East Bengali Refugees
Encyclopedia
East Bengali Refugees are people that left East Bengal
following the partition of Bengal
, which was part of the independence of India
and Pakistan in 1947.
of West Bengal
and the Pakistani province of East Bengal
. East Bengal was later renamed East Pakistan
, which subsequently broke away from Pakistan to form the independent country of Bangladesh
. Most of Sylhet
district in Assam also joined East Pakistan and was subsequently considered to be East Bengal.
of Tripura
which eventually joined India in 1949. Around 0.5 million were also settled in other parts of India, including the East Pakistan Displaced Persons' Colony (EPDP) in Delhi (subsequently renamed Chittaranjan Park
) and Orissa. The estimated 0.5 million Bengalis in Delhi
and 0.3 million in Mumbai
are also largely East Bengali refugees and their descendants.
In the immediate aftermath of partition, commonly attributed figures suggest around 3 million East Bengalis migrating to India and 864,000 migrants from India to East Pakistan. Indian government estimates suggest around 2.6 million migrants leaving East Bengal for India and 0.7 million migrants coming to East Pakistan from India.
recorded that 27% of Kolkata's population was East Bengali refugees.
. It is estimated that around 10 million East Bengali refugees entered India during the early months of the war, of whom 1.5 million may have stayed back after Bangladesh became independent.
The outflow of Hindus from East Bengal had a particularly negative effect on the Hindu community of East Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh, as a significant portion of the region's educated middle class
and political leadership left. The heights reached by many of the East Bengali migrants and their descendants, including Amartya Sen
's Nobel Prize
and Megh Nad Saha's pioneering work in Astrophysics are considerable.
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
following the partition of Bengal
Partition of Bengal
Partition of Bengal may refer to the partition of the Bengal region during two separate occasions:*Partition of Bengal *Partition of Bengal...
, which was part of the independence of India
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and Pakistan in 1947.
History
In 1947, Bengal was partitioned into the Indian stateStates and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and the Pakistani province of East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
. East Bengal was later renamed East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
, which subsequently broke away from Pakistan to form the independent country of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Most of Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
district in Assam also joined East Pakistan and was subsequently considered to be East Bengal.
Settlement
The majority of East Bengali refugees settled in the new state of West Bengal, but a significant number also moved to the Barak Valley of Assam and the princely statePrincely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
which eventually joined India in 1949. Around 0.5 million were also settled in other parts of India, including the East Pakistan Displaced Persons' Colony (EPDP) in Delhi (subsequently renamed Chittaranjan Park
Chittaranjan Park
Chittaranjan Park , aka C.R. Park is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, and home to a large Bengali community in Delhi. It was established in the early 1960s under the name EPDP Colony or East Pakistan Displaced Persons colony, and was renamed after Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, in 1980s...
) and Orissa. The estimated 0.5 million Bengalis in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and 0.3 million in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
are also largely East Bengali refugees and their descendants.
Scope
The exact number of refugees has never been officially collected and estimates vary considerably.In the immediate aftermath of partition, commonly attributed figures suggest around 3 million East Bengalis migrating to India and 864,000 migrants from India to East Pakistan. Indian government estimates suggest around 2.6 million migrants leaving East Bengal for India and 0.7 million migrants coming to East Pakistan from India.
1950s
In 1950, it is estimated that a further one million refugees crossed into West Bengal. The 1951 Census of IndiaDemographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
recorded that 27% of Kolkata's population was East Bengali refugees.
1960s
Migration continued, primarily from East Pakistan to India, right up to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, both on an on-going basis and with spikes during periods of particular communal unrest such as the 1964 riots and the 1965 India-Pakistan War, when it is estimated that 600,000 refugees left for India. Estimates of the number of refugees up to 1970 are over 5 million to West Bengal alone. This includes around 4.1 million coming between 1946–1958 and 1.2 million coming between 1959 and 1971.1970s
Another major influx came in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation WarBangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. It is estimated that around 10 million East Bengali refugees entered India during the early months of the war, of whom 1.5 million may have stayed back after Bangladesh became independent.
The outflow of Hindus from East Bengal had a particularly negative effect on the Hindu community of East Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh, as a significant portion of the region's educated middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and political leadership left. The heights reached by many of the East Bengali migrants and their descendants, including Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
's Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
and Megh Nad Saha's pioneering work in Astrophysics are considerable.
Notable Refugees and Migrants
- Achintyakumar SenguptaAchintyakumar SenguptaAchintya Kumar Sengupta ), was a renowned Bengali author. He was born in Noakhali, now in Bangladesh.-Life:At the age of 13, after his father's death, Sengupta moved to Calcutta, where he completed his schooling....
(Noakhali; literature) - Amartya SenAmartya SenAmartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
(Dhaka, economics/academia) - Bijon BhattacharyaBijon BhattacharyaBijon Bhattacharya was a prominent Indian theatre and film personality from Bengal.Bijon was born in 1917 at Faridpur in a Hindu Brahmin family, and was early a witness to the destitution and penury of the peasantry of that land...
(Faridpur, cinema) - Binoy Ghosh (Jessore, Sociologist, Author and Journalist)
- Buddhadev Bose (Comilla; literature)
- Chuni GoswamiChuni GoswamiSubimal Goswami commonly known by his nickname Chuni Goswami is an Indian international footballer and first class cricketer. He was born in Kishoreganj District of undivided Bengal . As a striker, he played 50 international matches representing India...
(Kishoreganj; football) - Comrade Muzaffar Ahmed (Noakhali; politics, founder of Communist Party of India)
- Debabrata BiswasDebabrata BiswasDebabrata Biswas , also known as George Biswas or George-da , was an Indian Rabindra Sangeet singer.-Early life:...
(Maymensingh, Tagore song) - Jibananda Das (Barisal, poet)
- Jogendra Nath MandalJogendra Nath MandalJogendra Nath Mandal was an Indian and later Pakistani statesman who served as the first minister of law and labour in Pakistan. As leader of the Scheduled Castes, Jogendranath had made common cause with the Muslim League in their demand for Pakistan, hoping that the Scheduled Castes would be...
(Barisal; politics, First LawFirst Law"First Law" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov, first published in the October 1956 issue of Fantastic Universe magazine and later collected in The Rest of the Robots and The Complete Robot...
Minister, Pakistan (1947–1950) - Jyoti BasuJyoti BasuJyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
(Dhaka; politics, Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
, West Bengal 1977-2000) - Bimal RoyBimal RoyBimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Indian film directors of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema...
(Dhaka; cinema) - Hemanga BiswasHemanga BiswasHemanga Biswas was an exponent of the Bhantiali folk music, originally popular among the fishermen of Bangladesh. He was born in 1912.-Songs:Hemanga Biswas wrote and sung some popular songs in Bengali...
(Sylhet; music) - Hiralal ChakrabortyHiralal ChakrabortyHiralal Chakraborty ,was a freedom fighter, is known as one of the most popular publisher of modern Bengali Printing Publication.Hiralal, second son of Nanda Kumar Chakraborty and Elokeshi Devi, born on 1911 at Khilpara, in Noakhali is an Indian publisher. Nanda Kumar was the 'Nayeb' of Zaminder...
(Noakhali; Publisher - Founder of Prakashani Limited and Nababidhan Press) - Humayun KabirHumayun KabirHumayun Zahiruddin Amir-i Kabir or Humayun Kabir was an Indian educationist, politician, writer and philosopher.-Ancestry and early life:...
(Faridpur; literature and academics) - Ila MitraIla MitraIla Mitra was a peasants movement organizer of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Bengal . She was born to an upper middleclass Bengali family in Kolkata on 18 October 1925. She became a communist during her youth...
(Rajshahi, human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist) - Kazi Abdul Wadud (Faridpur; literature)
- Lokesh Chandra Chakraborty (Noakhali; Principal - David Hare Training College, Jadavpur)
- Madhabi MukherjeeMadhabi MukherjeeMadhabi Mukherjee née Chakraborty is a reputed Bengali actress who has acted in some of the most critically acclaimed films in Bengali cinema.Her major role was the title role of Charu in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Charulata...
(Barisal; cinema) - Mahasweta DeviMahasweta DeviMahasweta Devi is an Indian social activist and writer.- Biography :Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in Dhaka, to literary parents in a Hindu Brahmin family. Her father Manish Ghatak was a well known poet and novelist of the Kallol era, who used the pseudonym Jubanashwa...
(Dhaka; literature, human rights) - Megh Nad Saha (Dhaka; science)
- Mrinal SenMrinal SenMrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
(Faridpur; cinema) - Narendranath MitraNarendranath Mitra-Biography:He was born in Faridpur in modern day Bangladesh. He was based in Kolkata, now in India at the time of partition in 1947, and chose to remain in India when his birthplace fell to the share of Pakistan....
(Faridpur; literature and journalism) - Nirad Chaudhuri (Mymensingh; author)
- Nirmalendu Chowdhury (Sylhet; music)
- Pankaj RoyPankaj RoyPankaj Roy was an Indian cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman, he is best known for establishing the world record opening partnership of 413 runs, together with Vinoo Mankad, against New Zealand at Chennai. The record stood until 2008. He was honoured with the Padma Shri...
(Dhaka; Cricketer) - Priya Ranjan DasmunsiPriya Ranjan DasmunsiPriya Ranjan Dasmunsi was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Raiganj of West Bengal and is a member of the Indian National Congress party.-Career:Dasmunsi was President of Youth Congress in West Bengal from 1970 to 1971...
(Dinajpur, politics) - Ratan Kumar Guhathakurta (Barisal, Civil Engineer/Corporate - General Manager: Oil & Gas Division ~ IVRCL Infrastructure Ltd.)
- Ritwik Ghatak (Dhaka; cinema)
- Pannalal GhoshPannalal GhoshPannalal Ghosh , also known as Amulya Jyoti Ghosh, was a Bengali Indian flute player and composer. He was a disciple of Allauddin Khan, and is credited with giving the flute its status in Hindustani classical music....
(Barisal; music) - Sachin Dev BurmanSachin Dev BurmanSachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
(Comilla; music) - Shirshendu MukhopadhyayShirshendu MukhopadhyayShirshendu Mukhopadhyay is a Bengali author who writes Bengali books. He has written stories for both adults and children.-Life:Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay was born in Bikrampur , now in Bangladesh. He spent his childhood in Bihar and many places in Bengal and Assam accompanying his father, who worked...
(Dhaka - Bikrampur; writer) - Suchitra SenSuchitra SenSuchitra Sen ; or Rama Dasgupta , is an Indian actress who acted in several Bengali films. In particular, the movies in which she paired opposite another legend in Bengali films, Uttam Kumar, became classics in the history of Bengali cinema. She now lives a life of a recluse rarely making any...
(Pabna, cinema) - Sunil GangopadhyaySunil GangopadhyaySunil Gangopadhyay , is a celebrated Indian poet and novelist.-Early life:...
(Faridpur; writer) - Sunil GangulySunil GangulySunil Ganguly was an Indian musician who played the Hawaiian electric guitar. He made a number of records of Indian film music on the HMV label, Sagarika Acoustronics and Concorde Records....
(Faridpur; musician) - Tulsi Lahiri (Rangpur; music and cinema)
- Ustad Alauddin Khan (Brahmanbaria; music)
- Ustad Bahadur Hossain Khan (Dhaka; music)
- Vilayat KhanVilayat KhanUstad Vilayat Khan was one of India's well known sitar maestros, born in Gauripur in Mymensingh, Bengal...
(Mymensingh; music) - Utpal DuttaUtpal DuttaUtpal Datta is a National Film Award-winning film critic, long associated with Bismoi, a entertainment Assamese magazine, and works with the All India Radio Guwahati, where his book 24 Frames , an anthology of articles on Indian cinema was released as a radio program. -Personal life:Utpal Datta ...
(Barisal, theatre) - Suchitra SenSuchitra SenSuchitra Sen ; or Rama Dasgupta , is an Indian actress who acted in several Bengali films. In particular, the movies in which she paired opposite another legend in Bengali films, Uttam Kumar, became classics in the history of Bengali cinema. She now lives a life of a recluse rarely making any...
(Pabna, Cinema) - Bhanu Banerjee (Dhaka, Cinema)