April 15 & 16 1971

The swearing-in of the cabinet members of the Bangladesh government-in-exile scheduled to take place on April 15, 1971 was postponed owing to the eruption of fighting in Kushtia. It is reported that most of the leaders including the ministers were busy organising resistance against the Pakistani troops. No new date had been fixed for the ceremony.

THE PRETENSE OF NEUTRALITY

The New York Times in an editorial titled 'Bullets or Bread?', published on April 15, 1971, severely criticised the US government following the State Department's acknowledgment that the United States had been selling ammunition and other "nonlethal" military equipment to the repressive Pakistani government. It wrote: "As long as these sales continue, the United States places itself alongside China on the side of the military regime in Islamabad and, in effect, makes itself a party to the continuing slaughter of Pakistan's Bengali majority and to the suppression of the recently elected majority party in Pakistan's still unconvened National Assembly."

The New York Times also condemned the suspension of wheat shipment to East Pakistan by the US government on the pretext that there were already more shipments on hand than could be landed through devastated East Pakistani ports. It termed the decision as the cruellest blow of all to the miserable Bangalees and said, "This may be temporarily true, but surely the need for food relief [in] East Pakistan in the coming months will be greatly increased. The focus should be on breaking down the logjam caused by the military actions, the incompetence and the indifference of the western dominated Pakistani Government."

It further stated, "Under no circumstances can neutrality stand as an excuse for failure to make the most vigorous effort to promote humanitarian relief for the victims of conflict regardless of political persuasion."

Meanwhile, Senators Clifford P Case, Republican of New Jersey, and Waiter F Mondale, Democrat of Minnesota, jointly submitted a resolution in the Senate urging a total cut-off of United States arms shipments to Pakistan. Others who joined in sponsoring the resolution were Senators Edmund S Muskie, Democrat of Maine, George McGovern, Democrat of South Dakota, and William B Saxbe, Republican of Ohio.

INDIA CHARGES GENOCIDE

On April 16, 1971, the Indian Government described the Pakistani army's actions in East Pakistan as "savage and medieval butchery" and "preplanned carnage and systematic genocide."

The characterisation was the strongest made thus far by India, or any other government. The description was contained in an official statement read at a news conference at the Ministry of External Affairs called to condemn charges by the Pakistani government that India was meddling in Pakistan's internal affairs.

A day ago, India lodged a strong protest with the Pakistani high commissioner in New Delhi against unprovoked firing by the Pakistani armed forces into Indian villages on West Bengal-Tripura-Bangladesh border areas. It is learnt that at least three Indians had been injured in these firings till yesterday.

On the other hand, Pakistan claimed its troops inflicted heavy casualties on Indian infiltrators in East Pakistan who were trying to blow up a railroad bridge. Some observers considered today's exchange of protests the most serious since India and Pakistan fought a three-week war back in 1965.

BANGLADESHI REFUGEES FLEEING TO INDIA

On April 15, 1971, CBS News reported that refugees from Jessore and Khulna had been fleeing to India. They said they ran away because the West Pakistan army was looting and burning their homes after capturing the areas. Some had been on the road two days. On the Indian side of the border there's safety, but few facilities to house, clothe or feed the thousands of refugees. Many could do no more than camp by the side of the road, reported CBS News.

According to a rough estimate of the Relief and Rehabilitation department of the Government of West Bengal nearly one lakh refugees, both Hindus and Muslims, had crossed over to West Bengal border districts in the course of the last one week.

Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at sajen1986@gmail.com