CENTRL
ACTION COMMITTEE ON BANGLADESH
STATEMENT
25th of March 1971 was the Black day in the history of the people of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). On this day, the army Junta of West Pakistan backed by monopoly business interests, who have been exploiting East Bengal as a colony ever since the creation of Pakistan, launched their massive plan of genocide against the unarmed people. The crime of which the Bangladesh people are guilty is, that in the national general elections held in December 1970, the people gave their verdict in favour of the Awami league headed by sheikh Mujibur Rahman assuring it a comfortable majority in the National Constituent Assembly and a virtual monopoly in the State Legislature. The Awami League’s victory was based on a six - point programme which claimed effective autonomy for the people of Bangladesh.
2. During the intervening months, Countless men, women and children have lost their lives and atrocities have been prepetrated by the Pakistan Army which surpass that of the notorious Chengez khan. In fact there could be no grater violation of the United Nations charter, the Human Rights Declaration and the Geneva Convention regarding protection of civilian persons. The oppressed who have sought refuge in India already number sevsn million. The influx of Bangalees fleeing for life continues unabated, inflicting on this country an unprecedented burden, political, economic and social.
3. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s party reacting to the compulsion of events, has declared Independence of Bangladesh and has established a provisional Government, Although the World press, by and large, has awakened to the tragic happening in Bangladesh. The Governments of many countries in the world have faild to condemn this unprecedented crime. What is worse, arms still continue to flow from some countries to aid the Army Junta in West Pakistan in its sinister design, with the result that the security of the Indian subcontinent has been put in Jeopardy. The latest statement of the president of the Pakistan has further dashed any hope of a political solution coming from the Army Junta.
4. The ruling party in our Parliament, the Opposition and the people in the country in general, are aware that our democracy in India is threatened if we fail to render help in this emergency to the people of Bangladesh. In this grave crisis our Government, in pursuance of the unanimous resolution passed by the Parliament, should recognize the provisional Government of Bangladesh, based on the will of the people constitutionally expressed. Only then could all possible moral and material aid be extended to the Government and the people of Bangladesh. Other foreign Government will not take a lead in this matter unless India first recognizes Bangladesh. There can be no hope for the millions of refugees ever returning to Bangladesh unless favorable condition are created at earliest for this purpose and this cannot be done so long as Bangladesh continues to groan under the heels of the Army Junta of West Pakistan.
5. Perhaps, What is standing in the way of the part of our Government is the absence of a visible demonstrator of the people’s will in this matter supported by a clear
