bこ○ বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সুত্র তারিখ বাংলাদেশকে স্বীকৃতি প্রদান করে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর | ভারতের লোকসভার কার্যবিবরণী | ৬ ডিসেম্বর , ১৯৭১ বিবৃতি এবং তার ওপর আলোচনা SΤΑΤΕΜΕΝΤ RE: RECOGNITION TO BANGLADESH THE PRIME MINISTER, MINISTER OF ATOMIC ENERGY, MINISTER OF ELECTRONICS, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTIN (SHRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI ): The valiant struggle of the people of Bangladesh in the face of tremendous odds has opened a new chapter of heroism in the history of freedom movements. Earlier, they had recorded a great democratic victory in their elections and even the President of Pakistan had conceded the right of sheikh Mujibur Rahman to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. We shall never know what intervened to transform the benevolent mood and realistic approach, if it really was that , to deception and the posture of open hatred. We are told that sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party, the Awami League, had planned a non-violent movement of resistance to the Government of West Pakistan. But they were caught unawares and overtaken by a brutal military assault. They had no alternative but to declare for independence. The East Pakistan Rifles and East Bengal Regiment became the Mukti Fauj and later the Mukti Bahini, which was Joined by thousands of young East Bengalis, determined to sacrifice their lives for freedom, and the right to fashion their future. The unity, determination and courage with which the entire population of Bangladesh is fighting have been recorded by the world Press. These events on our doorstep and the resulting flood of refugees into our territory could not but have far-reaching repercussion on our country. It was natural that our sympathy should be with the people of Bangladesh in their just struggle. But we did not act precipitately in the matter of recognition. Our decisions were not guided merely by emotion but by an assessment of prevailing and future realities. With the unanimous revolt of entire people of Bangladesh and the success of their struggle it has become increasingly apparent that so-called mother State of Pakistan is totally incapable of bringing the people of Bangladesh back under its control. As for the legitimacy of the Government of Bangladesh, The whole world is now aware that it reflects the will of the overwhelming majority of the people, which not many government of Bangladesh is supported by the "will of the nation, substantially expressed". Applying this criterion, the Military regime in Pakistan, whom some States are so anxious to buttress, is hardly representative of its people even in West Pakistan. Now that Pakistan is waging war against India, the normal hesitation on our part not to do anything which could come in the way of a peaceful situation, or which might be
