SECRET 437° PAGE OL STATE) 14938700 000 Sho 4g . ORIGIN SS-a7 . fi é INFO OCT+31 7228 2% 3 = 666lt DRAFTED BY: NEA/INC! Ae Ce E+ QUAINTON APPROVED BY! NEAr Cy VAN HOLLEN: NEA/PAF! Me CONSTABLE (SUBS) S/St MR ELE p << a oS) : / R Aatsoaz (Oa : 4 : FN_SECSTATE-WASHDC: ~: . TOTAMEMBASSY NEW DELHI ‘i INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD . AMCONSUL DACCA: SEC RE T STATE 149347 gs eExors : SUZUt LETTER FROM PRIME MINISTER GANDHI a “FOLLOWING IS TEXT. OF LETTER FORWARDED To PRES{DENT: NIXON AY INDIAN AMBASSADOR JHA FROM PRIME- MINISTER GANDHI AUGUST: 93, 1871+ CUOTE: a ss DEAR MRe PRESIDENT? Dee Ae eee oe Den eae THANK YOU FOR YOUR. LETTERS: +. ONE DATED 29TH MAY. AND. THE’ OTHER BROUGHT BY DR+ KISSINGER DATED 1ST JULY. T HAVE READ: THEM ITH REST+ DRe KISSINGER HAS NO DOUBT SPOKEN To YOU ABOUT ‘11S 3k ANGING DISCUSSIONS. IN REK DELHI+ 3 : SINCE I WROTE TO YOU ON 13TH MAYs THE STTUATION HAS NOT IM~ PROVED® SANGUINARY CONFLICT CONTINUES UNARATED INWEAST BE! NUMBER OF PAKISTANI CITIZENS FLEEING THEIR HOMELAND’ ANG ING SHELTER IN INDIA IS STEADILY AUGMENTINGs WE NOW HAVE ORE THAN SEVEN MILLION REGISTERED EVACUEES* THE WEST PAKIE7 ARMY HAS DRIVEN OUT THE GREATER PART OF ‘THE MINORITY COMMUN 4S HELL AS MORE THAN A KILLION MOSLEM CITIZENS QF EAST BENGALS TY RECENT WEEKS THE NUMBER OF THE LATTER 15°—— ate ee Saeco weno 5 : Department of State ay meer 1} SECRET ay] PAGE 92 STATE: 1a9BAF oe . . pa IT IS NOT FOR US TO OBJECT TO THE UeSe MAINTAINING, AS YOU" MRe PRESIDENT HAVE PUT. It? A CONSTRUCTIVE’ RELATIONSHIP: WITH PAKISTAN SO THAT THE UsSe-MAYs "RETAIN SOME INFLUENCE IN WORKING WITH THEM TOWARDS InPORTANT DECISIONS TO BE MADE IN THAT COUNTRY"s WE HAVE WAITED PATIENTLY AND WITH: RESTRAINT, HOPING FOR A TURN IN. THE TIDE OF EVENTS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT? PARLIAMENT AND. PEOPLE: OF INDIA COULD RECOGNISE AS A STEP TO~ WARDS A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT+ YOUR LETTER OF: 29TH HAY REFERRED HOPEFULLY TO “PRESIDENT YAHYA KHAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE OF 24TH MAYs SINCE THEM WE HAVE CSNE~ FULLY CONSIDERED HIS STATEMENT OF 28TH JUNE AND HIS UTTER= ANCES ON TELEVISION. THESE PRONOUNCEHENTS. SHOW A HARDENING _ QF ATTITUDE AND IT SEEMS TO US: THAT’ THEY DO NOT TAKE us MEARER A SOLUTION® . NOTHING WOULD GIVE ME:-AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE INDIAN PEOPLE: A GREATER SENSE OF RELIEF THAN TO & ABLE TO SAY THAT THE UeSe WAS WORKING TOWARDS A VIALE SETTLES MENT WHICH WOULD. RESTORE PEACE AND THE SEMBLANCE OF CIVILIZED GOVERNMENT IN EAST BENGAL: NHICH WOULD ENAGLE PAKISTANI CITIZENS 7) RETURN TO THEIR HONES* HOWEVER THE MALAISE AFFLICTING THE: SOCIO-POLITICAL: STRUCTURE, OF PAKISTAN AND THE TENSIONS PREVAILING BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PARTS OF IT ARE DEEP ROOTED+ THE PRESENT ATTEMPT IS TO. SOLVE CHRONIC PROBLENS, ARISING OUT OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECIi9HIC DISPARITIES» BY FORCE. «I BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE YeSe SUPPORTS THE VIEW THAT THE POSTING OF UN OBSERVERS ON : ELTHEa SIDE /OF THE FRONTIERS OF INDTA AND EAST BENGAL CGVLO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE REFUGEES. KE REGRET: THAT WE: DO NOT SEE THE SITUATION: IN THIS LIGHTs INDIA IS AN OFEN DEMOCR*CY« NE HAVE A LARGE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND MANY REPRESENTATIVES GF ThE WORLD PRESS+ WE HaVE HAD-VISITS OF PARLIAMENTARY DELE~ BATIONS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES* ALL ARE FREE TO TRAVEL AbO-70 VISIT THE REFUGEE CAMPS- THEY SEE FOR THEMSELVES THAT AL T#CUGH WE ARE-DOING ALL: WE CAN FOR THE REFUGEES, LIFE IN THE CA BNE OF DEPRIVATION AND ACUTE DISCOKFORTs HENCE IT 15 UN JO THINK THAT PRESENCE OF A GROUP OF “UN O3SERVERS COULD GS! ENY FEELING OF ASSUKANCE TO THE EVACUEES WHEN EVERY DAY THEY S22 WEN EVACUEES POURING IN WITH STORIES. OF ATROCITIES “Ou ELGFIORIZATION OF THE EXEC! D WITHOUT NOT TO BERSECRET . PAGE @3 STATE: 149347 00,0.) als : NATIONS OBSERVERS. HAVE: SUCCEEDED IN PERSUADING: THE REFUGEES MHO FLEp FROM HITLER'S TYRANY TO RETURN EVEN WHILST. THE PROGRAMS AGAINST THE JEWS AND POLITICAL CPPONENTS OF NAZISM CONTINUED UNABATED?! IN--OUR VIEW THE INTENTIONS OF f THE UN OBSERVERS MIGHT BE MORE.CREDIBLE IF THEIR EFFORTS WERE DIRECTED AT STOPPING THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW OF THESE UNFORTUNATE EOPLE AND AT CREATING CONDITIONS WHICHs TO ANY REASONABLE PERSON» WOULD ASSURE THE SAFETY OF LIFE AND LIBERTY OF THE REFUGEES WHO WISH TO RETURN TO EAST BENGAL« THE LEAGUE OF OUCHED BY.YOUR GENEROUS REFERENCES: TO SIDEMOCRACY AND THE STRENGTH: OF PURPOOE EETING THE COMPLEX SOCIAL AND. ECONOMIC THESE. PROBLEMS HAVE SEEN REtl~ MR+ PRESIDENT, I AM TI THE VITALITY: OF INDIAN OF OUR GOVERNHENT IN Mi PROBLEMS WHICH CONFRONT INDIAe ERED MORE COMPLEX Sy THE ACTION OF THE PAKISTAN ARMY AND THE BURDEN ON US IS ALMOST UNBEARASLEs IT IS a¥ SHEER ACT OF WILL BURT NE ARE ASLE-TO HOLD ONs 1 SHOULD: LIKE TO MENTION ONE,.O7 TAtTeRs OUR GOVERNMENT WAS GREATLY EMBARRASSED THAT SOON AFT QUR FOREIGN MINISTER'S RETURN FROM HIS WASHINGTON VISIT AND SESPITE THE STATEMENTS MADE BY" AMBASSADOR KEATING I% BOMBAY ON SER IL 16TH AND’ BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT!S. SPOKESMAN ON APRIL ISTH, 1971 CAME THE NEWS OF FRESH SUPPLIES OF US ARS, TO PAKISTANe PTER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SUB=CONTINENT i SUPPLY ARMS TO. PAXISTAN IN-1954 AND. CONTINUE! Se THESE ARMS HAVE BEEN USED AGAINST USs AS ey WOULD BE* AND NOW THESE ARMS ARE G21NG Own PEOPLE WHOSE ONLY FAULT APPEARS TO 2& TOUSLY PRESIDENT YAHYA KHAN'S PROMISE TO IT HAS A SAD CHAI THE US BEGAN TO DOING SO UPTO 196 INDEED WE FEARED THI USED AGAINST THEIR THAT “THEY TOOK SER RESTORE DEMOCRACY+ HUMAN TRAGEDY» iT 1S.SOME RELIEF TO OF THE ASTRONAUTS IN THE APOLLO 15s Sete VALIANT MEN AND THE TEAM OF SCIENTISTS SUPPORTING Tk AEeRESENT MAN'S ETERNAL LONGING TO BREAK FROM THE CONSTRAINTS Be TINE AND SPACE+ AS I WRITE THIS, THE ASTRONAUTS ARE -HEASING HOMEAROS, BACK TO OUR EARTHe WE PRAY FOR THEIR SAPETY =f 2. SUEe, I Cesss PLEASE ACCEPT» HRe PRESIDENT» OUR WARM FELICITATIONSs ” f IN THE MIDST’ OF ALL THE CONTEMPLATE THE VOYAGE MESSAGE REGARDING YOUR INITIATIVE TO 1 THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC "OF CHINA» WE 1 WAS GLAD TO HavE Your ) NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH NOT TO BE.REPRODUCED WITHOUT THESAGFRORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY cea.