পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/১৫৮

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বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খণ্ড
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perhaps rightly thought that this would bring peace. It would give the opportunity for India to go forward and build a better life for its poor people. They wholly accepted this and we are in no way against Pakistan or the people of Pakistan for whom I have the friendliest of feelings. But I do feel that the Governments of the world today are not helping either Pakistan as a country, or the people of Pakistan. They are bolstering up a military regime, which is not interested in the welfare of its people.

 Question: Does not the whole reparative tendency as shown in East Bengal, pose great dangers to you in India?

 The Prime Minister: None whatsoever.

 Question: Won’t it excite separatist tendencies within India.....?

 The Prime Minister: No No. Because we deal with our people and we see that their legitimate grievances are diminished and the problems solved.

 Question: You don’t see an increasing tendency for power to be devolved from the Centre throughout the sub-continent and the lingual division of states and so on as something which will be harder for you to control?

 The Prime Minister: Well it is difficult for you people to understand. We don’t have any divisive tendencies we have sixteen languages, we may have, twenty languages, but we are one people. India, with a strong basis of unity which is always there. But in times of crisis whether it is a crisis of this nature which is across our borders, or the kind of crisis which we had three years ago which was drought the people are one and nobody is going to be able to weaken them or disrupt that unity.

 Question: Well, you can make a tremendous case for what you have just said. A week or so before the deluge of refugees descended on you, you I received a massive new mandate from the people of India which many saw as the revitalization of India democracy. You won on a programme promising radical change and reform in India. Now all that is in jeopardy because of the refugee problem. What are the consequences of your inability to fulfill your election pledges likely to be?

 The Prime Minister: The Indian people, strange as it may sound to people of the West are quite mature in their judgment. They all have grievances they all have demands. But if it is a time of difficulty. I think we would stand together. We have tremendous capacity to suffer and to endure and if we have to do it we will do it.

 Question: I was wondering whether the consequences might not be rather greater than that, I mean would you feel democracy itself is jeopardized unless you can fulfill your......?

 The Prime Minister: Not in India. Democracy can go anywhere in the world but it will not be jeopardished in India. It is only foreign people who thought the democracy was in danger. I have never believed that for a single second.

 Question: But you yourself, how do you personally feel having been elected on radical platform of change in India, to see it all jeopardized now rather than see it