Bihari people

Biharis (Bhojpuri/Hindi: बिहारी, Urdu: بِہاری) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group originating from the state of Bihar in India with a history going back three millennia; there is some Dravidian and Australoid (from the Tribals) admixture. Biharis speak Hindi, Urdu, Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and other local dialects. They can trace their ancestry to the early Indo-Aryans, as well as Austro-Asiatic Munda inhabitants of the region. Besides Bihar, Biharis can be found throughout North India, West Bengal, Maharashtra and also in the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Pakistan. During partition of India in 1947, many Biharis of the Islamic faith migrated to East Bengal (later East Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh). Bihari people are also well represented in Pakistan's (formerly West Pakistan) Muhajir population as a result of the partition of India, as well as the recent repatriation of some Bihari refugees from Bangladesh to Pakistan.

Cuisine

Clothing

The traditional dress of Bihari people includes the dhoti, kurta-pyjama, and sari. Nevertheless, Western shirts and trousers are becoming popular among the urban population. Muslim, Christian, and Sikh Biharis use attar, a perfume. Jewelry such as rings for men and bangles for women are popular.

Religion

Hinduism is the majority religion of the Bihari people although a large Muslim and a smaller Christian minority exists among the ethnic group. Among the Hindus, the Bhumihar Brahmins, other Brahmins, Rajput, Kurmi, Yadav, Banias, and Kayastha castes are well represented. In India, Bihari Muslims are found in the Purnia, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Champaran districts of Bihar. The Bihari population living in Pakistan and Bangladesh is also predominantly Muslim as well. Christian Biharis are significant in the Ranchi, Singhbhum, and Santhal districts of the Indian state of Bihar.

Biharis in Pakistan and Bangladesh

In 1947, at the time of Partition, many Muslim Biharis moved to what was then East Bengal adjacent to their Bihar province in eastern India. In 1971, when war broke out between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (or Bangladesh), the Biharis sided with the military of West Pakistan.

However, when East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh in December 1971, the Biharis were left behind as the Pakistani army and civilians evacuated and the Bihari population in Bangladesh found themselves unwelcome in both countries. Pakistan feared a mass influx of Biharis could destabilize a fragile and culturally mixed population, and Bangladeshis scorned the Biharis for having supported and sided with the West during the war.

With little or no legal negotiation about offering the Biharis Pakistani citizenship or safe conduit back home to their native Bihar in India, the Biharis (called stranded Pakistanis by politically biased Bangladeshi politicians) have remained stateless for 33 years. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has not addressed the plight of the Biharis. An estimated 600,000 Biharis live in 66 camps in 13 regions across Bangladesh, and an equal number have acquired Bangladeshi citizenship.

In 1990, a small number of Biharis were allowed to immigrate to Pakistan due to the efforts of MQM, which is still campaigning for their return. Their arrival caused much resentment among the Sindhi and Punjabi Pakistanis who are averse to bringing in more Urdu speaking people into the country despite following the same religion. This is an interesting reversal of positions in light of the fact that Pakistan was created as a homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent, and therefore over 4-5 million Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan under great duress and difficulty during the late 1940s and 1950s. These immigrants provided the main backbone for economic survival of Pakistan during the early years.

The arrival of the Biharis also aggravated the ethnic tensions existing in Pakistan. Pakistan has reiterated that as the successor state of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) , as well as having greater cultural and linguistic similarities with Bengalis, Bangladesh should accept the Biharis as full citizens. While current Pakistani politicians and government officials of Sindhi, Punjabi and Pathan origin have refused to accept these nearly 600,000 stranded Pakistanis of Bihari origin, the very same politicians welcomed over 6 million Afghanis for over 30 years as refugees during the 1980s and 1990s. Thus, the Pakistani argument that the stranded Biharis would be a burden on Pakistan was weak.

The majority of Biharis in Pakistan live in Karachi, where Orangi Town has the highest concentration of them while those in Bangladesh are allowed to live in specific camps only mostly within Dhaka city. Due to not having citizenship, most engage in odd jobs of various sorts but considerable crime and thefts has also been attributed to them.

In May 2008, a Bangladeshi court ruled that Biharis who were either minors in 1971 or born after 1971 are Bangladeshi citizens and have the right to vote. As a result of the ruling, an estimated 150,000 of the 300,000 Biharis living in Bangladesh are eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship. Although the court ruling explicitly said that the Biharis are eligible to register to vote in the December 2008 elections, the Election Commission closed its roles in August 2008 without enrolling them.

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