In practice, some of the major powers have ignored these considerations, thus the United States recognized Israel as a State as soon as Israel proclaimed her independence, Similarly when President Kasavubu handed over government to General Mobutu, France and Belgium promptly recognized the General’s.
The writer, a former Principal Information Officer of the Government of India, and later-Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of External Affairs, discusses the problems that might arise if India were to recognize Bangla Desh as an independent nation.
government. In both cases the reasons were political, not legal. The US representative described the recognition of Israel as a “highly political act of recognition”. In the Congo, France and Belgium were protecting their economic interests which generally under line political policy.
Indian recognition of Bangla Desh will thus have to be a political decision.
Assuming such a step is taken, certain consequences may follow immediately.
India and Pakistan may find themselves at war with unforeseeable consequences, including economic ruination which might prove to be catastrophic. Even if, for some reason, hostilities do not break out between the two countries, India may find it difficult to refuse supply of arms to Bangla Desh, as the USA finds it necessary to arm Israel. Sooner or later this is likely to lead to an armed conflict.
Also this would give Pakistan exactly what she is looking for, namely an opportunity to bring up the matter in the Security Council where not only Bangla Desh, but also the Kashmir issue will be ripped open. India has had enough experience of the Security Council and it would be vain to expect any support from majority members of the Council. Thus once again India will be left high and dry, without rendering any substantial assistance to Bangla Desh. It has also been suggested that India should take the lead in raising the matter in the Security Council or in the General Assembly. With the exception of the Soviet Union how many member countries of the United Nations have raised their voice in support of the helpless people of Bangla Desh? The plain fact is that Governments are not moved so much by humanitarian considerations as by national interests.
Muslim States are presumably loathe to see a Muslim country Pakistan weaken forgetting that an additional Muslim State would come into being. Some of the super-powers are worried about military balance of power being upset in this area and would not be happy to see Pakistan weakened vis-a-vis India. A number of States suffer from nightmares of secessionist movement elsewhere. They forget that in Bangla Desh it is not a minority which is seeking independence but majority of the population which has already expressed its will in a free general election.
Obviously none of these proposals is sound. And yet as the Prime Minister has put it we cannot be silent spectators of the atrocities that Pakistan troops are committing daily
