WASHINGTON, Dec. 7—The White House, defending its position on the war in the Indian subcontinent, asserted today that the United States was actively promoting apolitical settlement — including some autonomy for East Pakistan — when India attacked Pakistan without justification.

In an unusual briefing for newsmen at the White House, officials—who declined to be quoted directly or identified—said the United States had wrung several concessions from the Pakistani Government and had conveyed this information to New Delhi before the outbreak of hostilities.

The purpose of the briefing seemed at least in part aimed at answering criticism leveled by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, Senator Edmund S. Muskie, Democrat of Maine, and others.

These critics have attacked the Administration for branding India as the aggressor in the war instead of assigning blame to the Pakistani Government for its repression of the East Pakistani insurgents, which has driven millions of East Pakistani refugees into India since last. March.

Although the White House officials defended the United States decision to pin responsibility on India for the warfare, they went out of their way to deny that the Nixon Administration was “anti-Indian.”

They said that they continued to regard India as the world's largest democratically governed country and pointed out that the Administration had continued large‐scale aid to India.

But they said that, in the present crisis, India seemed less desirous of a political solution than of dismembering Pakistan.

As outlined by these officials, the United. States had engaged in a hectic race against time to achieve a solution that would be acceptable to India, to Pakistan, and to the East Pakistani secessionist movement without resort to war. The Pakistani rebels have proclaimed Bangla Desh (Bengal Nation), as their country and have won recognition by India and Bhutan.

The White House officials said that American representatives had made contact with exiled Bangla Desh leaders in August, September and October in Calcutta. They said the Bengalis had at first seemed to agree to talks with Pakistani officials on a political solution, but the proposed talks broke down after India advised them only to negotiate through their leader, Sheik Mujibur Rahman, who was seized by the Pakistani authorities last March.

Contact With Bengalis

The White House officials said that the United States, in private discussions with Pakistan, had won agreement for serious consideration of substantial autonomy for East Pakistan

This was conveyed to the Indian Ambassador, Lakshmi Kant Jha, on Nov. 19, the officials said. Mr. Jha was told, they said, that the Pakistanis were prepared to discuss a precise timetable for political autonomy for East Pakistan. But on Nov. 21, the officials said, the Indians launched their first attack.

The White House officials said that they recognized that Indian leaders were under some compulsion to take steps to put an end to the repression in East Pakistan and stop the flow of refugees across the border. They said this sense of urgency was conveyed to the Pakistani Government by, the United States.

But, according to the White House officials, the Indian Government was unwilling to wait for a political solution to be reached. They said this was particularly disappointing since Pakistan, under American urging, was due to return to civilian rule by the end of December, when officials not directly involved in the East Pakistan repression would, take office.

No Reply From India

The officials were asked why they thought India had launched the attack. They said that they never received an explanation from India despite two personal messages from, President Nixon. In addition, they said, Secretary of State William P. Rogers had met with the Indian Ambassador 18 times, and Henry A. Kissinger, the national security adviser, had met with the Indian official seven times.

It was felt necessary to put blame on India for the fighting, the officials said, because the United States had an obligation to make clear for the sake of future peace that it did not favor recourse to military action, no matter who was responsible.

The White House officials said that the repression in East Pakistan in March started the process leading to the war, but it was clear from the context of the briefing that they felt India's actions were the direct cause of the hostilities.

They said that after the fighting began on Nov. 21, the United States withheld assigning blame because it was reluctant to believe that India had come to a naked recourse to force.

Irked by Mrs. Gandhi

When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India visited Washington in early November, she was also informed fully of American efforts to get concessions from Pakistan—including a unilateral Pakistani withdrawal from the Indian‐Pakistan border, the White House officials said. However, Mrs. Gandhi is said to have given no inkling that India was less than a month away from war.

This failure of Mrs. Gandhi to speak frankly about India's plans seemed to irk officials here.

When large‐scale fighting began on Friday, the United States decided to make known its, views. This was done at the State Department on Saturday when India was accused of fomenting the warfare.

Nixon Bias Is Denied

The White House officials hinted to the Soviet Union that it would note carefully Soviet actions to restrain the Indians, who rely on Moscow for military and political support.

In the White House view, the Soviet Union's hands‐off attitude may have contributed to India's attitude. It was too soon to make a final judgment, the officials said, but the implication was that if Moscow continued to back Indian war efforts, as it has done in the Security Council over the weekend, this could have an unfavorable impact here.

There were many questions about President Nixon's own views, and officials denied that Mr. Nixon had any personal preference for Pakistanis over Indians, and it was also denied that the American position had anything to do with an effort to assuage China, Pakistan's most important ally.

The State Department today said that bilateral diplomacy had failed and therefore the United States had decided to work through the United Nations, in effect washing American hands of the whole crisis on a unilateral basis.

Senator Kennedy, who has long criticized the Administration for not speaking out against the East Pakistan repression, said that by assigning blame to India in the current crisis, the Administration was making her “the scapegoat of our, frustrations and failures and of the bankruptcy of our policy toward Pakistan.”

“Our Government and the United Nations must come to understand that the actions of the Pakistan Army on the night of March 25 unleashed the forces in South Asia that have led to war,” he said.

Senator Muskie urged the United States make strong efforts to insure autonomy for the East Bengalis.