পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৭৩৯

a〉○ বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খন্ড SHRI BHUPESH GUPTA: I think Our Government while it should not show any aggressive posture, when we are attacked and when we are shelled, should reply effectively and well. When we are hit we should do so to hit the target. This is not our pastime. If Pakistan attacks us, confidence must be given to the people in the manner of the reply that we give without in any way exposing ourselves to the charge that we have got any aggressive designs whatsoever. Nothing of the kind. We shall defend our borders, as I said, to show our strength. Therefore, the arrangement is very good, whenever you hit, you hit properly and well. That is all that I have to say. THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI JAGJIVAN RAM): I must thank the hon. Member for portraying a true picture of the morale of our people, whether civilians or Armed Forces, on the borders, on the western or the eastern border, and any suggestion even by implication that steps should be taken to evacuate our population from the b order will not be doing justice to the courage, valour and morale of our people on the border. SHRIBHUPESH GUPTA: I did not suggest that. SHRIJAGTIVAN RAM: You did not suggest that. Therefore, I have thanked you for portraying a true picture of the conditions on the border and of the morale of the civilians and the Armed Forces. I have thanked you for that. But at the same time I have said that such a suggestion should not be made by anybody in the House or outside. That will not be doing justice to the morale of our people on the border. You have visited, I have visited the borders, and I have seen agricultural operations been carried on just on the border. I must congratulate our people, we must thank our people for the courage and forbearance that they are showing. You have rightly pointed out that a large number of foreigners have passed during the past few days through the Hussainiwala and the Fazilka posts. Normally, even in the previous years, this is the time when a large number of foreigners had passed through these posts. But this year, it has been noticed that the number has been slightly more than normal. And we are looking into as to what is the matter, why a large number of people from Western countries are coming. One thing to explain will be that a large number of people are coming to study the situation in Pakistan and India. Quite a large number of travelers have meet me, people who have visited Islamabad and visited Bangladesh, and then they have come to India, to see whether it will be possible for Pakistan to keep Bangladesh or not. Such people are welcome. Let them come and see. They can make an objective study of the situation in Bangladesh and the borders. But as I have said, we are looking into the matter as to what is the reason; why there has been some rise in the number of foreigners passing through Husainiwala. We have introduced certain restrictions on the visit of the foreigners to our forward areas. And there have been complaints. Some journalists and television people have approached us whether certain facilities could be provided to them under certain restrictions so that they could visit the border areas and see the actual position clearly. The Department concerned and the information and Broadcasting Ministry are working out certain arrangements. As suggested by you, we are examining about having such restrictions on the movement of the foreigners as well not affect our security measures in any way in the Border areas.