বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড)/১৩
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
|---|---|---|
| বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রাম সফল হবে: প্রধানমন্ত্রীর আশা প্রকাশ | দৈনিক ‘স্টেটসম্যান’ | ১৬ মে, ১৯৭১ |
BANGLADESH STRUGGLE WILL NOT GO IN VAIN: PM
AGARTALA, May, 15: THE Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, today expressed the hope that the struggle of the people of Bangladesh would not go in vain. They would ultimately achieve independence and from and democratic government.
Mrs. Gandhi, who was addressing a huge gathering at Mohanpur, about 25 Km. from here, said India would welcome the formation of a democratic Government in East Bengal and would have friendly relations with it.
As in India, elections had been held in East Bengal also, but unfortunately the people there were not allowed to from their own Government, which could remove poverty from their land.
LIMITED RESOURCES
The Prime Minister expressed the hope that people both in India and East Bengal would follow the democratic way and guard themselves against the poison of communalism in the interest of their respective nations.
Mrs. Gandhi said; “We must do our best to help our brothers and sister who have crossed into India. But we have limited resources”.
The Prime Minister said that what was supposed to be Pakistan's internal affair, had now become a problem for India.
Referring to the overwhelming task of looking after millions of evacuces, she said the heavy influx of refugees would no doubt be a terrible burden on the country's economy, but it was not a concern of any particular State in India. The Centre would bear the full “responsibility of talking the problem she said.”
She expressed the hope that these people would soon be able to go back to their homeland as peace was restored there and their own Government formed.
In Tripura Mrs. Gandhi visited evacuee camps at Narsinghgarh, Mohanbari and Simna where she enquired about the food and living conditions of the displaced persons.
Earlier speaking at Udharband, a refugee camp near Silchar in Assam, Mrs. Gandhi said that the entire country shared the grief and suffering of the people of Bangla Desh and India would do everything within its means to alleviate their suffering.
Mrs. Gandhi was visibly moved by the tale of woe narrated by the evacuees.
About 25,000 evacuees are housed in the Udharband refugee camp.
Mrs. Gandhi regretted that Pakistan was attempting to foment communal trouble in India and cautioned the people to remain vigilant.