SHRI A.K. GOPALAN (Palghat): What is happening in Bangladesh, Last Pakistan, is not a civil war in the real sense of a civil war. It is a war between military dictatorship on the one side and the democratic wishes and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh on the other. In the election, the people of Bangladesh voted for the Awami League and its leader. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and they fought the election on the basis of full autonomy, leaving one or two subjects-foreign affairs and defence in charge of the Centre. Instead of accepting the result of the election and the wishes of the people, what Mr. Yahya Khan did was to suppress even the standing of slogans is banned, and hundreds of people are shot dead.
They have also said that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has declared the independence of Bangladesh and called the people to fight the occupation forces from West Pakistan.
There is another problem also which may face our country. That is, people may come from Bangladesh-East Pakistan-and whether they are Hindu or Muslims, to give shelter to them is also a problem that will face us and I hope an organization has to be formed to see that all help is given to them.
We condemn the brutal onslaught and military massacre on the part of West Pakistan's military forces and wholeheartedly support this struggle of the people of Bangladesh and call upon the people of India and the Indian Government to extend all support that should be rendered to the people of Bangladesh.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has sought the help of Asio-African countries, in their struggle or independence, and if this continues, in course of tome, we will have even to think whether we will have to support the independence of Bangladesh and try to see that whatever help is possible is given.
SHRI H.N. MUKHERJEE (Calcutta-North East): Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is as you said, an exceptional occasion when you will perhaps permit the expression of the emotion of our people in regard to something which has happened which goes against the gain of all human decency.
Bangladesh, to which so many of us here in this House also belong, is bleeding in a thousand wounds because the people of East Bengal have risen in a kind of revolution almost without precedent in history and are now being sought to be punished by those who do not know anything but the law of the jungle.
Sir, in Last Bengal, what had happened was of a great deal more significance than what the Government's statement seems to make out. In spite of the natural inhibition which must be in whatever Government is functioning in this country. I cannot understand why the wording of the statement is so lifeless and how even the evaluation of what has happened in East is something almost unprecedented in history. It was a revolution by consent. It was as a result of the ballot that a preponderant, overwhelming section of the population, in a measure which has never taken place in the history of elections, expressed themselves in favor of the autonomous rights of that province.
