When Pakistan came into existence, why did the government of Pakistan accept refugees from India?

[Boojatta]

I strong suspect either that there would have been some advantages to refusing to accept refugees from parts of India outside the territory claimed by the government of Pakistan, or that there were some disadvantages to accepting such refugees. What analysis persuaded the government of Pakistan to accept such refugees?

[LiberalLoner]

1. Because there was going to be great violence against Muslims in Hindu India and

also great violence against Hindus in Muslim Pakistan. People went back and forth and separated according to religion. They knew they would not be safe on the other side.

[karynnj]

2. There was movement both ways

With Hindus moving to India and Moslems to Pakistan. (From high school history in the 1960s - so this may be less than accurate.)

[mitchtv]

3. East and West Pakistan show that it wasn't divided

on Geographical lines, but rather religious . People fled to the Pakistan nearest to them. That is my impression, I am certainly no expert , but remember news clips.

[grantcart]

4. refugees? The Partition of India created migrants not refugees

India and Pakistan divided and over 12 million muslims and hindus went from India to Pakistan and from Pakistan to India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_of_India

up to a million people died.

One of Al Queda's objectives is to destabilze the area.

[elleng]

7. Thanks for 'true facts,' grantcart, for us less than historically smart Amurs!

[ThomWV]

5. You mean when it was West Pakistan rather than the other Pakistan?

There were many Hindus in West Pakistan who thought they would be slaughtered by the new Muslim government and in India there were many Muslims who thought they would be slaughtered by the Hindus, so the Hindus went east and the Muslims went west. Most of the actual slaughters that took place ended up happening on the road. Of course there was another Pakistan, now Bangladesh, which remanned Muslim.

[Boojatta]

6. Where did people who were neither Muslim nor Hindu go? For example, where did atheists go?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

8. Uh, I don't think there was a big atheist population on the subcontinent in the 40s. n/t

[indie_voter]

10. lol. well, they did exist because my late dad was one of them

That said, it really didn't matter if you believed or didn't believe, that wasn't the problem.

One's name easily identified if you came from a Hindu or a Muslim family. So, regardless if you believed or not, it was a dangerous and unstable time on the borders. Muslims on the Indian side went to Pakistan, Hindus on the Pakistan border fled to India.

Partition was,mho, a tragedy.

[grantcart]

9. not all muslims or hindus left to go to muslim Pakistan or hindu India

India still retains a huge Muslim minority.

Most non Muslim and non Hindus just stayed where they are.

For the record the creation of Pakistan was to create a secular Muslim state and not a religious one.

[indie_voter]

11. Yep, there is a big population.

We were in Delhi during Eid a few months ago,celebrations everywhere.

Interestingly (and sadly) enough to a lot of Tibetan Monks are fleeing to India, we visited a beautiful Buddhist temple near Mysore.

[anigbrowl]

12. Nowhere; they just kept quiet

Neither India nor Pakistan is or was a theocracy.