789 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড of the whole United Nations system to continue his efforts to seek contributions from the international community to cover the cost of relief estimated at dollars 700 million, Countries represented at the meeting agreed because of their special interest in India, that they would make efforts to meet a substantial part of the total need." We in India deeply appreciate the offers of help from wherever they come and I should like to thank all Government international agencies, nongovernmental organizations., voluntary agencies and private individuals-all of whom have done so much to help. But this response, generous as it is, takes care of only a small part of our needs. Between the requirements as assessed by the World Bank and the pledges so far made, the difference is nearly dollars 500 million. The actual gap is even wider since all the promises of help have not yet been fully kept. The presence of millions of refugees has brought grievous impact on the economic, social and political life in India and is a continuing threat to India's stability and security. We wonder how many States in the world can receive nearly ten million refugees, with more coming every day, and still survive for six months. The driving of millions over millions of people into neighboring country in a manner and in such conditions as would endanger the existence of the receiving state is nothing but a civil invasion and an intolerable interference in its domestic affairs. That is what we are facing today and India has become a victim of a new kind of aggression by the military regime of Pakistan. The High Commissioner has spoken of two principal fields of action: first, urgent relief measures for refugees in India, and secondly, the promotion of their voluntary repatriation. The action so far taken for relief measures has been described fully in the statement of the High Commissioner himself. Voluntary' repatriation is the only lasting solution to the problem. We emphasize that this is not only the best but an imperative solution. And that must come soon. The international community as a whole is responsible for carting for the refugees, and if today India is looking after the massive millions of Pakistani refugees, she is doing so as a trustee on behalf of the international community and strictly for the shortest time possible. Conditions which will persuade them to return home must be created without further delay. We cannot and do not accept their indefinite presence in India. We agree with the High Commissioner that the relief operation should not become yet another permanent political and economic burden on the international community. Since most of the burden has to be borne by India, what the High Commissioner has said is much more true for India herself. In the introduction to his annual report, the Secretary-General stated that "efforts to bring about the repatriation of refugees have so far been unavailing. Since President Yahya Khan announced his agreement to allow the East Pakistan refugees to return on May 25, the total number of refugees in India has steadily increased. The crux of the matter is that international and Government efforts in East Pakistan are increasingly hampered by the lack of substantial progress towards a political reconciliation". To this reason for the lack of progress in repatriation, must be added another and more basic explanation of why the influx has continued over these six months. It has been described indeed as a hemorrhage. Unless we can diagnose the disease, we CaIlilOf
