[For Favour of Publication]

Summary

This one-page press statement, issued by M. R. Masani as General Secretary of the Swatantra Party on August 6, 1964, urges Indian support for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson to take appropriate steps against North Vietnamese and Chinese Communist forces in Southeast Asia. It alleges Chinese-backed aggression in Laos and South Vietnam, violations of the Geneva Conventions, and the ineffectiveness of the International Control Commissions under their Indian chairmanship.

Key points

• Masani endorses stronger U.S. action against North Vietnamese forces and their Chinese Communist supporters.
• The statement characterizes Chinese conduct in Laos and South Vietnam as aggression and a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
• It praises Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, and Britain for supporting the U.S. position.
• It criticizes New Delhi for suggesting that President Johnson’s actions threaten peace in Southeast Asia.
• The statement presents the defense of Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia as part of India’s defense against encirclement by Communist China.
• Masani argues that India should abandon what he calls the ‘dead hand of the past’ and adopt a more active regional security policy.
• The document is marked both ‘For Favour of Publication’ and, above the signature, ‘Not for publication.’