Krishnagar. June 16

In an apparent effort to prevent Bengal from developing into another Vietnam, the Indian Government has confiscated large quantities of captured arms from Bangla Desh freedom fighters operating from bases to the west of the East Bengal frontier.

This was revealed to me by an unimpeachable source near the border town of Krishnagar today. He said that large quantities of arms, thousands of rifle's mortars, machineguns, anti-tank guns, ammunition and other heavy weapons captured from the Pakistan Army in the civil war had been taken over by the Indian border security force.

The liberation army has, however. been allowed to retain ancient .303 rifles.

The disappointed freedom fighters were told that the weapons were not being “confiscated” as such but were being controlled by the Indian authorities for the time being because of security reasons.

My informant went on to explain that training camps were certainly not being disbanded and that hundreds of volunteers were still being trained by former members of the East Pakistan Rifles.

This disarm policy is, I understand, only being applied to the border area adjoining West Bengal, stronghold of the radical Marxist Communist Party and the more extreme Maoists. Significantly, unsubstantiated reports indicate that members of the East Bengal Rifles and the Liberation Front operating from the borders of Tripura and Assam — anti-communist areas — have been allowed to retain their heavy weapons.

Two reasons can be offered for India’s action. First, the West Bengal Government, which is already battling to contain a violent and militant communist movement, fears that the arms from East Bengal might slip into the hands of left-wing extremists.

Secondly, and perhaps more important, the Indian Government would certainly not want to see an uncontrolled and heavily armed group of guerrillas inflame an area where both Pakistan and Indian troops are deployed at great strength.