Diplomatic Correspondent
Mrs Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, fielded dexterously and at times forcefully a wide range of questions from members of the Foreign Press Association at a luncheon in London yesterday.

Earlier she had spent 40 minutes with Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Both at the Foreign Office and at the luncheon she was at great pains to emphasize that the East Pakistan situation was basically a Pakistan creation. The return of the millions of refugees now in Indian territory could only be brought about by a viable political settlement in East Pakistan.

Mrs Gandhi put a deal of scathing vigour into her reply as she spoke of a placard, held, somewhat dejectedly, it may be said, at the door by a demonstrator who wished to know why India was preventing the refugees returning.

This, she said must be the joke of the year. India was striving desperately hard to see that they did go back, but some 30,000 refugees daily—and on one day 62,000—were still coming across the border when she left India.

There were 2,500,000 Muslims. The rest were Hindus, Christians or of other religions. But—and here Mrs Gandhi verged on the histrionic—"the vast majority must go back’’.

Yet how could U Thant, the United Nations Secretary-General, or anyone else tell them to go back, when the lives of millions of people were at slake? He should talk to Pakistan.

She herself was perfectly ready to talk to President Yahya Khan on Indo-Pakistan matters, but this problem concerned the lives of millions of people who had been under his government up to now. She had been asked if she would shake hands with President Yahya Khan, but how could she shake hands with a clenched fist?

The Indian Prime Minister was asked about a reported statement of President Yahya Khan that Pakistan could count upon China to supply arms in case of war. This, she said, was similar to other provocative statements, but India had no intention of attacking.

Having been attacked herself twice by Pakistan India must, however, remain “fully prepared”.