পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৯২৫

893 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড Pakistani fold. Each national group if not every individual differed on the solution of the Bangladesh crisis. Such shortcomings are probably inherent in a conference organized at relatively short notice by a non-official preparatory committee which had little else than sparks of sympathy expressed by individuals to fall back upon in choosing the invitees. National bodies in defense of Bangladesh have not yet sprung up in many countries, hence the preparatory committee had to base its invitations on individual contacts. In the process chaff could not always be shifted from grain. The cool attitude of the Government of India perhaps created some misgivings abroad about the character of the conference. These misgivings were accentuated by the virtual dissociation of the Congress (R) with it. If they suspicion that the conference might turn into an anti-Government forum was the reason the deliberations certainly did not confirm it. The anxiety of the Congress (R) and the CPI not to share a platform with the Jana Sangh even on an issue like Bangladesh will perhaps give a handle to India's enemies to twist facts. The Government of India however, did nothing to make things difficult for the organizers and in fact a Union Minister Mr. Shah Nawaz Khan occupied a rear seat at the inauguration ceremony. The conference can perhaps lay little claim to distinction in term of the number of participants. About 60 persons from 23 countries travelled to New Delhi to attend it. But what it lacked in numbers was amply compensated by the high stature of some of the participants. The presence of sizable contingents from the United States and Britain was proof that the policies of the Nixon Administration or the Tory Government do not have the backing of the entire people. In spite of their hesitation to involve themselves in what may turn out to be a second Vietnam many Americans have been deeply moved by the Bangladesh outrage. Both the American and British delegates would like their Governments to adopt a positive attitude so that the Islamabad clique mends its ways. The French delegation though not as large was unequivocal in pleading for all-out help to the Bangladesh people. The conference attracted participants from all six continents but Asia was relatively poorly represented Barring India and Bangladesh participants came from only seven Asian nations. The most striking fact about many of the Asian delegations was their unqualified support to the Bangladesh cause. Quite expectedly a high level delegation from Nepal upheld Bangladesh's right to exist as a sovereign nation. The Ceylonese delegation was equally forth right in denouncing the Pakistani regime. Even the Malaysian participants recognized the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation State. Somewhat different was the view of the two man team from Indonesia. A former Indonesian foreign Minister Dr. Mohammed Roem and an erstwhile leader of the Indonesian delegation at the U.N. Dr. Abou Hanifa thought Bangladesh a fit enough case for the United Nations to intervene. But they would not commit themselves on its right to exist as a sovereign nation. Perhaps the most disappointing though not surprising was the stand taken by the participants from the Arab world. Few in number and perhaps of a representative