In the course of three centuries of its existence, Calcutta has been phenomenal in accepting and assimilating people from all over the world. This colourful tradition of an integrated mosaic of people living together, sharing views, outlooks and opinions and above all, enjoying life to the brim, is an exclusive hallmark of Calcutta.

According to the 1951 Census, a meagre 33.2% of Calcutta's population was city-born. The rest were a heterogeneous group of migrants from various places, especially from East Pakistan. An odd 26.9% of the city's inhabitants hailed from what had become East Pakistan in 1947. These 'displaced persons' – a whopping 6,85672, were primarily Hindu refugees rendered helpless on account of the partition of India and birth of Pakistan.

Calcutta almost turned into a city of refugees and the immigration which started in 1946 continued unabated for the following four decades – even to this day. The history of the metropolis will be grossly incomplete without the chronicle of relentless struggle of the refugees for survival. They built sporadic colonies and pavement shanties while mingling with the city of joy. The films of Ritwik Ghatak recall the memories of partition, the post-partition inflation, black-marketing, rationing and the dreadful Sealdah Station, the wonderful dialects, the sumptuous fish-curry and the ever-inscrutable, legendary river Padma.

REFUGEES : A DEFINITION

The suffering minorities who became victims of inhuman violence and discrimination have been differentiated on several criterions videlicet, cause for flight, period of migration, place of origin, caste, class and occupation. The acceptance and acknowledgement of the Government of their status, was also an important issue.

The refugees were categorized as 'old' or 'new' migrants. The 41.17 lakh odd people who migrated to India from 1946-1958 were the 'old' refugees, whereas, 11.14 lakh people, who came here from 1964-1971 have been termed as 'new' migrants. Finally, during the Bangladesh war of 1971, approximately 2/3 lakh refugees fled from their homeland and came to Calcutta only to get dissolved with the city's mainstream population.

Sadly, East Bengal refugees have often been labelled as obstructive, contumacious, uncompromising trouble-shooters, who migrated in the city only to disturb its peace and stability. This is a negative and utterly false assessment of a class who have always been known for their self-reliance, dauntless courage, intrepid optimism and tremendous will to survive against heavy odds. They took refuge in West Bengal – in many cases, ignoring the Government policies. They have resisted, manipulated and fought like hell in the struggle for existence.

People migrating to India had a firm conviction that they had every right to stay here for the excruciating price they were compelled to pay for Partition.

THE OLD MIGRANTS

2,58,000 migrants sought refuge in West Bengal, after Partition in 1947. This figure was catapulted to 5,90,000 in 1948. Again 1,82,000 refugees came in 1949. There were diabolic communal riots in East Pakistan during those years. The story of brutal persecution, extortion, ostracism etc. continued much later which broke the hearts of the migrants and paralysed them with the panic of physical extinction and loss of identity.

The government of India, then, adopted several relief measures which were supplemented by an immense public relief effort. The government of India had catered to the emergency needs of the people purely on humanitarian grounds. But it never desired a colossal infiltration by offering attractive relief measures. The Indian Government was also apprehensive of straining Hindu-Muslim relations in India which would inevitably follow too great an exodus.

A considerable number of these early refugees had pre-partition ties with West Bengal and specifically Calcutta. Some had kith and kin here whereas some had occupational links. Again, some civil servants preferred to work in India. So, most of the early migrants had some resources in West Bengal or some place to turn to. This is evident when only 1.06 lakhs of the 13.78 lakh refugees sought admission in relief camps. The vast majority who avoided the relief camps, were the 'upper' and 'middle' class people who got domiciled in the urban areas of Calcutta. The 'lower' class people and scheduled castes tended to resettle in villages.

The migrants in the congested city of Calcutta, created an acute shortage of dwelling places. The affluent refugees bought properties of the Muslims who were evacuating. A very big chunk of them started living in rented houses in the middle-class localities or slums. But, several refugees of East Bengal have been accused as 'squatters' or unauthorized possessors of unoccupied premises. The squatters occupied the barracks in the Dhakuria Lake area and New Alipur. They established colonies at Bijoygarh, Jadavpur, Kasba, Santoshpur, Garia, Dum Dum and Panihati.

A salient feature of the squatter movement was 'jabardakhal' (which meant seizure and settlement.) The land to be seized would usually be occupied at night, shanties erected at a lightning speed and thatched with hogla leaves. The squatting refugees got appreciation from government rehabilitation authorities like N.B. Maiti and Rameshwari Nehru. The refugees were gingerly identified with the left, particularly the Communists. Soon, the leftist opposition politics took up the issue of the sufferings and agonies of the refugees and fought for them.

In December 1949, severe communal conflicts erupted in Khulna and by 1950, a new wave of migration came to Calcutta. The violence on the other side of the border, triggered off violence in Calcutta, which consequently led to thousands of Muslims migrate from West Bengal to East Pakistan.

With pressure mounting alarmingly on the government of India, Prime Minister Nehru, in April 1950, signed a pact with Liaquat Ali Khan, his Pakistani counterpart. This agreement guaranteed freedom of movement (including the right to move personal property across the frontier) and also guaranteed equality of citizenship to minorities irrespective of religion. The repercussion was immediately felt as rate of migration came down sharply and even return to the native lands began.

A Branch Secretariat of the Ministry of Rehabilitation was set up at Calcutta in 1950. 75,000 assistance-seekers were admitted to refugee camps. Empty warehouses, tent colonies, steamers and all possible places under the sun, however deplorable, were used as temporary shelters. Some were taken to special reception centers like Sealdah Station where they underwent excruciating agonies. Thousands were even fixed in the jute godowns of Babu Ghat, Kashipur, Ghusuri and Ultadanga. Families to be rehabilitated, were sent to the regular camps like Dhubulia. This was the largest camp in West Bengal with a capacity of 60,000 refugees. There was also the Cooper's Camp which was to help resettle the refugees outside West Bengal.

A meagre 23% of the odd 11.82 lakh refugees, supposed to have migrated to West Bengal in 1950, went to the camps. However, the unofficial figure was much more alarming to fit in the camps and soon many deficiencies like sub-standard sanitary conditions, overcrowding, insufficient ration and water supply, fatal diseases, catapulting death rates and above all, corrupted camp personnel exacerbated the situation. By the end of 1950, approximately 150 squatter colonies, housed about 30,000 families on 2400 acres of land.

Rehabilitation measures crystallized in the 1950s. Comprehensive regional development programmes started around 1955.

The Government reported in 1959 that it had utilized its resources (48.5 crores) on the non-camp refugees whereas only 18 crores was mobilized for those in its own camps. Since the 1960s, resettlement commenced in Calcutta which was virtually synonymous with self-settlement. However, shrinking resources tended to marginalize a persistent condition for the 'new' migrants.

Old, New & Untraced Migrants (1960s – 2000)

The last 4 decades have seen considerable changes in the Central Government's rehabilitation policy anent to West Bengal. The Govt. shifted its focus from the rehabilitation programme within West Bengal on similar planning in other states e.g. the Dandak Aranya Project. To worsen the situation, fresh migration started in the 1960s and continued in the seventies.

The state, particularly Calcutta, was declining irretrievably under the pressure of the refugee-crisis, growing alarmingly every year by leaps and bounds. The socio-economic deterioration and political tension was catapulted by the increasing rift between the Union and State Governments over the ratio and control of funds needed for rehabilitation.

The Left Front Govt. came to power in 1977 and the 'new' migrants in Dandak Aranya abandoned their camps to settle down in the Sundarbans. Unfortunately, they were soon frustrated and the refugees in general, realized that they had yet to struggle a lot because the Bengal Government had a terrible paucity of resources. In 1980-81, the Left Front Govt.'s Refugee Rehabilitation Committee proposed a comprehensive development plan of Rs. 750 crore. They planned for financial assistance for self-reliance schemes and other facilities like water, electricity etc. Such plans were later implemented to a great extent.

Calcutta's refugee problem has been a chronic one showing little signs of a permanent solution. This congested city with an explosive population has in its strides, assimilated people of all races, religion, castes, creed, community and has rightly been labelled by many as the city of migrants and refugees. The problem still continues unabated with greater intensity. But, it is an undeniable fact that these refugees from East Bengal constitute the heart and soul of Calcutta. The host population of Calcutta also deserve special praise for their receptivity and power to adapt. Indeed, no city other than Calcutta reveals such a stunning unity among diversity. It is this mosaic of colourful people that literally makes Calcutta a vibrant 'city of joy'.