Discussion with Stranded Biharis in Dhaka's Geneva camp

[WAJsal]

I would presume that this should be a real vote winner for whichever Pakistani political party makes it happen and/or popularity winner for Pakistan Army to bring back 'the patriots' as it were ?

Contrary to the famous belief in India PA has no real say in how the government is run, or in forming the foreign policy. Civilians have gained a lot of power in the last decade, which is a good thing.

 

[Exiled_Soldier]

You sure bro from what I know all West Pakistanis went back, Biharis were left behind, please do share any links in this regards, would like to know further , Regards

I know one cricketer who played for BD national team is of Pakistani origin, from Sialkot Punjab. Due to poor performance now out of team.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junaid_Siddique

 

[LA se Karachi]

About the term Bihari, here is a quote from a Bihari herself,

"Bihari was a loose term used for people who came from Uttar Pradesh, Poona, Maharshtra, for Punjabis, Pathans. Every non-Bengali was a Bihari.”

Almost all of them came from Bihar:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02666958708716034?journalCode=cjmm19


The rest of the migrants were primarily from West Bengal. Though some came from Assam and Orissa as well.

the point is what has Pakistan done for the people who fought for them and risked everything.

That is a bit of an exaggeration. Most of the Biharis did not take up arms and fight, only some did. Some Bengalis did too.

More importantly, the vast majority of the Biharis still living in these camps were born in Bangladesh, not East Pakistan:

"About 80 percent of the Biharis were born in Bangladesh and consider themselves Bangladeshis, like Muhammad Nadim, who was born in Dhaka two years before the war. 'We were Muslims and left India to come to another Muslim country. But that India is not ours anymore. Pakistan is also not ours. Bangladesh is ours but we have no rights here. The Red Cross has been taking care of us for so long.'"

http://www.dw.com/en/bihari-migrants-wish-for-better-life-in-bangladesh/a-6554559

Biharis who were minors at the time of the 1971 war have been granted citizenship as well.


The bottom line is that most of these Bihari people consider themselves Bangladeshi, not Pakistani:

http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2008/articles/1313.pdf


This particular poll was taken all the way back in 1993. And it includes Biharis of all ages (including the older ones not eligible for citizenship). The demographics have since changed in these camps. Nearly all of the younger Biharis, born in Bangladesh (not East Pakistan), consider themselves Bangladeshi and have no interest in being "repatriated" to Pakistan.

I can only imagine how lopsided a survey taken in these camps today would look like. If these people were given a choice between Pakistani citizenship and Bangladeshi citizenship, few would choose to go to the foreign Pakistan.

You guys had no problem to bring back the 93000 and i am sure none of them spent their own money to return back....it should not have been a problem for Pakistan to take biharis to Pakistan at that time

Pakistan has already accepted more than 170,000 Biharis from Bangladesh. Who knows how many more have immigrated illegally.

http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2008/articles/1313.pdf

but i guess there was no will for that from Pakistan.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Bengali Bangladeshis illegally immigrated to Pakistan for economic reasons. There are far more of them in Pakistan than there are Biharis in Bangladesh. Between 2-3 million of them are currently residing illegally in Pakistan:

"The illegal immigrants, around two million Bangladeshis, 2.5 million Afghanis and 0.5 million other nationals including Africans, Iranians, Iraqis and Myanmars, are currently living in Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities, an official said on Monday."

http://tribune.com.pk/story/322325/five-million-illegal-immigrants-residing-in-pakistan/

Pakistan has since tried to deport some of these illegal immigrants, but Bangladesh refuses to take them back.

Why should Pakistan take any of the few Biharis of Bangladesh who still clamor for Pakistan, if Bangladesh is unwilling to do the same with its citizens residing illegally in Pakistan? I guess there is no will for that from Bangladesh.

 

[Deadpool]

Contrary to the famous belief in India PA has no real say in how the government is run, or in forming the foreign policy. Civilians have gained a lot of power in the last decade, which is a good thing.

Sorry, thats just not true. Pakistanis in eminent positions have confirmed otherwise. Also the fact that PA has absolute control over India, South Asia and US policies.

We also see the 'soft coup' done by PA using other political parties when Nawaz/Govt. steps out of (army defined) line.

 

[Reichsmarschall]

This is totally wrong, only those people managed to come who got money to pay the brokers or someone in West Pakistan to approach or finance them like my mother, father and their families. My grandfather and uncles were killed for being loyal to Pakistan. There were people who did not want to leave their parents behind and got stuck there. The Generation at that time, all wanted to come to Pakistan but did not have resources. I can still feel the pain in the eyes when my Mom tells us the stories of war and migration, how her brothers and father were taken from their home and killed.

from which part of India you guys came from?

 

[Rizwan Alam]

from which part of India you guys came from?

My mom's family migrated from Gaya District, Bihar, to Chittagong while my father alone migrated from Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, to Dhaka and joined police force. My father fought the battle and was taken as prisoner in 1971.

 

[Doctor Strange]

My mom's family migrated from Gaya District, Bihar, to Chittagong while my father alone migrated from Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, to Dhaka and joined police force. My father fought the battle and was taken as prisoner in 1971.

Im not so well versed to the history behind Indian Muslims migrating to erstwhile East Pakistan. That East Pakistan aka East Bengal came into existence as a result of Bengal's Hindus Muslims partition, plus for some Braka valley and Brahmaputra valley Muslims, thats a tiny place. As far as I can understand the partition's agenda wasnt to make Indian Muslims homeless. After the partition there were many riots in India and Muslims had to cross the border here. And some were Muslim League political remnants and some businessmen. Other than that, was there anything more to the story behind the migration? Maybe economic reason?

 

[Shorisrip]

I know one cricketer who played for BD national team is of Pakistani origin, from Sialkot Punjab. Due to poor performance now out of team.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junaid_Siddique

Actually, majority of Biharis are well integrated, and get jobs, among other things. Personally, my family used to have a long time Bihari driver, and we know a Bihari family friend who's married to a Bengali woman.

As per your quote, there is/was actually quite a lot of non-Bengalis in the Bangladesh Cricket Team.

e.g.

Javed Omar Belim (Muslim Rajput with origins in Uttar Pradesh)

Akram Khan (from renowned family in Chittagong with origins from Uttar Pradesh)

Nafees Iqbal Khan (nephew of Akram Khan)

Tamim Iqbal Khan (nephew of Akram Khan)

Nasir Hossain (Bihari origins)

Athar Ali Khan (Bihari/UP origins)

 

[mb444]

Only Biharis who continue to identify with Pakistan remains as refugees. There is a standing order in BD that offers Biharis route to BD citizenship, they merely have to leave the refugee camps.
I guess the hurdle for them is an economic one of leaving the camps. GOB needs to assist with this and close down the camps.

Any who still wants to go to Pakistan let them try to go a personal capacity but simply impose BD nationality be done with it. There is no need to prolong this.

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

The community also includes some from present-day Pakistan, Punjabis, Baloch, Pathans etc.