Sit-in before Pak High Commission

November 3, 1971

KISSINGER'S MEMORANDUM

The US President's Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger, in a memorandum sent today, informed President Nixon that Pakistani President Yahya Khan was willing to pull some units back from the border on the basis of Indira Gandhi's oral assurance to Nixon that she would take a reciprocal step. He further reported that Indira Gandhi in her meeting with British Prime Minister Heath voiced reservations about the pullback idea. Kissinger, however, advised Nixon to pursue Indira Gandhi to accept this plan during their meeting next day.

INDIA SAYS TROOPS MAY NOT CROSS LINE

A Government spokesman said today that Indian troops had "strict orders" not to cross the border in their confrontation with Pakistani troops. The Indian spokesman, at a news briefing in New Delhi, said he was making this "clarification" to correct newspaper reports suggesting that Indian troops might have crossed the border last weekend in a counteraction against Pakistani shelling of Kamalpur, a border town in Northeastern India.

He further said that four Pakistani jet fighters intruded into Indian airspace yesterday over Punjab and that Indian planes had chased them away.

SIT-IN CONTINUES BEFORE PAK HC

The Bengali employees who had fought their way out of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi yesterday continued their round the clock sit-in in front of the High Commission today demanding immediate release of Hossain Ali and his family now detained inside the Mission. In the afternoon they were joined by other former Bengali employees of the High Commission and together they demonstrated for some time raising slogans like 'Joy Bangla zindabad' and 'Yahya Khan murdabad'.

ON THE WAR FRONT

Mukti Bahini today disrupted electricity supply in Moulvi Bazar town by destroying electric supply line.

Mukti Bahini today disconnected the telecommunications between Charkai and Ghoragat in Rangpur district. In another operation, freedom fighters ambushed Pak troops and irregular forces near Daoodpur area and killed seven Pak soldiers and five irregulars. In this operation a freedom fighter lost his life.

One army truck was blown up by Mukti Bahini today on Bakshiganj-Kamalpur road of Mymensingh district. Nine enemy soldiers were killed in the operation.

 The naval commandos of Mukti Bahini sank an oil tanker carrying 1000 tons kerosene oil and approximately 30 tons of gasoline in Chittagong Port today. There were explosions leading to fire in the engine room which engulfed the ship. The tanker was completely sank in the harbor.

Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]