May 25, 1971-Reuters/New Delhi
Indian Foreign Minister Sardar Swaran Singh was quoted as having “assured Parliament that the government would not hesitate to recognise Bangladesh', if it felt it was in the national interest." But he was reported to have warned that “certain factors had to be taken into consideration, such as the extent of territory controlled by East Pakistanis as well as India's relations with West Pakistan."
May 25,1971-Reuters/New Delhi
"Prime Minister Indira Gandhi today called on the great powers to intervene in East Pakistan as her Foreign Minister said Indian border troops are pushing back Pakistani soldiers whenever they cross the frontier"
June 7,1971-Reuters/New Delhi
Health Minister Umashankar Dixit today told the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, that by Friday, June 4, 738,054 refugees had crossed from East Pakistan
June 11, 1971-Reuters/New Delhi-report by Ram Suresh
The Central Government announced that the influx of refugees from East Pakistan since March 25 had topped 5.5 million and that even this figurA 9%- as outdated.
June 16,1971-Reuters/New Delhi
"A bitter dispute loomed today over the repatriation of nearly six million East Pakistani refugees after Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and top U.N. officials gave contrasting assessment of the conditions in East Pakistan."
June 16, 1971-Boyra Bazar: On the Indo-Pakistan border
A fresh wave of refugees is pouring into India from the Jessore district of East Pakistan “ending a twelve day Period in which the flow was reduced to a little more than a trickle".
NOTE: It is interesting that, according to Reuters News Agency, during the twelve day period proceeding June 16 the flow of refugees was reduced to a little more than a trickle. But, the Indian figures were consistently mounting. On May 18, the figure given by the Indian Prime Minister was over a million, on May 24 3.5 million; on June 7 it was 4.7 million; on June 11, 5.5 million; on June 16, 6 million which was the figure given by the Indian Prime Minister at Delhi and the Indian Foreign Minister during his speech to the National Press Club in Washington on June 17, 1971.
Can Pakistan be blamed for saying that figures given by India are highly exaggerated?
