Planning for Inclusion of Refugees- Understanding initiatives taken for Sindhi Community of Bairagarh, Bhopal

Global human displacement is at a record high with refugee crisis progressively becoming more urban. The partition of India in 1947 led millions of Sindhi Hindus to migrate to India and resettle across the country. Refugee camps were setup majorly across Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh etc. with Bhopal and national capital of Delhi witnessing a huge influx. Most parts of Delhi we see today grew largely out of the refugee camps. The official urban area of Delhi almost doubled from 174 square kilometres between in 1941 to 326.5 square kilometres in 1961. As the camps began to deteriorate and supplies over, several inmates from camps in Rajasthan were transferred to Bhopal in 1950 wherein they were resettled primarily in the city outskirts and a few central city locations. Bairagarh, located on outskirts of Bhopal city is a unique case as it witnessed refugee influx both before and after partition. Its population increased from 400 to nearly 14,000 from 1941 to 1951. The rapid growth of the town led to its inclusion in City Development Plan in 1959- 60. Once covered in jungle, the town has over the years grown into a sub-city of its own and today it exports textiles to several surrounding districts due to the various planned and concerted efforts of local authorities and state. The paper seeks to explore the case to understand the role played by the several stakeholders that has resulted in long-term socio- economic integration and financial independence of Sindhi refugees in Bairagarh. This is done through discussions held with local communities, interviews with local shopkeepers and analysis of land values. To understand the spatial integration, the residential land values of the city are analysed and growth in built-up area over the years is mapped in ARC-GIS. It further tries to understand the challenges faced by refugees and hosts by reviewing cases of refugee migrations from across globe. The paper concludes by comparing different cases, the strategies adopted and its impact on long term integration of refugees. It shows how in absence of any legislation in newly made India, the strategic resettlement measures like provision of land for commercial establishments, development of social infrastructure in and around Bairagarh etc. taken by the state government has led to socio- economic and spatial absorption of refugees into the community and they no longer consider themselves as an outsider but rightful citizens of the nation. It highlights how provision of employment is the essential and of utmost need for an inclusive and long-term development. The case underscores a positive outcome of government’s step wise efforts during initial years after partition.