However, there was a significant difference between the way Partition took place in Punjab and in Bengal. An estimated 30 lakh Hindu refugees had entered West Bengal by 1960 as close to 7 lakh Muslims left for East Pakistan. Basanti Roychowdhury: We never thought we would stay permanentlyBasanti Roychowdhury (Express Photo) Basanti Roychowdhury (Express Photo)“The word swadhin (independence) was something we barely understood. We were in Dhaka during Partition and came to Calcutta in August 28 or 29. The Calcutta house appeared like nothing more than a hut to us then.

Source: Indian Express August 15, 2017 08:23 UTC