ago, namely, that when the monsoon ends there is great danger of war arising out of the situation in Hast Bengal-a war which might not be confined to the subcontinent itself '2 Will he, therefore, when he goes to the United Nations next week, take an initiative to ensure that the United Nations charges itself with control not only of the relief aspects of this problem but also the very serious and dangerous political aspects as well ? Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I am grateful to the Right Hon. Gentleman for what he said. This is a problem which daunts us all and, as he said it is of an enormous scale. I think that the immediate danger is famine in East Pakistan in the months to come. Although it is difficult for us to obtain accurate information, the reports are that the food supplies are, on the whole, reasonably available but communications present a tremendous problem. One of the problems, therefore for the United Nations is how to get communications going so that the food can go into the areas where it is most needed. About all these matters I shall be talking to U Thant next week, and talking also, of course, to the American Secretary of State and others who are interested in the relief and human side of the problem. On the political side, a settlement is necessary in order to secure the willingness of refugees to come back into Pakistan from India. This is a more difficult matter, and the United Nations cannot act without the consent of both parties. As I understand it, so far Pakistan has assented to any number of United Nations personnel on its side of the frontier to receive refugees. India has so far said that she could not have United Nations Personnel to help the refugees, so to speak, to go back from India to Pakistan. Mr. Healey: I recognize, as the Foreign Secretary does, that it is difficult for the United Nations to act in this problem without the consent of both India and Pakistan, but will he recognize also that there is grave danger to peace as well as to the lives of millions of human being if the United Nations does not act along the lines already suggested by its own Secretary-General? Therefore, when the Right Hon. Gentleman is at the United