পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৪৪৬

418 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ভারতের প্রতি মার্কিন মনোভাবের সমালোচনাঃ মিঃ | প্রতিনিধি পরিষদের কার্যবিবরণী । ৬ ডিসেম্বর, ১৯৭১ E 13040 CONGRESSIONAL-RECORD Extensions of Remarks December 6, 1971 Prime Minister Gandhi's Statement Concerning War IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DECEMBER 6, 1971 Mr. Helstoski. Mr. Speaker, war has broken out between India and Pakistan for the third time in 25 years. We must all deplore this tragic development; enough suffering has already occurred in South Asia without a major war further contributing to the bloodshed and destruction. However, despite my disappointment that American peace-making efforts failed, I am appalled by the vindictive attitude taken by the State Department toward the government of India. Statements issued by that agency over the weekend would have us believe that India is guilty of unprovoked aggression. As is to be expected in light of our past efforts in south Asia, the State Department's attitude is myopic and heavily slanted in favor of the Pakistani dictatorship. A brief of the facts will show that complete blame for the outbreak of hostilities can in no way be laid on India's doorstep. The current crisis in the Indian subcontinent was initiated last March by the brutal attack on the civilian population of East Pakistan by Pakistani dictator Yahya Khan. Seeking to suppress the popularly elected Awami League, the Pakistan Government has, since March 25, been conducting a genocidal war against the Bengalis which has driven over 10 million refugees into India. Led by the United States, the developed countries have poured millions of dollars worth of refugee aid into the region. Despite this, the strain of 10 million refugees on the Indian economy and the region around Calcutta has been intolerable. Mrs. Gandhi has been warning the world for months that India could not be expected to tolerate this threat to her internal security. Only an equitable settlement of the Pakistani Civil War, enabling the refugees to leave India, could avert extreme Indian action to relieve this intolerable strain on her resources. The United States, in response, has failed to alter its friendly policy toward the Pakistani government. We have taken no concrete action which would end the suffering in Bangladesh and relieve the strain on India's economy. Why should the State Department then be shocked and hurt that India has rejected its eleventh hour mediation efforts? The administration's bias in favor of the Yahya Khan regime and its ambivalent