Refugee Management in Post Partition West Bengal: A Queer Dilemma

Refugee management and placement in post-partition Bengal had been a very uphill task both for the government and for the refugees trying to look for some shelter. After the partition of India and Pakistan, thousands of Hindus and other community members soon started to migrate to West Bengal to escape from the torture and oppression of the Muslims in the newly established East Bengal or at that time known as East Pakistan. However, the migration of such people was incorporated with multiple dilemmas and uncertainties. People ?ed from East Bengal to find a suitable habitation in West Bengal; however, that dream was associated with a lot of political and administrative uncertainties. Most of the migrants left the majority of their belongings in their respective places; they had nothing except their desire to find a comfortable habitation. But the impact of such a huge mass exodus of people made the situation a more critical one to handle for both the government of India and the administrative management of West Bengal. However, migration camps were set up in order to provide immediate shelter and food to those migrants. The government or the administrative management showcased an open-hearted approach in welcoming such a number of people. But very soon it was realized that the settlement of such a number of people would at once become critical and people were spreading across Bengal and other states in India. Those migrants also impacted the demographics and culture, which resulted in a more diverse dimension of the culture. But the issues that were there in the refugee management were regarding the migration camps, corruption and indiscrimination, outrages on women, caste and religious discrimination, torture and oppression, and along with all these such migrants also felt the anxiety of displacement. Hence there was a queer dilemma among the migrants and also among the administrative management in managing such refugees.