পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৭০৮

680 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড but if you examine it objectively it does not amount to very much, which I believe is true. It has perhaps more symbolic than military significance. But the position is that anybody who speaks such a thing will reject it fortuitous and hypocritical. If this aid is symbolic then it will be even a more symbolic and significant act of war. You are all familiar with the story and you know that some of our leading authorities, like the Secretary of state, can be charged, if one should want to do, with concealment of truth. But as an American I am aware of the fact that credibility has become as issue in American life and in the American system. The story of Vietnam and the story of Bangladesh-these are the illustrations. There has never been from the present administration or any leading spokesman any statement condemning or even hinting at condemnation of what has taken place or even an expression, a clear-cut expression of sympathy for the Bengali refugees and the people of East Bengal. Unless I am mistaken, under the present administration there never will be such a declaration of such a statement, unless, of course; the public opinion in America is so strengthened, so organized and so expressed as to change that policy. Being a realist, I am convinced that at the present time this is not likely. However, I would not give the impression that indifference on the part of most Americans to the events in East Bengal during the first three or four months has continued. There has been a distinct and decided change which came about under rather curious and strange circumstances. Believe it or not, perhaps the one thing that brought home to the American people that something was happening which concerned them and which they ought to know was through a concert given in New York Madison Square by a member of the former Beatle group, George Harrison. This brought together fifty to sixty thousand people, young Americans, students and youths who up to that point were unaware of and lacked in understanding as to what was going on. Out of this concert, as you know, this song Bangladesh came which has become a popular hit in the United States. I have brought a record with me thinking that possibly it was not known here, which I will be glad to turn over to the Secretary. At the same time, the popular media like Newsweek and Time Magazines featured stories and overnight the atmosphere with respect to Bangladesh changed. At that point the question was how this could be channeled into some tangible form or some expression which would materially affect and influence the withholding of war aid, symbolic or otherwise, and some expression of our deep seated anxiety and condemnation of what has been done. At this point, once again the administration had another-opportunity to show some initiative. It rejected this opportunity also. I would say that only on the question of release of Mujibur Rahman will the administration be able to achieve some concrete and specific result. The highest circles of American authority did express to the Pakistan regime their desire that either the trial should not be held and if it were to be held, there should be no death sentence or execution of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Otherwise this would create even a more dangerous situation. That is the only specific result that has been obtained. In the United States any successful influencing of the administration and of those who make decisions can at this point come only through the American Congress. There