YouSaid · the spoken record

Krishna MENON

lines on the record: 599
first: 1956-09-24
most recent: 1961-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The present and large quantum of aspiration and determination, the large degree of likely frustration if the position is not met is obvious and, therefore, it is necessary for the United Nations, not merely by the time-honoured ways of seeking aid here, there and everywhere, not in ways likely to include economic domination in the politically independent countries, to think of other methods and approaches. And at the right time and in the right context my delegation proposes to put forward proposals regarding these ways. 70. If this world is to be in peace, these imbalances have to undergo rectification. I said, a while ago, that, politically, half the world cannot be slave and half free — and I do not, of course, mean a mathematical half. That statement is equally true from the economic point of view.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“But in all of Asia and, I am glad to say, in Africa, full-fledged political revolutions have come first, whereby every man and woman irrespective of class, colour, tribe, group or such other factors, has political freedom — which means that it has released an enormous amount of aspiration and expectation and, what is more, realization that it is a function of the community, of States and Governments, to keep the community happy. So this contradiction, this division between Western development and ours creates social problems. That is to say, in the whole of this area of free Africa about 177 million people have been liberated and, if we take Asia, it means that some 800 or 900 million people have been liberated. 69.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“That is the test of national independence, and from that test we must go forward with the idea of implementing the reality of independence. 68. Here, may I say, particularly for the understanding or at least for the information of Western delegations, that there is a fundamental difference in the recent developments of dependent territories and the development of Western Europe. In Western Europe industry and economic progress, however slow, came first, and political liberty came after and gradually by the demands of the people who worked at the machines. The economic revolution came first. And then came the franchise — in the United Kingdom, for example, it took over a century before people finally were enfranchised.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Therefore, we would support anything that comes here which speeds up the termination of the system, even as, a hundred years ago, if our delegation had had the opportunity, and with the present way of thinking, we would have supported the termination of domination of man by man. 67. It is possible to paraphrase for our time Abraham Lincoln's words. "It is not possible", he said, "for a government to be half slave and half free." We should say that it is not possible for a world to be half slave and half free. There can therefore be no area in this world, in Asia or Africa or anywhere else, where there are territories and peoples who are not entitled to become free members of this great society of ours, the United Nations.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“These are the things that have to be implemented, and it should be the concern of the United Nations and of the populations themselves not to regard the ending of empire as the completion of their task and the metropolitan countries not to regard it as something that is forced upon them, but as a conscious effort of modem policy. Indeed — and I am making no very accurate comparison — even like slavery of old, it is unhistoric to argue that every slave-owner of three hundred or four hundred years ago was essentially a cruel man; he was the victim of a cruel system. Today no one would like to go back to it. The values of the world have changed and, equally as the ownership of man by man now stands condemned and reprehensible, the ownership of a country by another country will be completely detested in the next few years.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Independence has no meaning if it is exclusively the removal of foreign rule. In India we often say that on 15 August 1947 India did not attain independence in actuality, but it opened the doors for real Independence by removing its main obstacle, namely, foreign rule; because independence for a people means more food, more education, more sanitation, more opportunity, more leisure. These are the things that constitute the reality of independence. The vast continent of Africa particularly — and we are no exception either — is in a state of backwardness in all these aspects, whether in the form of nutrition, or of education, or of opportunity, Or of political advancement.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It is the same as in countries where the women were disenfranchised, and then when they were enfranchised the electorate doubled and the result was an increase in the political and social capacity of those countries, involving at least half as much again of the population. 65. So our own approach to this problem is to deal with the factual situation as it stands and not to apportion blame or responsibility. I would be the last to say that, in the context of history, even these unfortunate events, even the oppressions, even the conquests of countries, have not in some strange way brought them into the ambit of modern life. 66. But today we have to look at the problem of independence — and I speak more from the point of view of people like ourselves, formerly dependent peoples.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“So what would remain would be only the remnants of the empires of the past; and I have no doubt that if the voice of the United Nations goes forth in unmistakable fashion, and with the impact of the liberty that would be established on the African continent, the example set by their Asian neighbours during the last generation, where liberty has been used for constructive purposes and not for practising racial discrimination in reverse or for continental compartmentalism, the world would begin to realize that the liberation of peoples adds to the social, economic, moral and security power of the world. 64.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“If the problem of Algeria were settled, the greater headaches of France — and I say deliberately "France" — would be over, because there would be a vast ally occupying the greater part of Africa from and including the Sahara to the northern coast, where there are many people of multiracial stock and origin, accustomed to the ways of life of both East and West, of Africa, Asia and Europe, who would make a great contribution to civilization.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“So far as our country is concerned, there are more United Kingdom nationals in India today than there were under imperial occupation. Thus, friendship and co-operation have paid. 62. The position today is, however, that under the British system there are thirty-seven units occupying 1,346,000 square miles with a population of 34million out of which the greater part will become free in the next few months or the next year. 63. Then we come to the French Empire, with a population of about 12 l/2 million and a square mileage of 1 l/4 million.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Today there are about 4 1/2 million square miles of territory, with a population of 72 million, still in a state of dependence, or tutelage under the trusteeship system. And here, one must pay one’s tribute to those countries such as the United Kingdom which, in the last generation, have either by experience or perhaps also by the association of liberated countries such as Ceylon, Burma, Pakistan and ourselves with them, found that it pays dividends to liberate peoples. Today empires gain even materially by terminating imperialism. Today there is a higher standard of life in the United Kingdom; there is little or no unemployment; there are better relations between the former dependent countries and themselves.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It is not my intention to express mere general opposition and to use phrases that may not always be entirely historical and certainly not welcome to certain parties concerned in the matter. 61. The problem of dependence — I do not want to use any other word — the problem of dependent territories is part of human history. All parts of human history are not either happy or complimentary — we would not like them repeated — but it happens that, either by conquest or settlement, newer civilizations have penetrated the areas of older civilizations, as in Asia and Africa, and have brought them into the context of modern life. In the last two years the areas of liberation have become larger and larger. A few years ago there were over 10 million square miles of territory still under colonial rule in Africa.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“In the problem of Laos, while it is not organizationally a direct United Nations responsibility, I would like to take advantage of my presence on this rostrum — and I think that it is my duty — to refer to this rather combustible area, where today there is a government, which is a constitutional government seeking to get the best support of the people. They should have assistance; indeed they should be free to have the assistance of their neighbours, first in Indo-China. If they are to draw any assistance, they should be able to draw it from their own near neighbours in Indo-China, excluding anyone else. That is the position. 60. Next, I come to the problem of dependent territories. Much has been said about the subject at this session of the Assembly.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It is very important in this part of the world, where there are circumstances, which I have no desire to mention, where very powerful blocs of humanity may become involved, where there is room for ideological conflicts of various kinds, that they should be left alone. In the long run, whether one belongs either to the Eastern side or the Western side, it will be found that non-committedness by peoples like ourselves is to the advantage of both. 58. It is impossible, in any part of Asia, to commit entire peoples to one side or the other, and if one side tries to commit any country to the other side, then at once it will create a reaction. It is surprising that, while the so-called Eastern and Western blocs are antagonistic to each other, one attracts the other. That is the contradiction in the situation! 59.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“There are two chairmen of this Commission: the Foreign. Secretary of the United Kingdom and the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union who are charged with this supervision in the last analysis, and what is more, they provide part of the resources that are required for the purpose. No country finds money for things in which it is not engaged. Therefore, this machinery, which to a certain extent has been shaken by these circumstances, is creating a situation there. 57. It is not my purpose to bring this as a special item, but the Assembly must be aware that irritation in small places leads to larger irritations.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“I have no desire to go into the details of recent developments in the last few days. But there has been evidence of some interference in these matters, and we deeply regret it. Two years ago — and I would like to say, not by the volition entirely of the Royal Government of Laos with whom the Commission has had very healthy, very cordial and very courteous relations — it was found necessary to withdraw the Commission from the territory of Laos. But at the same time, the Commission for International Control and Supervision is not a piece of “busybodiness” on the part of the three members of the Commission, but is a result of international agreements with the United Nations, which it is its bounden duty to take account of — they still exist. They are machinery established by international consent.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“My Government and my delegation does not want to add to complications by referring to individuals, parties or whatever it is. The future of Laos lies in non-interference by the great Powers or parties to the cold war, whoever they may be, either in open or disguised form, in the affairs of Laos. 55. They may run a good Government, they may run a bad Government. They may run a coalition Government or a non-coalition Government. They may associate with peoples whom others regard as undesirable. They may perhaps act in such ways as are not approved of by some other country, but so long as they do not infringe the Geneva Agreements, so long as they keep to this conception of disengagement, and so long as they belong to the areas of peace, they are to be assisted. 56.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“There is no hope for an Asian country, particularly a small country, there is no hope of peace in Asia, unless the parties to the cold war keep out of our territories. That is our main objection to military pacts. We are not saying that they are evil or that they are good, or that their motives are bad or anything of that kind. 54. What we are saying is borne out by experience: taking our own history from, shall we say, the beginning of the seventeenth century to the beginning of the nineteenth century; whenever there was a war in Europe, whenever the British and the French quarrelled there was a war in India for no Indian reason. Therefore, when the machinery of conflict — cold war or otherwise — is projected in our areas, these troubles arise.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“As I said, however much we may agree or disagree with the position of Viet-Nam, with that country divided Into two, however much we may sympathize or otherwise have opinions about the complaints of Cambodia with regard to the incursions on its territories, I am sure my Cambodian friends will agree that, as a result of the Geneva Agreements, the presence of the Commission, the co-operation and the exercise of its functions in the past have kept that part of the world free from actual war. The Geneva Agreements which were brought about by four of the Western Powers and China (and in the Final Declaration the United States was associated), are based upon the idea of non-interference in the affairs of these people.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Machinery was established for the withdrawal of an empire; and whatever difficulties did arise, in the context of an empire withdrawing, it must be remembered that no agreements are perfect in that way. 53. The International Commission for Supervision and Control in Laos was charged with certain responsibilities concerning which I do not want to go into detail.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“These responsibilities are not Isolated from the principles proclaimed in the Charter or the purposes of the United Nations, but they are responsibilities undertaken under the international agreements, at the request of the other parties concerned, with the permission of those directly affected. The Geneva Agreements, with all their limitations, have kept peace in that part of the world. On 11 August 1954 guns were silenced in the world for the first time in twenty-five years. From the time of the Japanese bombing of Manchuria before the war, until 11 August 1954, there was fighting going on somewhere; and when an armistice was declared, there was for the first time at last a day of peace.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Next, there is another urgent problem of a specific character to which I should like to refer; it goes away from the continent of Africa to the continent of Asia, to South-East Asia, and concerns our close neighbour, the Kingdom of Laos. In the whole of Indo-China, there was a situation also arising as the aftermath of an empire, where, by the efforts of the people, the former imperial Power had decided to agree to relinquishments, including, under the famous Geneva Agreements of 1954, a settlement in regard to Laos. There is the problem of Laos and Indo-China. 52. In the history of the four or five years following the Geneva Agreements, my country and Government have had great responsibilities with regard to this situation.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Finally, I would like to say that while no one can or should prevent assistance, aid or sympathy going into the Congo from any part of the world whatsoever, in the present circumstances it would not be in the interests of the world for very powerful people to fish in these troubled waters; and, therefore, whatever aid, whatever support may be given in this way — I do not say It should necessarily be channelled through the United Nations, that may not always be possible — but it should be with the Organization's cognizance, so that everything will be above board, and the Congolese people will, consistent with the basic ideas of liberty and national government, be able to settle their own affairs themselves. This is the position as we see it. 51.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Having laid so much stress on the urgency of this Congo problem, it is not my intention now to go into any specific proposals before us, but these are the principles that should guide us. If it was fit that we should discuss them in emergency special session, in spite of the proximate meeting of the Assembly, there can be no question of the urgency of it. As I said, we are no nearer an understanding of it, no nearer an acquaintance with the details of it than we were four weeks ago. That means that, while I would not like to say that the situation was drifting, we have to apply ourselves in a way that some disengagement of the United Nations takes place so far as the present phase of it is concerned. The engagements should be of the character to which Mr. Hammarskjold referred a while ago, which are all on the constructive side. 50.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Third, we think that the United Nations must place it beyond doubt that its personnel are not there as arbitrators to intervene between rival claimants, because the Charter does not enjoin the Organization to do that. We should also remember that this is the first time that the forces of the United Nations have been used not as between nations, but within a nation. We should also remind ourselves that if there are problems in law and order, the policing of the Congo will have to be done by the Congolese people. The greater part of our attention should be directed to the fact that from now on, the administration, the policing of the country, the economic developments and the personnel are to come from that area. 49.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Second, we would like to suggest that, irrespective of any legal argument in this matter, all foreign personnel in the Congo who are not there in pursuance of United Nations purposes and directives or engaged In humanitarian purposes, such as in leper colonies or in hospitals should, of their own volition, withdraw from there, because the presence of those people who have been associated with the history of the Congo is not likely to help in solutions. Therefore, if there are large numbers of non-Congolese personnel in that area not connected with the purposes of the United Nations, then they will be a hindrance to the solutions. 48.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“And therefore there is no alternative to the Congolese but to run their affairs in their own way, which means, as was requested by my Prime Minister when he spoke at the time, that the convocation of the Parliament of the Congo, elected by the people and representing them, must take place without further delay. I beg to submit that further delays will cause further deteriorations; it will give room for those political tendencies that are undesirable, where the expressions of opinion, non-conditioned by circumstances which should not enter into it will not become possible. So, the first request is that the Parliament of the Congo must be convened without any further delay. It is one of the urgent and imperative responsibilities of the United Nations. 47.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“But the entire world is engaged because there in the Congo is presented a spectacle where the liquidation of imperialism presents problems of a character never presented before, I would not like today to go into the causes and reasons, which will come up in committee when we are discussing this question but we should like to make these concrete requests to the Assembly and to see that they are carried out. First of all, we have to remind ourselves that no government of a people, no management of the affairs of a people by another nation or even by all of us together, is any substitute for management by themselves.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“We either look backward or we look forward, and if we are wise we will look forward and use what is behind us only as inspiration or experience or as a warning. 46. So far as the Congo is concerned, the United Nations stands engaged, that is to say, every member of this Assembly, the whole of the Organization, has been, and stands, engaged with the problem of the Congo. Some countries, like ours, have probably been and are engaged even more by the presence of our personnel in large numbers.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Therefore, while we have been sitting three or four weeks here, after convening an emergency special session on a problem which would not wait for the regular Assembly session, we have not acted fast enough to bring this to a fruitful conclusion. Therefore, I am instructed by my Government — and I speak in the name of my Government and people — to say that we must address ourselves to this problem with a greater sense of urgency and imperativeness than has been possible so far. In that connexion, I should like to say this. It is not the desire of my delegation to seek to apportion blame or responsibilities or to dwell on the past. Neither individuals nor nations can look in two directions at once.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It will be remembered — and no one in this Assembly, whatever his views, can deny the urgency of the problem, by the very fact that, even three or four days before the General Assembly was about to meet the Security Council in its wisdom came to a decision — the Assembly by its own expression of opinion decided this was a matter of emergency. Although we were to meet on 20 September, three days before that date an emergency special session was called, the issue was discussed threadbare, and we came to decisions. We have to ask ourselves, while we know that the necessary work of the kind to which the Secretary-General made reference this morning was being carried on in the Congo: are we any nearer any understanding of the details of this Congo problem or are we nearer a solution? Are we nearer, progress, or are we nearer settlement?”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Suffice it to say that it is not an accident, it is not any particular bias in any way, that prompts the Secretary-General in his report to pay great attention to Africa and to the problem of the Congo (Leopoldville). Much has already been said about the new entrants into this Assembly from Africa, and in the course of this morning I hope to address myself again to the problems of the dependent peoples. But my first duty is to express the views of my delegation, as of today, on the problem of the Congo. 45.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“meeting], there was evidence of some silver linings in the clouds when the two nations of Africa, who cannot claim the kind of modern political experience that others have, came before us, having resolved their differences by peaceful methods, and showed us the way in which even sharp differences — differences between neighbours are always sharper than other differences — were resolved. 44. It is customary for my delegation in these addresses first to refer to the Secretary-General's annual report. Owing to the lateness of the date and also to the particular circumstances that obtain this year in regard to the work of the United Nations itself, it is not necessary for me to go into a detailed analysis of the reports either of the Security Council [A/4494] or of the Secretary-General.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It would be a truism to say that this Assembly, though it met with great hopes, faces a situation where, while I hope there is still no despair, there is a great deal of heart-searching and mind-searching in this world, and problems far more basic than formulae put forward by one delegation or another must come be the propositions on which we have to decide. It reminds me of the lines by the poet Browning: It's wiser being good than bad; It's safer being week than fierce; It's fitter being sane than mad. My own hope is, a sun will pierce The thickest cloud earth ever stretched. 43. Even in the Assembly, as I had occasion to say in a previous intervention [876th.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“My delegation, therefore, does not regard these weeks as either wasted or being productive merely of acrimony, because it is in the cut and thrust of these debates, in our capacity to face each other with points of view that are diverse and perhaps with methods of presentation that are also diverse in different countries, that we make progress. Therefore, we intervene once again at the fag-end of this debate, with the knowledge that the Assembly wants no more speeches for the sake of speeches, but with the realization that perhaps we have a function to perform, which we must do. 42.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“At that time my Prime Minister also informed the Assembly that he desired to address himself to the urgency of the problems facing us and to our responsibility as an Organization, for the lack of progress, for our failures, as well as for the consummation that must be reached. We are therefore, as far as my delegation is concerned, in no doubt as to the responsibility severally and collectively borne by the Member States of the United Nations. At the same time my Prime Minister reserved the right of our delegation to intervene again in regard to these problems themselves and to the detailed and special aspects of them, 41. Three weeks have passed since, three weeks of intensive, sometimes acrimonious, but, so far as my delegation is concerned, nevertheless in the long run, fruitful discussion.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“This, the fifteenth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, began some four weeks ago, charged with expectation and concern, enlarged not only in its size by the welcome addition of part of the world hitherto almost excluded from political competence but also by the presence of Heads of States and of Governments and many Foreign Ministers who headed nearly half the number of delegations present here. My delegation, in the person of my Prime Minister, intervened (880th meeting) with the set purpose of drawing the pointed attention of representatives to the great urgency of the problems before us and of our approach to them. He reminded the United Nations of the parallel of the League of Nations just before the outbreak of the Second World War.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“That was a lesson which our great leader, Gandhi, taught us — and, though we in India have failed in many ways in following his advice, something of his message still clings to our minds and hearts. 163. In ages long past, a great son of India, the Buddha, said that the only real victory is one in which all are equally victorious and there is defeat for no one. In the world today, that is the only practical victory. Any other way will lead to disaster. It is therefore this real victory of peace, in which all are winners, that I should like the Assembly to keep before it and to endeavour to achieve.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“In this world, enveloped and bedevilled by the cold war and all its progeny, with problems awaiting urgent solution, I have ventured to add my voice in appeal. I do believe that the vast majority of people in every country want us to labour for peace and to succeed. Whether we are large or small, we have to face large issues, issues vital to the future of humanity. Everything else is of lesser importance than this major question. I am absolutely convinced that we shall never solve this question by war or by the mental approach which envisages war and prepares for it. I am equally convinced that if we aim at the right ends right means must be employed. Good will not emerge out of evil methods.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“As the President of the United States has rightly stated, the importance of these matters is such as to go beyond personal or official relations between any two individuals. We are dealing with the future of humanity, and no effort which might improve the present situation should be left undone. It was with that intention that we put forward the draft resolution, as a part of the effort s that should be made to open the door for future consultations, not only between the two eminent individuals who are mentioned in the draft resolution, but by the world community. 162. I earnestly appeal to the General Assembly to adopt the draft resolution unanimously at an early date, and I trust that it will do so.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Such a solution will come only after long and arduous labour in which many countries participate. But we did think that, in this present situation of dangerous drift, even a small approach on behalf of the two great representatives of two great countries would make a difference and might mark a turn of the tide. 160. Oppressed by the growing anger and bitterness in international relations, we wanted to find some way out, so that further consideration might be given to these problems. We have suggested no remedy, no particular solution, in our draft resolution. But we did feel, and we still feel, that the General Assembly should consider this problem and try its utmost to find a way to re move the new barriers that have arisen. 161.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“"The questions which are disrupting the world at the present time are of immediate and vital concern to other nations as well." [A/4529.] 159. May I respectfully express my complete agreement with what the President has said? We are convinced that these great questions cannot be dealt with on a bilateral basis, or even by a group of countries. They are of intimate and vital concern to the entire world and to all those who have gathered here at this General Assembly session from the four corners of the earth. It was because of this feeling that some of us ventured to put this draft resolution before the General Assembly. If the matter were of concern only to two countries, then perhaps no necessity would have arisen for us to raise it here. Nor did we think that a mere renewal of contacts would lead to some magical solution.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“This reply has appeared in the Press. I am grateful to the President for writing to me in reply immediately after receiving our communication. Although this reply does not indicate that any contacts such as we have recommended are likely to take place in the near future, I should like to point out to this Assembly that the President has not wholly rejected the idea. 158. The door is still open for consideration, and the president of the United States has expressed his deep anxiety to help in the lessening of international tensions. The President has pointed out that: "... the chief problems in the world today are not due to differences between the Soviet Union and the United States alone, and therefore are not possible of solution on a bilateral basis.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“We do not underrate the difficulties of realizing all this, and after giving a great deal of thought to these matters we decided to share our apprehension with the Assembly and to suggest this step which undoubtedly will help to ease tension. 156. The draft resolution has not been placed before this Assembly to add to the controversies already existing, nor to embarrass anyone, but solely with the desire, anxiously felt, that something must be done. We cannot meet here in this Assembly and sit helplessly by, watching the world drift in a direction which can only end in catastrophe. 157. Last night I received a letter [A/4529] from the President of the United States in which he was good enough to deal with this draft resolution. I presume that the other sponsors of this draft resolution have also received a similar reply.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“If the Assembly is unable to take that step, there will be utter disappointment everywhere, and not only will the deadlock continue but there will be a drift in a direction from which it will become increasingly difficult to turn back. 155. The Assembly cannot allow itself to be paralysed in a matter of such vital importance. The responsibility for this deadlock has to be shared by all of us, but in the circumstances as they exist in the world today a great deal depends upon the two mighty nations, the United States and the Soviet Union, and if even a small step could be taken by them the world would heave a sigh of relief. We do not expect that by the renewal of contacts between these two great countries some solution is likely to emerge.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“It does not seek to prejudge any issue. It does not seek to bring pressure to bear on any country or individual. There is no cynicism in it. The main purpose of that draft resolution is to avoid a deadlock in the international situation. Every representative present here knows how unsatisfactory that situation is today and how gradually every door and window for the discussion of vital issues is being closed and bolted. 154. As the draft resolution says, we are deeply concerned with the recent deterioration in international relations, which threatens the world with grave consequences. There can be no doubt that people everywhere in the world look to the Assembly to take some step to help to ease the situation and lessen world tension.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Once or twice it appeared that the struggle might end satisfactorily in freedom by the exercise of self-determination, but the moment slipped by and the tragedy continued. I am convinced that every country in Asia and Africa and, I believe, many countries in other continents also, are deeply concerned over this matter and hope earnestly that this terrible war will end, bringing freedom in its train for the Algerian people. This is an urgent problem to which the United Nations must address itself in order to bring about an early solution. 153. Two or three days ago [880th meeting] I presented, on behalf of Ghana, the United Arab Republic, Indonesia, Yugoslavia and India, a draft resolution [A/4522] to the General Assembly. That draft resolution is a simple one and requires little argument to support it.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“India has a special sentiment in regard to Mongolia, because our relations go back into the distant past of more than 1,500 years. Even now there are many evidences of those old contacts and friendly relations between these two countries. I would earnestly recommend that Mongolia be accepted in this assembly of nations. 152. There is one other matter to which I should like to refer, and that is Algeria. It has been a pain and a torment to many of us in Asia, as in Africa and possibly elsewhere, to witness this continuing tragedy of a brave people fighting for its freedom. Many arguments have been advanced and many difficulties pointed out, but the basic fact is that the people have struggled continuously for many years at tremendous sacrifice and against heavy odds to attain independence.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“In spite of that controversy, we continue to feel that proper representation of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations is essential, and the longer we delay it the more harm we cause to the United Nations and to the consideration of the major problems we have before us. This is not a question of liking or disliking, but of doing the right and proper thing. 150. In this connexion, I should like to mention another country, Mongolia. When we are, rightly, admitting so many countries to the United Nations, why should Mongolia be left out? What wrong has it done, what violation of the Charter? Here is a quiet and peaceful people working hard for its progress, and it seems to me utterly wrong from any point of principle to exclude it from this great Organization. 151.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“For a number of years India has brought this issue before the United Nations because we have felt that it was not only improper for this great and powerful country to remain unrepresented but that this had an urgent bearing on all world problems, and especially those of disarmament. 148. We hold that all countries must be represented in the United Nations. We have welcomed during this session many new countries. It appears most extraordinary that any argument should be advanced to keep out China and to give the seat meant for China to those who certainly do not and cannot represent China. 149. It is well known that we in India have had and are having, a controversy with the Government of the People's Republic of China about our frontiers.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)