Yahya to call assembly session on Dec 27
October 12, 1971
KEATING CALLS ON SWARAN SINGH
US Ambassador to India Kenneth Keating in a telegram sent today informed the US state department that Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh claimed that the East Pakistan insurgency was not dependent upon India. It was profoundly rooted in Bangalee alienation and had its own dynamic, added the foreign minister. The ambassador called on the Indian foreign minister today.
Swaran Singh stressed that insurgency was caused basically by Pakistani military repression, to which Mukti Bahini was a reaction. He expressed strong resentment at the suggestion of East Pakistan insurgency being maintained by India.
As to the proposed withdrawal of military forces from the border, Swaran Singh said there already were ground rules concerning border deployments which India was honouring. However, he alleged there had been large-scale Pakistani military concentrations in Jammu, Chamba, Sialkot, Lahore, Bahawalpur and areas further south, and the Pakistani army had moved troops forward from cantonment areas such as Peshawar and Quetta.
The Indian foreign minister charged the US for providing support to the Government of Pakistan, that strengthens the Yahya regime's determination to maintain the military repression policy. He concluded that US had heavy responsibility to exercise its "great influence" with the Government of Pakistan.
Swaran Singh further said the US was attempting to bypass Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Keating told him that the American embassy in Islamabad, under instructions from Washington, had just finished urging Pakistan President Yahya Khan to establish a dialogue with elected representatives of East Pakistan, including Bangabandhu. The US would be delighted if President Yahya holds discussions with Bangabandhu, added Keating.
YAHYA'S BROADCAST
President Yahya today promised a new central government by the beginning of next year, but gave no indication of its likely composition and character. In a radio broadcast tonight, he said the new constitution would be published by December 20 and the reconstituted National Assembly would be called into session on December 27.
Yahya also mentioned the heavy Indian build-up all along the Pakistani border and the commando activities in which roads, railway bridges and power supply lines had been destroyed. He claimed that there existed a "serious possibility of aggression by India against Pakistan".
In a review of international opinions on East Pakistan, he expressed deep appreciation of the Chinese stand and spoke of the understanding shown by the USA.
ON THE WAR FRONT
There was a raid on Pakistani defences at Parshuram area today. Two sentries were killed and the guerillas withdrew immediately after the raid, lasting only 15 minutes. At 9:30pm, the guerillas ambushed the Pakistani patrol near Radhanagar on the Dhaka-Chittagong road. Two soldiers were killed and one was injured.
In a raid in Mireswarai area of Chittagong district today, Mukti Bahini killed 30 and wounded 10 enemy soldiers.
In the Rangpur-Dinajpur-Rajshahi sector, Mukti Bahini raided occupation troops' position in Joimonirhat, killing six and injuring 15 enemy soldiers. On the same day, they engaged enemy soldiers in Bhurungamari and killed three enemy soldiers. In another operation, they ambushed the Pakistani army patrol in Ulipur, killing four enemy soldiers and seven razakars. On the same day, Mukti Bahini ambushed occupation troops while they were crossing Nala and killed six enemy soldiers.
Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Comments