690D.91/5–2452: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Bowles) to the Department of State
4411. Bajpai delivered the following aide-mémoire to me today.
The Government of India have most carefully considered the aidemémoire presented by the Ambassador for the USA on the subject of the Kashmir dispute.
While they appreciate the friendly spirit in which the resumption of negotiations on the four outstanding points of difference, particularly the quantum of forces, listed by Dr. Graham in his third report, has been strongly urged by the Government of the USA, they regret that the concessions already made by India regarding the quantum of forces have not been fully appreciated. India has already agreed to reduce the number of forces on her side of the cease-fire line to a figure of 21,000, which is approximately one-sixth of the force that she had in Jammu and Kashmir on the first January 1949. She has made it clear that this force will have no supporting arms and that, as and when the fear of infiltration from the other side diminishes, she will be willing to consider, in consultation with the UN rep, further reductions. She has given an assurance that whatever force it may be necessary to maintain in the state for purposes of security will be so distributed as not to interfere in any way with the freedom of the plebiscite. The Government of India, therefore, find it difficult to understand what fresh concessions they can reasonably be expected to make. They have, throughout their discussions with Dr. Graham, in India or in Paris, given convincing evidence of their desire to do everything in their power, consistently with their obligation to safeguard the security of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, to make his mission successful. [Page 1251] It is their earnest desire that the Kashmir dispute, which has now lasted over four years, should be peacefully settled. Animated by this desire, they are willing that negotiations to this end should be resumed, and are instructing their permanent representative at the headquarters of the UN accordingly.