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I'm very pleased and honored to have as my guest today. The distinguished senior senator from Kentucky, John Sherman Cooper. Senator Cooper has served as our ambassador to India, and he's also served as our ambassador to the United Nations. So I'm pleased to have him with us.

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And John, I would like to start off and ask you to tell us about India and Pakistan. We're all very concerned about that war which has started out there. George, may I first say I'm awfully glad to be on your program. I appreciate you're asking me.

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The dispute between India and cash and Pakistan over Kashmir is of long standing. At the time of the petition, what was called British India 1947 between India and Pakistan. It was agreed that certain states, among them Kashmir, couldn't make a choice between India and Pakistan. The ruler of Kashmir, Emily wanted to be an independent state.

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But after time there was some fighting. Some invasion of Kashmir was claim from the Pakistani side. Then he exceeded to India, and that is the basis of India's claim. India claims that because of their agreement, when the ruler Kashmir exceeded India, then it became a part of of India.

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Pakistan takes the position that because 75 or 80% of the people in Kashmir Muslims, they should have the right to have a website or both as we caught it and determine which states to which it should exceed. After that, the U. N. Got into it and both sides did agree to a plebiscite under certain conditions.

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India claims those conditions were never yeah, followed by Pakistan. Pakistan claims that work. They've had sporadic fighting now for 18 years and finally burst out into a war. Could you tell us what the red Chinese position is in this? Yes, of course. Remember 1962. China invaded India and China has been very vociferous, and his support of Pakistan and has threatened India recently actually threatened that it might take action which could be an invasion of India.

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Again. Do you think this is liable to evolve into a total war of some kind? Well, the real danger related to Trump China's on India's borders inside India's borders. If it should push down into the valleys, particularly east India, then I think the United States then would be faced with a very difficult question.

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Should we go to aid of India? It has indicated in past years that it might do so. What was fighting in Vietnam. It replaced a terrible strain on our resources. John. Undoubtedly, if that unhappy day comes or you'll be called in to make some kind of a recommendation or make your suggestion because of your experience now, what would you recommend?

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That the United States do? Well, if India and Pakistan bulls should collapse in some kind of continuation of this war or further economic deterioration? Of course it would. There'd be no counterweight to trying in Asia except the weight that we play there. And I think that we would have to go to the aid of India.

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It might be not exercised on Indian soil, but it might be exercised through Vietnam. You were also a delegate to the United Nations. And do you believe that in this instance the United Nations should first do more than it's doing? And then if it tries, can it do more?

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Of course, we know you Slam is now, and both Pakistan and India mandibles trying to agree to reach a settlement he hasn't had much success. I think this is going to be difficult to stop. Well, I noticed. The Indians say they're willing to stop it in Pakistan.

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Will the different the reason? It's difficult to stop. They always go back to that question. The Kashmir. What are you going to do with Kashmir? I think the best thing the United States can do is to support the U. N. We've already cut off military aid, which was proper to do.

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I don't believe we should cut off economic aid at this time because it gives us a kind of lever you see to move towards a settlement. Do you think that this situation between India and Pakistan is more dangerous to world peace than that which we have in South Vietnam?

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Hard to say, because you've got China involved in both cases, but we do have a very factor now, and that's Russia. Russia has been calling for a ceasefire. Russia Heavenly doesn't want to battle in which China would come into it. But I can't say this is an explosive situation.

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They may run out supplies, you know, that's the best chance I think of a getting this war stuff. Thank you very much. Senator John Sherman Cooper for those remarks. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for looking in. I hope you look in and listening at the same time next week.

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Good. Senator Cooper's our ambassador to India. For a number of years, you had the opportunity to travel all over that area of the world. Do you mind giving us the background on how visions came about between India Kashmir? In Pakistan? Of course. I was ambassador several years ago.

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But when I was there, this same struggle was going on between two countries over Kashmir. Started, really? Their dispute started in the same way that their dispute over the petition of India started. India wanted what? A secular state, a non religious state, because it embraces a number of religions, including about 50 million Muslims still in India.

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Pakistan wanted a purely religious or theocratic state, Islam. And so that is the reason it's separated. That same argument is applied to catch. India believes that Kashmir went back to stand. Then they have great trouble with Hindus and 50 million Muslims in India. There'd be other separatist movements in India.

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Pakistan stands upon the ground. It's a Muslim state. The beginnings were very interesting. You know, As I said, it was decided that the ruler of Kashmir could exceed two either state. He didn't exceed for a while. And then these regular irregulars came in from fact from Pakistan, and they were about to capture the only airport at Srinagar, the capital.

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Lord Mountbatten, the first governor general of India, even after their independence. And he ordered Indian troops flown there. They captured therefore, and they drove out these direct words. Then the Pakistanis invaded again. That's when the sun came into play and finally got a cease fire. And as I say, they've had these border incidents ever since.

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Both sides of their leaders at times has said we will not give up Kashmir. The Indian leaders, mhm. Pakistani leaders have said we'll never quit until Pakistan. Kashmir has a plebiscite. Even when this If we're able to get a ceasefire and I hope you can, same problem of Kashmir will be.

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Do you think that the Muslim people within India, India's borders, are they going to give up their religion and fight with the Indians, or are they going to give help to the Pakistani INS well, you see, the Muslims in India, they had the choice to go to Pakistan.

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They didn't go. So it shows that either from economic reasons or for belief, they won't stand in there. This trouble started. There were great right India, between Hindus and and Muslims. No one knows how many were killed. They're fearful of this thing would start again. I think that we've got two problems.

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One and the main problem now is to get a ceasefire and stop the fighting and then see if they're in some way that India and Pakistan agreed to find a way to settle the issue of Kashmir. Now, you know, of course, better than I that religious wars there's frequently the most difficult to stop.

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There's a much more emotion involved in it. Do you believe there's much chance for us to get a ceasefire in the? I believe that they should have enough sense both countries to know that poor as they are, they can't engage in major war second, their supplies or oil gas, particularly for Pakistan, because smaller force but an armored force.

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Although I may say the Muslim countries Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others may try to help them with gas and oil, if that's a good deal. And, uh, I think with the Russia has taken quite understand, because it's given great economic aid to India, we give an economic aid to pull some military to both believe that it could ever come about that Russia and then the United States work together in this.

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Think they've got a chance of getting them to come to some agreement, at least for a cease part. Sandra Cooper isn't that one good side effect it might result is that the United States and the Soviet Union, understanding that both of our interest is to bring about an end of this conflict, might get together pursuing a piece.

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There will be a very unusual and very helpful development, I think. Thank you very much. Senator John Sherman Cooper, for these comments. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, for listening in. I hope you're listening at the same time next week. Mhm