Stranded Pakistanis
Encyclopedia
Stranded Pakistanis, also known as Biharis, describes the people mainly of the Bihari
ethnic group currently residing in Bangladesh
who immigrated to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) with the hopes of joining Pakistan but after the East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh were unable to re-immigrate (due to the large distances) in 1971 and continue to claim Pakistani citizenship.
They are mostly descendants of Muslim
s who migrated from what is now the modern India
n state of Bihar
to the eastern wing
(now Bangladesh) of the Muslim state of Pakistan following the partition of India
in 1947. Not sharing the ethno-linguistic heritage of the Bengali people
, who formed an overwhelming majority in the eastern wing, they opposed its agitation for independence from West Pakistan
. Their support for the Pakistani army and participation in pro-Pakistani militias such as the Razakars
led to considerable hostility and retaliation from the Bengalis. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Biharis were relocated to refugee camps and have since petitioned the Pakistani government for the right to settle in Pakistan. Their petition has only met with marginal support from Pakistani authorities, who have allowed only a small number of the "Stranded Pakistanis" to settle in Pakistan.
-speaking Muslim minority in the Hindu majority state of Bihar
. In 1947, at the time of partition, the Bihari Muslims, many of whom were fleeing the violence that took place during partition, fled to the newly independent East Pakistan
. They held a disproportionate number of positions in the new country, because Urdu (which was the mother tongue of many Biharis) was made the national language of the new state. This led to much resentment from the native Bengali
s who had to acquire a new language and were at a disadvantage on their own soil.
broke out between East and West Pakistan
, and the Biharis sided with West Pakistan, viewing the Bengali struggle as an illegitimate rebellion against the then Pakistani government. With covert and later overt support from India, East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh
. During the war there were "many attacks on the Bihari community as they were seen as symbols of Pakistani domination."
Surur Hoda
, a Socialist leader played an active part in solution of refugee crisis. He organized a powerful delegation, headed by British Labour Party politician Ennals
and Ben Whitaker, which contributed to many refugees returning to Pakistan.
In an agreement in 1974 Pakistan accepted 170,000 Bihari refugees; however, the repatriation process has since stalled.
Post-independence Bangladesh scorned the Biharis for having allegedly supporting the Pakistani army. With neither country offering citizenship, the Biharis have remained stateless for 36 years. Organisations like Refugees International
have urged the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh to "grant citizenship to the hundreds of thousands of people who remain without effective nationality".
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is not addressing the plight of the Biharis. In 2006 a report estimated that between 240,000 and 300,000 Biharis live in 66 crowded camps in Dhaka
and 13 other regions across Bangladesh. In 2003, a case came before a high court in which ten Biharis were awarded citizenship according to the court's interpretation of the constitution. So far, however, little progress has been made in expanding that ruling to others. Many Pakistanis and international observers believe the plight of the Biharis has been politicized, with political parties giving the refugees false hopes and impracticable expectations. In recent years, several court rulings in Bangladesh have awarded citizenship to Biharis living in Bengali refugee camps, as the majority of these refugees were born there. International observers believe that Bangladesh, as the successor state, needs to fulfil its international obligations and grant citizenship to this officially stateless ethnic group or arrange for the peaceful repatriation back to their native state of Bihar, over the border in India from where they originally came.
In a visit to Bangladesh in 2002, Pakistani president Musharraf said that while he had every sympathy for the plight of thousands of people in Bangladesh known as 'stranded Pakistanis', he could not allow them to emigrate to Pakistan, as Pakistan was in no position to absorb such a large number of refugees which shared no linguistic, cultural, or historical ties with Pakistan. He encouraged his Bengali counterpart not to politicize the issue and accept the refugees as citizens of the successor state of East Pakistan. Pakistani government officials have threatened to deport the more than 1.5 million illegal Bengali refugees living in its country
if the issue is not resolved acceptably.
and voting rights. The ruling also exposed a generation gap amongst Biharis, with younger Biharis tending to be "elated" with the ruling, but with many older people feeling "despair at the enthusiasm" of the younger generation. Many Biharis now seek greater civil rights and citizenship in Bangladesh. On May 19, 2008 the Dhaka High court approved citizenship and voting rights for about 150,000 refugees who were minors at the time of Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, and those who were born after would also gain the right to vote.
Bihari people
The Biharis are an ethnic group originating from the present state of Bihar with a history going back three millennia...
ethnic group currently residing in 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...
who immigrated to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) with the hopes of joining Pakistan but after the East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh were unable to re-immigrate (due to the large distances) in 1971 and continue to claim Pakistani citizenship.
They are mostly descendants of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s who migrated from what is now the modern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
to the eastern wing
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...
(now Bangladesh) of the Muslim state of Pakistan following the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947. Not sharing the ethno-linguistic heritage of the Bengali people
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
, who formed an overwhelming majority in the eastern wing, they opposed its agitation for independence from West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
. Their support for the Pakistani army and participation in pro-Pakistani militias such as the Razakars
Razakars (Pakistan)
The Razakar was the paramilitary force organized by the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.The Urdu word razakar literally means "volunteer". The Razakar force was composed of mostly pro-Pakistani Bengalis and Urdu-speaking migrants living in erstwhile East Pakistan...
led to considerable hostility and retaliation from the Bengalis. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Biharis were relocated to refugee camps and have since petitioned the Pakistani government for the right to settle in Pakistan. Their petition has only met with marginal support from Pakistani authorities, who have allowed only a small number of the "Stranded Pakistanis" to settle in Pakistan.
Independence
In pre-independence British India, there was an UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
-speaking Muslim minority in the Hindu majority state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. In 1947, at the time of partition, the Bihari Muslims, many of whom were fleeing the violence that took place during partition, fled to the newly independent 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...
. They held a disproportionate number of positions in the new country, because Urdu (which was the mother tongue of many Biharis) was made the national language of the new state. This led to much resentment from the native Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
s who had to acquire a new language and were at a disadvantage on their own soil.
Independence of Bangladesh
In 1971, 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....
broke out between East and West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
, and the Biharis sided with West Pakistan, viewing the Bengali struggle as an illegitimate rebellion against the then Pakistani government. With covert and later overt support from India, East Pakistan became the independent state 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...
. During the war there were "many attacks on the Bihari community as they were seen as symbols of Pakistani domination."
Refugee crisis
The Biharis were now left behind as the Pakistani army and Pakistani civilians evacuated, and found themselves unwelcome in both countries. Pakistan feared a mass influx of Biharis could destabilize a fragile and culturally mixed population which shared no similarity with Bihar; furthermore, the Pakistani government believed that since Bangladesh was still the successor state of East Pakistan, it had to fulfill its duty in absorbing these refugees just as Pakistan (West) did with the many millions of refugees (incidentally, including Bengalis) who fled to West Pakistan. Some groups in Pakistan have urged the Pakistan government to accept the Biharis.Surur Hoda
Surur Hoda
Surur Hoda: was a socialist politician and trade unionist who believed in the ideals promoted by Mahatma Gandhi and became involved in various international organisations.-Life:...
, a Socialist leader played an active part in solution of refugee crisis. He organized a powerful delegation, headed by British Labour Party politician Ennals
David Ennals, Baron Ennals
David Hedley Ennals, Baron Ennals PC was a British Labour Party politician and campaigner for human rights...
and Ben Whitaker, which contributed to many refugees returning to Pakistan.
In an agreement in 1974 Pakistan accepted 170,000 Bihari refugees; however, the repatriation process has since stalled.
Post-independence Bangladesh scorned the Biharis for having allegedly supporting the Pakistani army. With neither country offering citizenship, the Biharis have remained stateless for 36 years. Organisations like Refugees International
Refugees International
Refugees International is a humanitarian organization supporting refugees and stateless people. It publishes annual reports, as well as approximately twenty-five field reports throughout the year on refugee issues, as well as comments on international aid issues around the world...
have urged the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh to "grant citizenship to the hundreds of thousands of people who remain without effective nationality".
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is not addressing the plight of the Biharis. In 2006 a report estimated that between 240,000 and 300,000 Biharis live in 66 crowded camps in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and 13 other regions across Bangladesh. In 2003, a case came before a high court in which ten Biharis were awarded citizenship according to the court's interpretation of the constitution. So far, however, little progress has been made in expanding that ruling to others. Many Pakistanis and international observers believe the plight of the Biharis has been politicized, with political parties giving the refugees false hopes and impracticable expectations. In recent years, several court rulings in Bangladesh have awarded citizenship to Biharis living in Bengali refugee camps, as the majority of these refugees were born there. International observers believe that Bangladesh, as the successor state, needs to fulfil its international obligations and grant citizenship to this officially stateless ethnic group or arrange for the peaceful repatriation back to their native state of Bihar, over the border in India from where they originally came.
In a visit to Bangladesh in 2002, Pakistani president Musharraf said that while he had every sympathy for the plight of thousands of people in Bangladesh known as 'stranded Pakistanis', he could not allow them to emigrate to Pakistan, as Pakistan was in no position to absorb such a large number of refugees which shared no linguistic, cultural, or historical ties with Pakistan. He encouraged his Bengali counterpart not to politicize the issue and accept the refugees as citizens of the successor state of East Pakistan. Pakistani government officials have threatened to deport the more than 1.5 million illegal Bengali refugees living in its country
Bangladeshis in Pakistan
The population of Bengalis and Bangladeshis in Pakistan is said to be in millions however there is no exact figure. Different sources dub as much as between 1 - 3 million immigrants in Karachi with Bengali origin...
if the issue is not resolved acceptably.
Bangladeshi citizenship
In May 2003, a high court ruling in Bangladesh allowed 10 Biharis to obtain citizenshipBangladeshi nationality law
The nationality law of Bangladesh, entitled the Bangladesh Citizenship Order, governs the issues of citizenship and nationality of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.-History:...
and voting rights. The ruling also exposed a generation gap amongst Biharis, with younger Biharis tending to be "elated" with the ruling, but with many older people feeling "despair at the enthusiasm" of the younger generation. Many Biharis now seek greater civil rights and citizenship in Bangladesh. On May 19, 2008 the Dhaka High court approved citizenship and voting rights for about 150,000 refugees who were minors at the time of Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, and those who were born after would also gain the right to vote.