পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/১০৯

77 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড Locked Up Happy or not, the West Pakistani leaders had, most observers said good reason for confidence. The Westerners claimed to have Mujib locked up and awaiting trial on charges of treason, And with the dynamic, 51 year old symbol of the rebel movement seemingly, out of the way the new government appeared to be more shadow than substances. In the field, the Bengalis have suffered staggering casualties, losing as many as 25,000 men. More important, the fighting disposition of the Bengalis was increasingly open to question. "I met a steady stream of refugees carrying in 'big bundles on their heads and driving small flocks of scrawny goats or cattle," cabled Newsweek's Milan J. Kubic after a trip into East Pakistan last week. "But I saw only one Toyota jeep of the 'Mukti Fouj,' Bengal's liberation army. Its un-armed driver a young Bengali from Jhikargacha had an idea that the enemy was just up the road, but neither he nor the two other soldiers with him seemed anxious to seek battle. What would we fight with?" He asked with a grin. "We haven't got anything". Neighbors That let someone-else-do-it attitude, combined with the absence of effective central leadership did not augur well for Bangladesh. But one big question mark remained: the reaction of the neighboring big powers-China and India. Almost from the beginning of the conflict, the West Pakistanis have charged that arch-rival India was an active participant on the side of East Pakistan. And last week Islamabad officials claimed to have wiped out two companies of Indian border security forces allegedly operating within the eastern province. For its part, New Delhi stoutly denied any direct involvement. And most observers on the scene supported that contention. Moreover, it seemed certain that President Yahya Khan was trumpeting the charges at least in part to unite his own people-many of whom had gotten queasy about the reports of full scale slaughters in the east But it was equally apparent that New Delhi had indeed gone out of its way to make friendly noises toward the rebel Bengalis-and to take a slap at Islamabad. Throughout the week, Indian newspapers gleefully carried accounts of purported Pakistani atrocities. And the Indian Cabinet met in a well-publicized but closed session to discuss recognition of Bangladesh. Chou's Cable In response, Peking seemed more than willing to weigh in with a tough statement in support of the West Pakistanis. In the most specific declaration since the fighting broke out late last month. Premier Chou En-lai sent a cable to Yahya blasting "Indian expansionists" and adding that the Chinese would firmly back the Pakistanis "in their just struggle to safeguard their state sovereignty and national independence." On top of that, there were rumors throughout Asia last week that the West Pakistani only instituted the military crack down after extensive consultations with Peking.