7 to 8 million members of the minority Bihari Muslim community remain in East Bengal, while, approximately 10 million Bengalis, including, of course. Sheikh Mujib in West Pakistan.
If a terrible, mindless bloodbath of reprisals and communal-religious violence is to be avoided, all parties in this conflict must protect these “hostages” of the conflict and abide by the Geneva Conventions and the wisdom of compassion and restraint. The Government of India has made a first step in this direction by announcing it recognizes the applicability of all Geneva Conventions.
Third, we must urge the immediate revival of the United Nations relief mission in East Bengal for the sake of the hapiest millions threatened by famine or displaced by war.
The international relief effort in East Bengal has always been more a hope and aspiration than a functioning field operation. The urgent need to change this will only come when peace has been restored to the Bengali countryside.
Nonetheless, our Nation and the international community must now recognize our responsibility to help in the reconstruction of East Bengal by beginning to think now of the coming problems of rehabilitation and relief. At a time when our Government seems more interested in condemning and cutting off economic aid to South Asia. I hope we will have the foresight to understand that our national interest will soon find the future development and economic stability or all nations in the region an important factor in our foreign policy and in our humanitarian concerns.
Mr. President, for 8 long months our national leadership stood silent and almost idle as the apectre of human deprivation and violence stalked South Asia. It is now a late stage in the crisis-with even more refugees now fleeing because of the escalated violence throughout the area-but I feel the opportunity still exist for our Government to make a positive contribution to the peace and relief of the area. And so I urge the administration to turn its policy around. They must consider the source of the violence, and move toward a fundamental political settlement in East Bengal. Anything short of that means more war, more refugees, more senseless death..............
