Delhi, Oct 18
Mrs Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, reassured President Tito today that India was not spoiling for a war with Pakistan in spite of the fact that the country's economy and social fabric had been placed under a tremendous strain by the influx of nine million refugees from East Bengal.

In explaining India's stand on the present crisis on the subcontinent during talks with President Tito of Yugoslavia in Delhi today, Mrs Gandhi said that Indian troops had been deployed on the Indo-Pakistan border as a defensive measure. It is understood that Mrs Gandhi informed President Tito, who is on a four-day state visit to India, that Indian troops had been moved to the border in response to Pakistan's “offensive” posture.

The Indian Prime Minister alleged that Pakistan had moved troops up to the border and had whipped up a “crush India” campaign within the country. India, she said, had been forced to make preparations for a possible attack.

Mrs Gandhi had rebutted Pakistani charges that India was preventing the refugees from returning to their homes. She pointed out that nearly five million refugees had arrived in India since Pakistan offered to take back all of her citizens, and this indicated that the refugees had no faith or confidence in the political system envisaged under President Yahya Khan's plans for the transfer of power to civilians.

A spokesman for the Indian Government said later that President Tito expressed his country's understanding for India's stand on the question of East Pakistan and that he agreed with Mrs Gandhi’s contention that the crisis could only be resolved under a political settlement which is acceptable to the elected representatives of East Bengal.

Fred Emery writes from Washington: America is consulting with the Soviet Union, Britain, and France, among others, in search of a diplomatic initiative to avert war between India and Pakistan, State Department officials disclosed today.

Mounting concern over reports of a military build-up was voiced for the second time in five days by the Department's official spokesman. He said the United States was insistently urging restraint on both sides, and that a cooperative diplomatic undertaking was being sought.

Paris, Oct 18.—President Yahya Khan said in an interview published here today that differences between Pakistan and India should be settled by a dialogue and not war. “A war-would only add to the sufferings of people in both countries and would not settle the problem of the refugees”. the President told Le Monde.

He emphasized, however, that Pakistan would not tolerate Indian interference in its internal affairs.

India was bombarding East Pakistan, encouraging subversion and continually sending in infiltrators io destroy communications and paralyze the economy. India, President Yahya was quoted as saying, was “threatening Pakistan”.

He added that he had discussed this threat with President Podgorny of the Soviet Union during the Iranian celebrations al Persepolis.

The President added that he was willing to accept any mediator. So far India had wanted to discuss only secondary questions because its case was weak.

Yahya Khan said that he could not hold any discussions with Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bangla Desh leader, currently being tried by a military tribunal on charges of waging war against Pakistan.

Clifford Longley writes:
A supplementary feeding programme to save children from malnutrition in the Pakistani refugee camps in India was beginning to bring the problem under control, the director of the refugee Operation of Caritas India said in London yesterday.

Father Patrick de Sousa runs the largest non-governmental refugee relief scheme in India.