New Delhi: India feels disappointed with some of the first reports from the United Nations on the Bangla Desh problem. It was believed that the foreign minister Sardar Swaran Singh's recent visit to Indonesia had brought about a change of attitude in that country both as to dimensions of the problem confronting India and as to the only possible solution - a political settlement. Therefore, Adam Malik's first statement in the United Nations headquarters that the nations should exert great pressure on India and Pakistan to reach a bilateral agreement came as a big surprise.

With the passage of time India realises the interest of other nations has started to diminish and nations, like individuals, seek new interests. The reported developments in China, the debate on its admission into the UN, the dollar crisis - all these have tended to drive out Bangla Desh and its nine million refugees in India from the front pages of newspapers.

Even the Bangla Desh international conference convened by Jayaprakash Narayan after long preparation, turned out to be a tame affair with no firm decisions for action of any sort. Even the Gandhian gesture of a peace march into Bangla Desh by a team of volunteers was abandoned at the last moment.

Slowly it is dawning on everyone that the refugees have probably come to stay, the only hope of their return hinging on the might of the freedom fighters and victory over the Pakistan army. The rains have practically ended in East Pakistan and the army is bound to spread out to bring under control areas which are now held by the Mukti Bahini.

The shadow of famine is also lengthening. New punitive action by the army and scarcity of food will compel millions more to seek refuge across the border. India will continue to receive the hapless people and make no attempt to seal the border.

All this is going to lead to chaos and calamity in West Bengal. The Bengalis are now in the puja festival, a long spell of cultural activities, worship, debate and dramatics. But when the monthlong festival ends the problems must be faced; most pressing of these is unemployment, aggravated by the influx of untold millions.

The spectre of future events is forbidding and that perhaps is the reason why Mrs. Indira Gandhi is considering whether it would be possible to declare a state of emergency in the Bengal zone. The constitution says this can only be done in the case of national emergency; but the peculiar circumstances in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura may compel government to amend the law and place this zone directly under federal surveillance.