Foreign Minister: I am sure this sophisticated audience will not like me to speak on behalf of President Nixon. You have, perhaps, better means of knowing what is in the mind of President Nixon. And, it is farthest from me that I should comment upon that he should or should not do. It is my duty to put across my view point as precisely, but as forcefully, as possible to you, as I have to President Nixon and other important leaders of your Government. And, it is for them to take up attitudes, public or private. I would not like to have any quarrel with them on that score.
Question: Your Excellency, what pressure, beside diplomatic protest, if any, could the United States bring to bear on the West Pakistan Government to force them toward humanitarian treatment of the Bengalis?
Foreign Minister: I have no doubt in my mind that without even making a diplomatic protest in the expression used in the question—if the disapproval of the Government and people of the United States s expressed in a forthright manner, that will have a powerful impact upon the military rules, even upon the people in West Pakistan, who, on account of rigorous imposition of various types of controls on the Press, are unaware of what is happening in East Pakistan. And, a forthright and clear expression of disapproval will go a long way in not only applying the necessary solace, giving comfort to the sufferers, but will be a strong deterrent against the continued military action by the perpetrators of these henio9us crimes against democracy and against liberal traditions.
Question: By saying India “will not sit idly by” if the refugee flow continues, do you mean India will declare war on Pakistan?
Foreign Minister: There are other ways of enforcing our wish than declaring war. And, I hope we will not be compelled to resort to those other means which perhaps you cannot expect me to spell out at this stage.
At the present moment, we are engaged in the task of mobilizing public opinion, both governmental as well as private, to focus their attention of the basic issues, the moral issues, involved. I have no doubt that by paying a very small price at this stage, of expressing this assessment in a clear manner, and also applying such levels as there may b-some of it I have entered—the situation can be retrieved. It is our earnest hope and it is our fond hope, at any rate, that this situation can be corrected only if the international community, both at the official and non-official level, wake up to their responsibility and do not by their silence connive or acquiesce in the continued military action which will surely lead to much graver and much more disastrous results.
Question: Mr. Minister, why do you think that the Foreign Offices in the Western nations have had so little to say about the massacre in East Pakistan?
Foreign Minister: I wish could speak on their behalf. But the hard reality is that they are reticent. The day has come when this conscience should he stirred, and they should speak out and should view the situation, in view of the gravity of the situation, in its proper perspective, and try to tackle the roots rather that touch the periphery.
