The fact of the matter is, and let 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 in South Asia which has been created by them through a deliberate policy of neutralizing India by bolstering up Pakistan.
In any event, it is India that is immediately concerned and will have to face the consequences of Pakistan's action, and I found no evidence anywhere that anyone was prepared to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for us.
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 than the economic ones.
To sum up the impressions of my tour, we in India must 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 breakup 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........
Everyone I met abroad was full of praise for the Prime Minister's restrain and states-manship in dealing with a difficult crisis. I too admire her for that. But she must decide now if the time for action has not arrived. Action, not from any altruistic motives of rescuing East Bengalis from Pakistan terror and restoring to them their lost democracy, but to prevent Yahya Khan exporting his internal chaos into this country and achieving a demographic redistribution of his population at our cost, and, above all, to defend our political, economic and social institutions. In concede that the Prime Minister must choose her time because she alone is in position to know and weigh all the pros and cons involved. But even to private citizen like me the basic considerations are clear and it is on that ground that my plea for action is being advanced.
We give below J. P.'s press statement released on July 27, 1971 from New Delhi. This statement does not seem to have received the wide coverage it deserves. (Emphasis added).
"A dove turned hawk", “a war-monger" -this is how I have been described in a section of the press. Others have pictured me as trying to embarrass or discredit the Prime Minister; and at least onc imaginative weekly of Bombay has suggested that by my present Bangladesh stance I am hoping to pressurize Indiraji to make me the next President of India. The Muslim press, barring few exceptions, is particularly on the
