Upsurge
Therefore, it is a case of the upsurge of the people of Pakistan aganist military dictatorship estabilshed by colonialist intrigue. It is a question of our lending support not to a secessionist move as Pakistan is trying to make out but to the upsurge of the people of Pakistan to establish a democratic society.
This has been our traditional approach in foreign affairs. Should we not extend help to those across our borders when they are fighting for the same values we have supported in international forums? When we raise our voice against apartheid in South Africa. When we suport armed intervention against the minority regime in Southern Rhodesia, When we press for the liberation of peoples under Portuguese domination, can we be mute spectators to the unpression, the wanton killings in Bangladesh? Are they not entitled to fundamental human rights? Will not help them? Never since independence have our national interests and our ideals converged so closely as they have done in Bangladesh.
We have the refugees now. Four million today; seven million tomorrow and ten million the day after. No body knows how many will come; how much we shall have to spend on them; and for how long.
How can this be Pakistan’s internal affair? When large mumbers of people are forced out of country’sa borders into another country, it is no longer an internal affair. It is a form of aggression, occupation of the terrtory of another country. If people can be forced out of a country into another without firing a short to case economic Pressures to balance the problem of numbers between Esat and West Pakistan this way? Bangladesh is an intronational issue today. A case of genocide trampling of fundamental human rights and the violation of the trontiers of a neighbiuring Country.
But we are losing time. We have already missed the critical frist three weeks in the euphoria that got built up. It should have been assessed that Pakistani repressioon would send a flood of refugees to India. If we could have assisted the Mukit Fauz to Consolidate its position un the liberated areas, the refusees may not have been forced to come to India. And even if they had come to India, they could have been sent to the liberated areas. The Government of Bangladesh could have sought international support and the pressure would have been on Pakistan to settle the matter. The pressure today is on us. There are on fefugees in Pakistan.
Recognition
The question of formal recognition of Bangladesh and the timing if it must be left to the government to decide. Of course, recognition will give strength to the freedom fighters and there are no legal or constitutional barriers. The question now is of future action.
