Delhi. June 29
Mrs Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, said today that the situation in East and West Bengal would be aggravated by the new plan of President Yahya Khan of Pakistan for the transfer of power. She said that the situation on the Indo-Pakistan border is “indeed dangerous and serious”.

Referring to the President's plan. Mrs Gandhi told me in her office today: “President Yahya has not said anything that one did not expect him to say but the unity of Pakistan will not remain intact under permanent martial law.”

Mrs Gandhi hinted vaguely that India might have to resort to unilateral action if the world community failed to persuade President Yahya Khan to restore conditions in East Bengal under which the refugees could return to their homes in peace and security.

I asked Mrs Gandhi what India would do if she was forced to take unilateral action. She replied: “We do not want a war and we will do everything possible to prevent it but the situation on the border is indeed very dangerous and serious”. Mrs Gandhi added that while India was certainly attempting to act with restraint a border incident might start a confrontation.

Although it is clear that the Indian Government has taken no decision on a future course oi action, Mrs Gandhi refused to deny or confirm reports that it had considered the following three options:

India could mount a naval blockade to cut off East and West Pakistan until President Yahya entered into a political settlement with the Bengalis by which the refugees would return to their homes.

She could arm and strengthen the hands of the Liberation Army.

She could carve out a region of East Bengal for the refugees.

Mrs Gandhi said: “Isn't a naval blockade the same as declaring war or doesn't it amount to undeclared war? I am sure that it would be regarded as such. I don’t know.
“The options will depend on the situation as it develops but I am determined that all of these evacuees must go out of India and obviously we cannot push them across the border if they are going to be butchered.”

Mrs Gandhi went on: “India has acted with restraint but India will certainly protect herself from danger to her security. Any country would do this. I do not know what the Pakistani designs are but they have attacked us twice before. We have never attacked anybody.”

It is clear that Mrs Gandhi is certainly still advocating restraint but it is equally obvious that time might be running out. She has been deeply disappointed by the international community's failure to persuade Pakistan to
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Communal tension in India feared by Mrs Gandhi

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restore a normal situation in East Bengal under a realistic political settlement.

“We have explained to each government what we want them to do. While we do not want the people of Pakistan to suffer in any way, I think the international community should know that any help that the military government gets is not going to reach the people on either side.

“It will not only be used to repress democratic rights but it will be used against the people’s very lives, their property and their survival.”

In a guarded but bitter reference to the response of the big powers, Mrs Gandhi said: “It has certainly been less than the occasion has demanded.”

Mrs Gandhi believes that the big powers could still persuade Pakistan to adopt a more realistic and democratic plan for the transfer of power than the solution announced by President Yahya Khan. “Even now I think if they adopted a firm attitude, it could make a difference.”

She refused to explain her ideas on how the big powers could put pressure on Pakistan but she smiled and said. “I expect they all know the ropes”.

In a reference to the large number of Hindus who have crossed into India with stories of atrocities, Mrs Gandhi told me she believed that tension between Hindus and Muslims in India might mount.

“Such things always create communal tension but I sincerely hope that we will be able to control any such trouble. The strangest thing is that all that has been done in Pakistan has been done in the name of Islam but the people there are not at all concerned about the effects it will have on the 60 million Muslims here.”