CBS Evening News

WALTER CRONKITE. India and Pakistan today exchanged charges of aggression as their dispute intensified over East Pakistan fight for independence. India said that federal Pakistani troops have fired into Indian territory, wounding Indian civilians, India said Pakistan would be responsible for consequences of these provocative acts.

Pakistan claimed its federal troops inflicted heavy casualties on Indian infiltrators in East Pakistan who were trying to blow up a railroad bridge. Some observers considered today's exchange of protests the most serious since India and Pakistan fought a three week war back in 1966.

As always with war the innocent are the victims. And John Sheahan reports from the East Pakistan border.

JOHN SHEAHAN. The most heavily traveled roads in East Pakistan are the ones leading toward India. Refugees from the cities of Jessore, Chortia and Khulna meet on this stretch of road near the Indian border. They say they ran away because the standing West Pakistan Army is looting and burning their homes after capturing the cities against little rebel resistance.

Some have been on the road two days. They talk about injustice on top of injustice: the Pakistan election that showed East Pakistan Bengalis are the majority over West Pakistanis; their hopes that West Pakistan could be stopped politically from keeping the lion's share of profits from East Pakistan's exports; the government negotiations that failed, and the West Pakistan invasion that has now cost them their homes and possessions.

On the Indian side of the border there's safety, but few facilities to house, cloth or feed the thousands of refugees. Many can do no more than camp by the side of the road What started out as a brave and III-prepared attempt to create a home for all Bengalis has resulted in destruction and homelessness.

John Sheahan, CBS News, Bhomra (?), on the Indian-Pakistani border.