Uttarakhand Govt Decides To Remove Mention Of 'Poorvi Pakistan' In Caste Certificates Of Bengali Migrants

The Uttarakhand Cabinet took a decision on Monday (16 August) to drop the mention of the word “Poorvi Pakistan” in caste certificates issued to children of people of the Bengali community from erstwhile East Pakistan, before Bangladesh won nationhood in 1971. These people were rehabilitated in Udham Singh Nagar district of the state.

Members of the community reportedly met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, whose own constituency falls in the district, and expressed gratitude for the decision taken by the cabinet. Many of them were from Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar. They were led by Sitarganj MLA Saurabh Bahuguna.

ABP mentions in a report that there are nearly 2.5 lakh people from the community living in the Uttarakhand district.

“The current generation of migrated Bengalis rehabilitated there were born in Uttarakhand; their sentiments are against Pakistan. They do not want to be linked with Pakistan,” an official has been quoted as saying in a report in Indian Express. People from the community demanded that the mention of ‘Poorvi Pakistan’ in caste certificates issued to them should be stopped.

The big decision was reportedly taken on a proposal from the state Social Welfare Department. It was moved on the demand of people from the Bengali community and others in the district who were rehabilitated "between 1956 and 1970".

Among them, people who were born in Uttarakhand, do not like to have any recognition or link with Pakistan. They made the demand through public representatives for the stopping of the mention of the word East Pakistan in their caste certificates.