In the second place, it is the responsibility, of the international community, and India will be prepared to contribute her share, even more than her prorate share in discharging this international obligation towards the victims of oppression.
And, if that aid is given to look alter these refugees, we never regard it as aid to India. It might be aid to Pakistan, because, to that extent, partially it reduces the direct responsibility of the Government of Pakistan to look after these refugees.
Now in the quantum thereof, we know that the amounts that have been indicated so far will meet only a small fraction of the entire expenditure that have to be incurred in looking after refugees. But the most important thing to be kept in mind is that the social, economic tensions that have been generated in our area, the element of instability and the long-range risk of this instability continuing are factors which cannot be determined in terms of money. It is this aspect which has to be kept in mind.
And it is for this reason that we have always stressed and highlighted the importance of a necessary political corrective to be applied. Because, there is no use dealing with a symptom if you don't deal with the root cause.
We are conscious of the fact that even the most generous response of the international community is likely to reach only a small fraction of the total burden that we will have to carry, even in terms of money: but we still value it, because of the thought behind it, rather than the actual quantum thereof.
Question: What is your assessment of the effect of Chinese support of the Government of Pakistan's actions in East Pakistan on China's credibility and influence in the world?
Foreign Minister: Surely any support that Pakistan military rulers might get from any quarter, which gives a pat on their back, will encourage them in their intransigence, And to that extent, this support from the Government of the People's Republic of China is something which encourages them to continue in their path of repression, and to that extent is definitely a negative factor in the entire situation.
Question: Mr. Minister, what is the cholera situation among refugees and others?
Foreign Minister: There were cases of cholera. And, I think that, by and large, action taken so far has resulted in halting the spread of cholera. In our vast country, where we deal with such vast numbers, the steps that our health organizations have taken in controlling cholera have, by and large, been successful. And, we would not like the international community to feel too much concerned about the spread of cholera. We have sometimes an uneasy suspicion that highlighting cholera may have been hit upon as one of the methods of diverting attention form the core of the problem, and we would like you to concentrate on the core of the problem, rather than be too much obsessed by this risk of an epidemic spreading.
Question: Has Communist China issued any warning to India with regard to any future conflict between India and Pakistan?
