পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৮৬৮

br8S বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খন্ড way, we shall take unilateral action. Now, what action is contemplated. we cannot understand. Why is this not made clear? Is it military action? If not what else have the Government in mind? . . . . . . . . I am afraid that it seems to me that the only action we could take is that we could give concrete shape to what we are saying, namely that we shall act alone. Let the world powers also begin to believe that we mean business. And begin to believe that a point will come, and it will come fairly soon, when we shall act militarily, not because we want it. Because nobody would be anxious for a war but because we have no alternative; and it will be a war on both fronts, inevitably. But what other alternative have we? If recognition of Bangladesh is suggested or proposed here it can only be as a first step: It can only be as a step whereby we can say that we do recognize the existence of a government which even if it is not actually in charge of the territory is a government which is recognized by the people who raised in that territory and who have been driven out of that territory; that recognition may give us a convenient handle in order to say that we shall act. But this can only be a prelude, a preliminary step to military action. Unless we have in mind some such determined action, there would be very little point in merely giving recognition. When the Prime Minister moved in the House a resolution which was passed unanimously, what moved both the Government and the Members of this House to accept that resolution unanimously? It was only this, namely a generous feeling towards people who were being mercilessly treated because they had given expression to their feelings and to their views in a free election, and because we felt that by all democratic standards they were the people who should have formed a government. But they were being forcefully suppressed, and we felt that we should by them; but it has turned out to be a hollow standing by them. How do we propose to follow that up? At that stage, it may be that we thought that merely an expression, of moral support might be enough. But when the refugees began to come in their borders, it was obvious to everybody that it was no longer an internal problem of Pakistan, even if one wanted to be highly legalistic. It became an international problem and India was affected and India had to act. It was suggested by many that we should have closed our Frontiers. How could we close our frontiers except by ourselves acting in the same brutal manner as Pakistan was acting? Since we did not propose to act in that manner, we received them. But having received them, we also accepted the further responsibility for seeing either that we should keep them here permanently or that they should be reestablished in their country in conditions which would ensure their safety. The only way in which we could ensure their safety in their country is either by the establishment of a government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his followers or by military action. Which of this is a practical proposition? This suggestion that we recognize Bangladesh is and should be the first step, but it should be accepted as the first step, recognizing that a military action is inevitable and must follow the recognition as quickly as possible. MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: There are still quite 21 good number of Members who would like to participate in this debate and the hon. Minister has to reply and the hon.