Bhutto walks out in tears

December 15, 1971

INDIRA GANDHI'S LETTER TO NIXON

In a letter dated December 15, 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi expressed her deep frustration to US President Richard Nixon over the "innuendos and insinuations" by US officials that "it was we [India] who have precipitated the crisis and have in any way thwarted the emergence of solutions".

She explained, "Mr President, despite the continued defiance by the rulers of Pakistan of the most elementary facts of life, we would still have tried our hardest to restrain the mounting pressure as we had for nine long months, and war could have been prevented had the rulers of Pakistan not launched a massive attack on us by bombing our airfields in Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Avantipur, Utterlai, Jodhpur, Ambala and Agra in the broad day light on December 3.

"Mr. President," continued Indira, "may I ask you in all sincerity: Was the release or even secret negotiations with a single human being, namely, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, more disastrous than the waging of a war?"

Indira Gandhi further said, "We are asked what we want. We seek nothing for ourselves. We do not want any territory of what was East Pakistan and now constitutes Bangladesh. We do not want any territory of West Pakistan. We do want lasting peace with Pakistan.

"Be that as it may, it is my earnest and sincere hope that with all the knowledge and deep understanding of human affairs you, as President of the United States and reflecting the will, the aspirations and idealism of the great American people, will at least let me know where precisely we have gone wrong before your representatives or spokesmen deal with us with such harshness of language," concluded the Indian prime minister.

BHUTTO DENOUNCES SECURITY COUNCIL

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, ripping up his notes as his face streaked with tears, walked out of the Security Council today after accusing it of legalising aggression and occupation of Pakistan.

Bhutto's parting words to the Council were: "Mr President, I am not a rat. I've never ratted in my life. I have faced assassination attempts, I've faced imprisonment. Today I am not ratting, but I am leaving your Security Council.

"I find it disgraceful to my person and to my country to remain here a moment longer. Impose any decision, have a treaty worse than Versailles, legalise aggression, legalise occupation—I will not be a party to it. We will fight. My country harkens for me.

"Why should I waste my time here in the Security Council? I will not be a party to the ignominious surrender of part of my country. You can take your Security Council; here you are. I am going."

Outside the chamber, he said: "I hate this body. I don't want to see their faces again. I'd rather go back to a destroyed Pakistan."

The council met twice again in the evening.

ON THE WAR FRONT

Indian officials said tonight that the commander of Pakistani forces in the besieged city of Dhaka had asked for a ceasefire, but that India had demanded a complete surrender of the enemy army in East Pakistan.

The Indian Army Chief of Staff Gen SHFJ Manekshaw said he had received a message "regarding a ceasefire" through American diplomatic channels from Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who commanded Pakistani forces in East Pakistan, at 2:30pm yesterday.

General Manekshaw's reply, also sent through American diplomatic channels, said: "I have received your communication regarding a cease‐fire in Bangladesh at 1430 hours today through the American Embassy in New Delhi.

"Since you have indicated your desire to stop fighting, I expect you to issue orders to all forces under your command in Bangladesh to cease fighting immediately and surrender to my advancing forces wherever they are located," General Manekshaw's message added.

He asked the Pakistani commander to answer him by radio and gave frequencies on which Indian radio operators would be listening for a reply.

BE QUICK ABOUT IT: TAJUDDIN

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad in a broadcast called upon the Mukti Bahini and allied Indian forces to quicken their final assault on the enemy now cornered inside Dhaka city. He said, " Our allied forces are now at the outskirts of Dhaka for a final assault on the Pakistani troops whose moral weakness has reached the lowest ebb."

He added, "The whole nation is awaiting eagerly the rapid destruction of the enemy forces."

Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]