DACCA: The Indian troops of the Rajput Regiment and their agents today [Nov 4] came in wave after wave only to be beaten back while desperately trying to capture the Akipara border outpost in the Mymensingh district. In the three waves of attack, they suffered 148 killed and over 200 wounded. Two Pakistan soldiers and four Mujahids were also injured.

[Meanwhile, news agencies add from Washington,] Indian Premier Indira Gandhi today [Nov 4] said she hoped her visit to the United States would create a deeper understanding “of the impact of events in Pakistan on India”. Mrs Gandhi was speaking shortly after she arrived at the White House for talks with President Nixon. In a welcoming speech, President Nixon told the Indian Premier: … “The United States and India are not bound by any treaty commitment as such, but they are bound by a higher morality that does not need a legal document to make it live.” The President made no reference in his speech to the situation in Pakistan and said: “When a tragedy occurs in India, the heart of America is moved.”

Replying, Mrs Gandhi said: “It was not easy for me to come here at this time.” She referred to the situation created by political events in Pakistan as a “man-made tragedy of vast proportions.”

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2021