Delhi, July 4
India and Pakistan appeared to be drifting compulsively towards a confrontation over the weekend when all sections of Indian society began to exert tremendous pressure on Mrs Gandhi to abandon her policy of restraint and resolve the crisis in East Bengal by military means.

The stark and alarming fact that most Indians have lost faith in the world community's efforts to enforce a political solution was shown by a statement by Mr Jayaprakash Narayan, founder of the Gandhi Peace Foundation and a renowned advocate of the Mahatma's doctrine of nonviolence.

He said: “The time for action has come. We must give the Liberation Army heavy artillery, guns, anti-tank weapons, machineguns and explosives.”

Mr Narayan, who has returned from a tour of 17 countries, went on: “It is clear from President Yahya's unrelenting stand that the world community has failed to persuade him to resolve the crisis by a realistic political solution. I have admired Mrs Gandhi's restraint, but she must now decide if the time for action has not arrived.”

Mr A. B. Vajpayee, leader of the militant Hindu nationalist party Jan Sangh, echoed the same sentiments when to thunderous applause he called for a military solution at the meeting of the party's general council at Udaipur today.

Insisting that India had no alternative but to give the Liberation Army substantial military aid, he said: “If this leads to a war with Pakistan, the whole of India is prepared for it. Pakistan has already declared war on India, by pushing millions of her citizens into India.”

Mr Vajpayee announced that the party would launch a 10-day campaign of agitation on August 1 to force the Government to take action and “respect national sentiments”.

He said Ite would also organize a rally of two hundred thousand people in from of Parliament if Mrs Gandhi did not recognize the provisional government of Bangla Desh by then.

In reply to Hindu chauvinists in his own party who spoke about reuniting East Bengal with India. Mr Vajpayee said the Jan Sangh would certainly not demand such a step. He continued: “If Shaikh Mujibur Rahman and his people express themselves in favour of a merger we will be happy, as we still cherish the dream of a larger India, but if they want to continue as an independent state we will maintain friendly relations with them.”

At the same time the Bhartya Khidmatgar, a newly formed organization which is committed to promoting non-violence and goodwill between Hindus and Muslims, issued a statement urging Mrs Gandhi to recognize Bangla Desh and to support the Liberation Army immediately.

The organization said that in view of President Yahya's attitude the matter could only be resolved by military action. The statement urged Mts Gandhi to mount a naval blockade and supply the freedom fighters with arms and training.

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The Pakistan Government has broken off its association with the Royal Commonwealth Society because of alleged “anti-Pakistan propaganda”. It has also instructed Mr Salim Ali. the Pakistan High Commissioner in Britain, to resign as vice-president in protest at an address on East Pakistan given to members by a representative of Bangla Desh.

Two Conservative MPs who have just returned from separate tours of Pakistan clashed yesterday on the situation in East Pakistan. Mr Toby Jessel. MP for Twickenham, said on a BBC radio programme that he had no doubt at all the Pakistan Army was slaughtering people, and imposing a reign of terror. But Mrs Jill Knight, MP for Edgbaston, declared she had found no evidence of attrocities going on now.