NEW DELHI, April 8—“This house records its profound conviction that the historic upsurge of the 75 million people of East Bengal will triumph. The house wishes to assure them that their struggle and sacrifices will receive the wholehearted sympathy and support of the people of India.”

With those two sentences—part of a resolution adopted by the Indian Parliament nine days ago at the request of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—India voiced support for the Bengalis of East Pakistan in their battle against troops flown from West Pakistan originally to crush their drive for autonomy and now to stop their bid for independence.

Since the resolution was adopted, India has made some gestures aimed at displaying that support while carefully trying to avoid moves that would give substance to charges that she was meddling in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

Two days ago, the Indian Government granted political asylum to two East Pakistani diplomats who had fled their jobs at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Unofficial Support

Unofficially, Indians in private and local government groups have been busy lending support to the East Pakistanis—raising money and collecting food, medicine and other supplies.

It is believed here that this is the way any covert aid—such as arms and ammunition,— would be mustered for East Pakistan, although there is no evidence yet of such support.

The Indian Government has given tacit approval to numerous demonstrations in support of East Pakistan. Demands and petitions for Government recognition of “The Peoples Republic of Bangla Desh” appear to be increasing. Bangla Desh is Bengali for the Bengal Nation, the term used in referring to East Pakistan.

Indian newspapers have been printing enthusiastic accounts of the East Pakistani victories and West Pakistani defeats, as well as reports of atrocities by Government troops.

The Indian Government has not tried to seal its border with East Pakistan. There has been a continuous flow of supporters back and forth across the border.

Although India has several thousand troops stationed near East Pakistan ostensibly to guard against Communist Chinese movements into Sikkim—Government officials deny West Pakistani charges that these troops have moved toward the Eastern border.

On Jan. 30, 1971, an incident occurred that was eventually to help East Pakistan. Two men who said they were members of the “National Liberation Front of Kashmir” hijacked an Indian plane on a domestic run from Srinagar to Jammu. They took it to Lahore, in West Pakistan, where, three days later, it was blown up as Pakistani soldiers and airport officials watched.

In reaction, India immediately banned all Pakistani flights across her territory, forcing the West Pakistani Government to reroute planes, at considerable expense and time, around the southern tip of India by way of Ceylon to reach Dacca in the eastern wing.

Later, suspecting Pakistan of chartering planes from other countries to ferry troops to the East, India banned military flights of all nations over her territory.

India has been under considerable strain to do more than she has to aid the supporters of Sheik Mujibur Rahman in their bid for East Pakistani independence from the west.

One of the major factors is the Indian state of West Bengal, where support is overwhelming for the independence movement. West Bengal and East Pakistan [East Bengal) have long shared a fervent dream of Bengali nationalism.

Diplomatic observers here believe the Indian Government must convince West Bengal that it is firmly behind the East Pakistanis or else face wide rebellion and possibly a secessionist movement there.

Another factor, which Indian officials here cite, is that if fighting in East Pakistan drags on, aid efforts might fall into the hands of extreme radical groups seeking not only an independent East Pakistan but also a revolution in India as well. By taking the lead in the support movement, the Government hopes to negate that possibility.

Besides these internal considerations, India's support for East Pakistan is rooted in the fact that Sheik Mujib, in his election campaign last December for the National Assembly, called for an end to confrontation between Pakistan and India.

“For the first time in 23 years, they were saying let's normalize relations,” an Indian Government official said today. “For the first time, there was real reason to be hopeful, prospect for happy relations and a chance for both countries to turn all their attention to the more urgent needs of our people.”

Optimism Stirred

The results of the election, stirred even more optimism in India. Sheik Mujib's party, the Awami League, won a clear majority in the National Assembly, with its demands for regional autonomy, clearing the way for him to become Pakistan's first Prime Minister after 12 years of martial law.

But, on March 1, two days before the Assembly was to meet to start drafting a Constitution to end military rule, President Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan postponed it. After three weeks of protest strikes, military action began March 25.

“India was terribly disappointed by this resort to force,” one diplomat here said, “He [Sheik Mujib] was very popular in India, especially West Bengal, and he represented a breakthrough.”