Chavan takes over Home
In the reshuffle of portfolios announced from Rashtrapathi Bhavan [New Delhi] to-day [November 13], Mr. Y.B. Chavan, has become the Home Minister and is succeeded by Sardar Swaran Singh as Defence Minister. At the same time Mr. M.C. Chagla has been made the Minister for External Affairs while Mr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed succeeds him as Education Minister. Mr. J.S. Hathi has now moved to the Defence Ministry in the same rank of Minister of State. As the Prime Minister had already decided to put Mr. Chavan in charge of the Home Ministry the other changes announced to-day [November 13] were more or less consequential. It may be mentioned that the Prime Minister has had talks with all the Congress leaders including Mr. S.K. Patil and Mr. S. Nijalingappa who may have had some objection to Mr. Chavan becoming the Home Minister. Finally everyone seems to have expressed the view that it made no difference at this time who held which portfolio. It is officially stated that Mr. Chavan has assured the Prime Minister that any decision relating to Goa or the border dispute between Mysore and Maharashtra would be referred to her and that he would not deal with it directly himself. The changes now made are of a very limited character and if these had been announced even in the initial stages there would not have been the slightest opposition to them. But it was when the Prime Minister proceeded to drop the Finance and Commerce Ministers from the Cabinet that strong opposition developed from within the Congress party itself. The idea of reconstitution of the Cabinet seems to have been given up at any rate tor the time being. Mrs. Indira Gandhi, called on the President, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan this afternoon for a brief while. Later she had an hour’s talk with the Congress President, Mr. K. Kamaraj.
U.S. forces face Viet Cong attack
Several companies of the United States Fourth Division sustained the biggest Viet Cong mortar bombardment of the war last night [November 12] but came out with only light losses. A United States military spokesman said 500 to 600 shells rained down on the American position 30 miles (50 kilometres) West of Pleiku in the Central Highlands. But many of the shells were wide of the mark.
Early to-day, B-52 strategic bombers pounded Viet Cong and North Viet Namese positions in retaliation. There were also 46 tactical aerial sorties. The Fourth Division’s artillery also replied, but enemy losses were unknown. Viet Cong guerillas battered a platoon of U.S. marines with volleys of grenades and rifle fire yesterday in bitter fighting near the giant Da Nang air base. A U.S. military spokesman said to-day [November 13] the marines suffered heavy casualties after an unestimated force of guerillas infiltrated the village of An Trach, seven miles from Da Nang, and burst on their position. The battle raged tor about an hour in heavy rain and marine reinforcements arrived too late to catch the guerillas who left three dead. The fighting took place in an area where three U.S. troop-carrying helicopters were shot down on Friday [November 11] with heavy casualties to the crews.
U.N. Council for peace efforts
The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi said here [New Delhi] to-day [November 13] that India would use its membership of the Security Council to promote peace and peaceful co-existence in the world. Addressing delegates from over 60 countries assembled here for the four-day international conference against war danger, she referred to India’s election to the U.N. Council and also offered to join hands with any nation prepared to renounce force for getting international disputes settled. The Prime Minister also called for the creation of a “massive strength” against war and all forms of exploitation. Mrs. Gandhi’s call for mobilisation of public opinion against war was echoed by other delegates. They also spoke of the struggles against forces of imperialism and neo-colonialism in their regions. Mrs. Gandhi said political freedom was not of much use without economic freedom. This strength – to do what the independent country wanted to do — was dissipated in Asia and Africa. The heads of India, Yugoslavia and the United Arab Republic met recently in New Delhi to see how those who were not strong could make the maximum use of their resources to strengthen themselves, to strengthen one another and to strengthen those fighting for peace. This was the question to be considered by all developing countries, many of which were still exploited.
