বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড)/৩৩
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
|---|---|---|
| নয়াদিল্লীর ইণ্ডিয়া গেটে অনুষ্ঠিত জনসভায় প্রধানমন্ত্রী ইন্দিরা গান্ধীর ভাষণ[১] | ভারতের তথ্য ও বেতার মন্ত্রণালয় প্রকাশিত ’দি ইয়ার্স অফ এণ্ডীভার, | ৯ আগষ্ট, ১৯৭১ |
MEETING THE CRISIS
Parliament began its session on March 19 and some events, which happened on March 25 and 26 beyond our frontiers in Bangladesh shocked the world. The people of Bangladesh are fighting for the same objective for which you and I carried on a long struggle in our country.
The events in Bangladesh have created a crisis. Over 73 lakhs of people have taken shelter in India to escape massacre by the Pakistan army. We had not invited them. How could we do that? We have shortage of many things in 09ur own land. So. how could we invite them to come and increase the want and sufferings of our own people. It was no fault of ours that they came. They left their land to escape from the calamity that has befallen them. Even those who had nothing to do with politics were being massacred. Their houses were set on fire and all sorts of atrocities were committed on them.
If anyone among you goes to the camps where they have been lodged and sees their plight, he would never say that the Government or the people of India do not want them to go back. No human being can stand in mud and water all day and night with a child in his lap, because there is no dry place to sit, if he can go back to his homeland and find a resting place there. The refugees are prepared to suffer all this here because on their own land they were victims of barbarous atrocities. We are trying our best to give succor to these suffering millions. We told them and we told the work as well that we can keep them only for a short period. No country can afford to absorb or keep such a large mass of people from another country. It is not possible for us also to do so and we shall never agree to it. We have clearly told the world community about it.
You are well aware that we do what we say. But there are some who believe that to raise slogans is enough. Those who always ridiculed Satyagraha have come forward to offer Satyagraha on the Bangladesh issue. Their present Satyagraha has no meaning because those offering themselves for it know that they would be released in a couple of hours. The true Satyagraha was during the freedom struggle when the Satyagraha did not know if they would have to remain in prison for seven years or even ten years. That was the occasion for Satyagraha. But those now offering Satyagraha made a mockery of it then. The object of Satyagraha is to secure recognition for Bangladesh. We have never said that we shall not recognize Bangladesh. But Government would take steps only after carefully studying all aspects of the question. It has to be assessed if such a step would help solve the Bangladesh crisis and strengthen our own nation. This would be the test of our decision would be greeted by our people. But we have to think how it will affect the people living in want and misery not only in our land but in Bangladesh as well. I can Assure you that Government will carry out the promises made. Government will always take such steps as will benefit crores of our own people and those of Bangladesh.
An objection may be made why I talk of the good of the people of another country. But you must be aware how greatly the events there have affected us and will affect us in future as well.
Even the biggest and the richest country in the world today will not welcome such a huge influx of refugees and will not be prepared to give them succour. We, who are among the poorest nations of the world, have taken up this burden, fully realizing its implications. We have done this because the only way to stop the influx of refugees was to shoot them when they entered our borders or to tell them that this would be done. There was no other way of stopping the influx of people in such large numbers. There is another aspect to this problem. Shall we stop people from coming to us knowing fully well that they would be massacred in their homeland? This has not been our tradition. India has always kept its doors open for people in distress whatever the difficulties we might have to face. We gave them whatever help we could. Even today, our people are prepared to make sacrifices to save the lives of those who have sought shelter with us. But just now, we are not able to do much for them.
We certainly want help from outside and we have been receiving some. But we must all understand an important issue which I have stressed wherever I have addressed people in this country. It is that we must stand on our own legs and not rely on others. Whatever the hardships, we must bear them ourselves even if no one comes to our help. The question is not if we have friends or whether anybody will help us. Of course, we shall be grateful to those who offer us help, but we cannot rely on others.
I am conscious of the great burden on us. As I said earlier, even the biggest and the richest country would totter under such a heavy burden. We also tottered, but we are standing form and have held our head high because we are conscious that what we are doing is in accordance with our tradition, self-respect and the ideal of good neighborliness.
The path ahead is hard and difficult. It has been so for years and our difficulties might increase further. But I know that the greater the difficulties the greater will be our courage and strength. We shall show the world that no power on earth can cow down his country despite its poverty, economic backwardness and illiteracy. Many have threatened us. Many have brandished their swords. But that is not our way. We do not want to glorify these people by talking about the. But we know that there is no real strength in those who give out such threats. They will try to find an excuse to save themselves. This has been our experience with some nations and some people even in our own land. While the people of Bangladesh are undergoing terrible sufferings, there are some in this country who are attempting to make political gains on the Bangladesh issue. This is something very painful. The leader of an opposition party said today that if I did not consider it proper, to give recognition to Bangladesh today, this did not mean that there was unity of opinion on the issue. I never said that there could not be two opinions. I only said that at this juncture all those who wanted Government to take, strong steps must do their best to strengthen the Government. This is not the tome for the different political parties to weaken the Government because this results in the world getting a strange picture of this country. One of the objects of our meeting today is to show the world that India does not care for these small political groups, whatever noise they might make. India is united and strong and the Government has the solid backing of the people who are prepared for all sacrifices and hardships. They know that if they stand united, with courage, this would impress not only our neighbors but the world as well. By our strength alone we can inspire courage among the people of Bangladesh. The greatest help we can render them is to let them know that their neighboring country and its Government are strong and they cannot be forced to change their attitude under any pressure or threat. Our object is to help the people of Bangladesh. At the same time, we cannot ignore our own people who need help. We have to strengthen the whole country and are therefore going ahead with our programmes.
- ↑ Free translation of speech in Hindi at a public meeting at India Gate, New Delhi, August 9, 1971