country are being annihilated. This is not peace. The war that is going on today began not in our territory but in Bangladesh and India had no hand in it. We did not even know that there was to be a war.
We were happy that Pakistan had a general election after many years of military rule. The leader of a certain party won a majority in that election. We were not concerned either with election or with the selection of the leader, but we were certainly happy to know that the particular leader, who had won, wanted India’s friendship. We know that we cannot always be fighting with a neighbouring country. If, however, there is some disturbance there, It does affect us. We were, therefore, happy that an election had been held and there were hopes of the formation of a government which would be friendly to us, and we would join together to solve the main problem affecting us. This was the poverty of the people and the progress of the country.
We too had a general election, and we formed a new government. The party which had secured a majority in the elections in our neighbouring country was not allowed to form its own government. It is at this stage that the war really began.
I would like to give you the historical background of the present trouble because it is necessary to understand it. The Pakistan President had talks with the leaders of the Awami League and we expected that the talks would be fruitful and a popular government would be set up. We, however, learnt that the negotiations were a ruse to gain time to land a big army in Bangladesh from West Pakistan. These forces launched a big attack on the poor unarmed people on the night of March 25. The leaders of the Awami League, who had assembled there, have told us that on the 24th they were expecting that the negotiations would be fruitful. They were not at all prepared for the sudden attack on them the next day. They had same idea of launching a struggle, a non-violent struggle of the type which India waged against the British. But they did not get any opportunity for that. They were attacked with guns and mortar. Their great leader was arrested and they were accused of being traitors to the country. All this left on alternative for them except to declare that they wanted complete freedom.
Despite the anger in our hearts against the atrocities in Bangladesh and our deep sympathy for the people there, we kept quiet. We did not want to ulter a word or take a step which might come in the way of a settlement between the leaders of Bangladesh and West Pakistan. However, what was a matter of Pakistan ceased to be so when the people of Bangladesh, young and old, women and children, entered our country like a river in flood. It soon became at big question and a big burden for us. After all this the statement by any country that it was an internal matter of Pakistan ceased to have any meaning.
Even at this stage we said that what was happening in Bangladesh concerned only the people there and we had no right to speak about the nature of a settlement. It was for the people of Bangladesh and their leaders alone to decide why they wanted and what sort of settlement they could make. We had said that India had to consider seriously what effect the conditions in that country will have on us, and this certainly was our internal matter. We could not close our eyes to this aspect of the question. We made it clear to the whole world that the situation was deteriorating and that the two countries were moving towards
