Brussels: At the end of her Western tour, which included three EEC capitals and of course London and Washington, Premier Indira Gandhi is likely to be praised for her person but not for her refusal to negotiate with Pakistan over Bangla Desh. This, at any rate, was the case in Brussels, her first port of call. She impressed all who met her with her obvious sincerity and her serenity at a time of great crisis, but the reasons she gave for her refusal to respond to President Yahya Khan's indications that he was prepared for a dialogue made a less favourable impact.

The plain truth is that most Western governments would like to conjure away the problem of Bangla Desh if they could. While they accept the Indian version of how it all began, they now tend to regard it as another aspect of the perennial Indo-Pakistani dispute. Hence they would like the two countries to seek a political settlement between themselves.

To this end they have separated the humanitarian problem from the political. The refugee problem, the Belgian Prime Minister told Mrs. Gandhi, can only be solved with the participation of the international community. He hoped "a political solution will soon permit a return of these people to their homeland and solve the present crisis," although in private talks both he and his Foreign Minister agreed, according to Indian sources, that the UN may have to intervene as it did in South Africa over apartheid, for example.

Mrs. Gandhi however took the view that the situation has arisen, not as a result of any difference between India and Pakistan but because Pakistan's military regime, out of touch with the people, had sought to suppress their political aspirations. While India was involved as it had given sanctuary to the refugees, it was for the rulers of Pakistan to negotiate a settlement with the elected leaders of the eastern part of their country. The restoration of peaceful conditions in East Pakistan would make it possible for the refugees to return home, thus relieving India of an intolerable burden.

But Mrs. Gandhi also stressed the economic consequences for India of having to look after more than nine million refugees, although she made it clear she had not come to ask for financial help for them. Unhappily, the very size of the refugee problem has tended to discourage the Europeans, many of whom are inclined to question the usefulness of a financial contribution that inevitably will be no bigger than the proverbial drop in the ocean. Nonetheless, perhaps spurred by Mrs. Gandhi's presence among them, perhaps by the urgency of the deteriorating situation she had left behind, the Aid-India Consortium finally came up last week with US$950 million - meeting India's estimate of the cost of feeding the refugees until March 1972.

Financial aid can only be a palliative; what is needed is a reorganisation of relations between rich nations and poor. The Belgian Foreign Minister, Pierre Harmel, was hopeful that with Britain's entry into the EEC the conditions would be created in which Western Europe would be able to adopt a policy of greater responsibility towards the developing countries. Meanwhile, he felt there was no reason why entry should be a cause of worry to British Commonwealth countries. The Commission's President told her much the same thing. They noted that the Six were committed in principle to an agreement with India, although the final decision rested with the Council of Ministers. Informed sources here believe the Six will agree to the creation of a joint commission with India at the very least.