Today met Bikash, whose family migrated from their native Pabna district in Bangladesh to…

Today met Bikash, whose family migrated from their native Pabna district in Bangladesh to West Dinajpur district in India in 1971

“All 200 Hindu families from our village [in Bangladesh] came to India that time,” he told me (an estimated 1 crore East Bengalis migrated to India that year, with 80% believed to be Hindus)

After two years, Bikash’s family went back to Bangladesh. The reason: Young men and women in the family needed to be married. It was difficult to find alliances in India as they had no assets and no social connections. They were just refugees living off government-provided ration

In subsequent years, the family thought the worst was over. But by 1983, most members migrated to India again, this time permanently. Bikash was born a year after this migration

He cites the reason as “Jamaat”, short for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, an offshoot of Abul Ala Maududi’s radical Jamaat-e-Islami founded in 1941

During 1971, Jamaat members indulged in horrific crimes against Hindus of Bangladesh, and their influence only grew over the years

While I was at his house (pictures below), Bikash had a brief online chat with a relative still living in Bangladesh. The relative referred to the Muslim population in his area as “Jamaatis”

He said the Hindu families are too scared to resume work or step out of their homes. With no income, they are being further pushed into poverty

Bikash and his clan belong to Chunaru caste, whose members are almost entirely Hindu and traditionally make slaked like from sea shells. In India, it comes under SC category

The relative said he would flee to India as soon as the border opens