Paper short abstract:

This paper study the politics of the left parties in West Bengal regarding the scheme of ‘dispersal’, focusing on the modes of mobilization and the impact of these left parties among the refugees, their confrontations with the party in power, and their changing attitude towards the refugees.

Paper long abstract:

In their attempt to rehabilitate millions of Hindu refugees from East Pakistan in 1950s and 60s, one of the policies adopted by the government was the policy of 'dispersal'. Arguably, the most controversial of all the rehabilitation schemes, 'dispersal' meant sending off the refugees outside West Bengal to other parts of the country like the Andaman Islands, Dandakaranya area and so on - areas that were sparsely populated and under-developed . The government argued that 'dispersal' was necessary as it was impossible to rehabilitate all the refugees within the limits of West Bengal. This scheme faced massive opposition from the left parties. They argued that if the available waste lands were brought under cultivation, more refugees could be accommodated within the province. They opposed the attempts of the government to forcefully send off the refugees and actively mobilized the refugees against this scheme. Through their sustained campaign against 'dispersal' they received much sympathy from the refugees and that paid well electorally. However, as the Left Front came to power their attitude altered drastically. This paper studies the politics of the left parties vis-à-vis the rehabilitation scheme, especially the scheme of dispersal. Their modes of mobilization, the impact of these left parties among the refugees, their confrontations with the party in power, and their changing attitude towards the refugees are the prime issues that this paper addresses.