had accommodation with stooges in their mind, they were emphatic in declaiming any such thought. Again, when confronted with the view that after what the Pakistan army had done in Bangladesh no self-respecting Bengali would accept even a “tenous link” with West Pakistan, wishful thinking took the place of hard reason.
6. The fact of the matter is, and left this be understood clearly in this country, that the great powers are all anxious to preserve the status quo in terms of the balance of power already established in the world. Some of them are particularly keen to preserve the balance on South Asia which has been created by them through a deliberate policy of neutralising India by lostering up Pakistan.
7. The adverse consequences of a prolonged guerilla warfare in Bangladesh for the stability and progress of the sub-continent are also realised, but the hope is nourished that somehow the evil might be warded off.
8. Some of the policy-makers in world capitals still remain to be convinced of the inevitability of the emergence of a strong resistance movement in Bangladesh. It is not until the freedom fighters in Bangladesh convincingly disprove the Pakistani claims of “normalcy” that they can be expected to face the realities of the situation.
9. For the rest they will continue to “friendly” advice to president Yahya to put his house in order and may even refuse to provide all the aid he wants from them.
10. In any event, it is India that is immediately concerned and will have to face the consequence of Pakistan’s action and I found no evidence anywhere that anyone was prepared to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for us.
11. Some of the economic burden of caring after the refugees they may be prepared to share though our estimate of numbers perhaps appeared exaggerated to them but it is obvious that the social and political burdens will have to be borne by India alone. And heaven knows these burdens are far heavier then the economic ones.
12. The decision of the Aid Pakistan Consortium is a welcome decision. But, first of all, it dose not rule out bilateral aid members of the consortium, and, secondly, it remains to be seen if a quisling set-up in Bangladesh, such as the President of Pakistan seems to be evisaging, will be accepted by the consortium as a fulfillment of its conditions.
13. To sum up the impressions of my tour, we in India mist understand that we cannot expect others to solve our difficulties for us. We have to do that ourselves. Secondly, we have to decide if continued suppression of the people of Bangladesh, with all its attendant economic, political and social consequences, will be in our national interest. This is not the same as asking whether a break-up of Pakistan will be in India’s national interest. President Yahya khan and his advisers have already succeeded in breaking up their nation. The question to be answered is whether the attempt by West Pakistan to occupy Bangladesh by force, with all its present and future consequences for us, is a spectacle which we can continue to behold with little more than brave words. For myself, I am quite clear in my mind that it would be a grave betrayal of India’s national interests to delay action much longer.
