Grant citizenship to refugees from East Pakistan:HR committee

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Patna, Mar 13 (UNI) The Human Rights Committee of the Bihar Legislative Council has recommended granting Indian citizenship to nearly 1.25 lakh refugees, who had migrated to the state from former East Pakistan between 1948 and 1960.

A report of the Committee tabled in the state Legislative Council last Friday had also criticised the state police for perpetrating ''atrocities'' againast women refugees in West Champaran district.

The report had pointed out that refugees had been living under ''inhuman'' conditions in various districts of the state.

The House panel had also investigated the September 2001 police crackdown on a section of fishermen, who had entered in Bihar from the erstwhile East Pakistan.

Committee chairperson Usha Sahni told UNI here today that no political party had taken up the problems of these refugees seriously and used them only as a ''vote bank''.

The report also focussed on the plight of 200 families of East Pakistan origin who had migrated to Lal Saraiya in West Champaran in 1956. A section of these refugees are fishermen.

Bihar Legislative Council Chairman Jabir Hussain, also the chairman of the state Minority Commission, had noted that around 80,000 refugees from erstwhile Pakistan entered the state between 1956 and 1964. These refugees were rehabilitated in 56 refugee camps in the state.

Few of them were also provided with land, which was later grabbed by the local pepole.

UNI DH SJC VD KP1040

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