‘East Pakistan’ tag to be removed from certificates of Bangalees in India’s Uttarakhand

Bangalees who migrated to what is now the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district are finally getting a chance to live without the tag of "East Pakistan" in caste certificates issued to them to avail social welfare schemes.

The announcement was made by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun at a meeting with a delegation of the community from Sitarganj constituency, led by local legislator Saurabh Bahuguna on Thursday, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting an official release.

Dhami said a proposal for the removal of "East Pakistan" from the caste certificates issued to members of the displaced Bangalee community will soon be brought before the state cabinet.

The announcement, coming ahead of assembly elections in the state early next year where Bharatiya Janata Party is fighting a strong anti-incumbency, fulfils a long-standing demand by members of the displaced Bangalee community in Udham Singh Nagar.

There are an estimated 3.5 lakh Bangalees in Udham Singh Nagar who had migrated from the then East Pakistan between 1956 and 1970.

Local legislator Saurabh Bahuguna said, "It's a matter of shame that East Pakistan remains mentioned in the caste certificates of these people. Adjacent Uttar Pradesh state has stopped this practice 15 years ago." 

The caste certificate in Uttarakhand, which was once part of Uttar Pradesh before becoming a separate state on November 9, 2000, is necessary for availing the government's social welfare schemes.

Some members of the community said the caste certificates of even those who were born in India after their ancestors came over to the country contain "East Pakistan" as their place of origin.