Objective of the Plan
President Yahya Khan has put up the plan clearly not for the Bengalis, but primarily for the world governments and in particular for the Aid-to-Pakistan Consortium countries. He does not expect that the World Powers will not see through the hollowness of his plan. What he expects is that some of the world powers win find an excuse for continuing their policy of “non-interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan.” Yahya Khan has claimed in his address that the world powers have generally approved of his army action in Bangladesh in the name of integrity and solidarity of Pakistan. Is that correct? Not in the least. The world press in a body have condemned the action in unmistakable terms. The Big Powers also have expressed their disgust and urged upon Yahya government for a political settlement of the problem.
The political settlement offered by President Yahya Khan is not what was conceived of by the world governments. This plan cannot solve the problem created by Yahya Khan over the past three months. The regime cannot revive the administration in Bangladesh through quislings and collaborators supported by the West Pakistani administrators. The atrocitics still continue in the name of cleansing. But the regime very well knows that it would require the cleaning up a whole nation of 75 million people. Thus West Pakistani regime has finally failed to administer Bangladesh and by now has forfeited the right to rule them any longer.
However, Yahya Khan expects to rule Bangladesh through brutal force. He has been emboldened to feel so because of the silent support by some of the Big Powers. It is understandable that the Big Powers have many more problems to attend to. But does that justify their tacit support at perpetuation of the wholly untenable situation in Bangladesh?
The people of Bangladesh are suffering inhuman miseries and passing their days under a reign of terror, intimidation and persecution. The six million refugees across the border have not returned to their homes for fear of military action. Many independent observers have stated that the army is just trigger-happy and arbitrary.
The refugees can return only if a sense of security can be created in them, which “is possible only if their elected leaders assume power forthwith and the army aggression is withdrawn. The people inside Bangladesh will resume their full economic and reconstruction activities, only if the government of their chosen leaders administers the country.
Final Analysis
Peace and tranquility can remain undisturbed in the region, if and only if the inevitable is accepted without any further delay. President Yahya expects that with passage of lime, things will settle down and the wounds heal up. The world governments seem to think that the Bengalis will eventually submit. Nothing could be further from the truth after such a heavy price has been paid.
An organized and highly equipped army has gained control within their gun range over the territory, but not over the minds of the people. This is only natural for the armed
