Pakistan, India
Pakistan is a village in the Purnia district of Bihar, India. The village was named "Pakistan" in the memory of the Muslim residents who migrated in 1947 to what was then called East Pakistan, now modern-day Bangladesh.[1] At the time the district bordered East Pakistan.[2]
Pakistan | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Country |  |
| State | Bihar |
| District | Purnia |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayati raj (India) |
| • Body | Gram panchayat |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Maithili, Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-BR |
History
Prior to 1947 Purnia district was part of the Nepal Province of British India; in August of that year colonial India was partitioned into two states, the Dominion of Pakistan and the Dominion of India.
As Purnia lay adjacent to East Pakistan many Muslims left to migrate there, and the inhabitants of the village renamed it Pakistan after the Muslims who had left. Prior to the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the district of Purnia bordered East Pakistan; afterwards Islampur subdivision was awarded to West Bengal.[1] Before leaving the Muslims had handed over their property to Hindus of the neighbouring areas.[3]
Relations between Pakistan and India have historically been turbulent. The events surrounding the partition of 1947 have involved millions of refugees fleeing in either direction to escape violence. In addition, since independence from Britain, the two nations have fought several wars. However, according to the villagers they do not want a war between the two nations and wish to spread the "message of peace and brotherhood".[4]
There has never been any attempt to rename the village, which is official recorded in government documents as 'Pakistan'.[3]
Geography
Pakistan is a tiny village that lies 30 km from Purnia, the district headquarters, and is located in Srinagar Block.[3]
Demography
Since partition in 1947 the village no longer has any Muslim inhabitants; the inhabitants of the village are Hindus. The people belong to the Santhal tribe, the largest tribal group in India.[3] The village is quite a poor one and reportedly it lacks basic facilities including roads, schools[4] and hospitals. The literacy rate of the district as a whole is 35.51.[5][3]