If East Pakistan should fall to Indian and Bangla Desh
(Bengal nation) troops soon, the problems or restoring
that shattered area may loom as large as the Indo-Pak
war itself

This is the considered view or Asian experts who have
been close to the Indo-Pak war scene in recent weeks.
In the absence of any particularly visible contingency
planning by India, Pakistan, or Bangla Desh, these
experts see the most pressing problems today as
including:

The possibility of the East Pakistan population wreaking
revenge on West Pakistan troops for the murders and
massacres committed in the months since their arrival
last April.

There are reports, as well, that West Pakistan troops
have been killing Bengali civilians in recent days as
they retreated.

The continuation of Bengali harassment and, in some
cases, murder of members of the minority Bihari Muslim
community who may not have left East Pakistan as
refugees. Many of East Pakistanis policemen were
Muslims, as were many shopkeepers and merchants.

India has considered the retribution nightmare at least
to the point of stating:

"Our plans provide for protection to all sections of the
population, including those who have earned the wrath of
the local population."

Observers are aware how difficult the policing of such
retribution can be. At the time of independence when
India and Pakistan were partitioned in 1947, more than a
million Muslims and Hindus were killed in religious
riots, a statistic seldom recalled today.

Several Western governments are making a crash-project
study of questions such as:

Where does the United States and/or world community find
the money for rehabilitation efforts?

How can East Pakistan be put back on its feet?

How can problems of damage to communications, bridges,
and transport, which are central to the distribution of
food supplies be solved?

The State Department is known to be studying these
matters intensively just **** know, not only with a
humanitarian intent in mind, but in hopes of restoring
the somewhat battered U.S. image in Asia.

The return and resettlement of the 10 million East
Pakistan refugees now in India could present logistical
and transport difficulties of unmanageable proportions.
Some 3,000 refugees in West Bengal camps have already
begun their trek home to Khulna District in East
Pakistan.

Aside from the human problems of returning millions of
East Pakistan refugees, India still may have to cope
with those who, for fear of persecution or murder, do
not wish to return to their former homes.

The possible radicalization of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's
Awami League, which until now has had an essentially
middle-class profile, is a matter of concern to
countries considering establishment of diplomatic
relations with Bangla Desh.

Some of the activists in the Mukti Bahini tend to be
more radical than the political figures who are in the
background of the liberation group. This, in fact, is
one of India's concerns, and is said to have been a
factor in India's carrying the war into East Pakistan in
recent weeks.