Why did more than seven million refugees move into West Bengal after 1947?

The migration of millions of refugees into West Bengal after 1947 was a direct consequence of the partition of India, which divided the British Indian Empire into the independent nations of India and Pakistan.12

When British colonial rule ended in August 1947, the province of Bengal was split between the two new countries: West Bengal became part of India, while the eastern portion—which became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)—formed the eastern wing of Pakistan. Following the announcement of the new borders, roughly 15 million people across the subcontinent, including Hindus and Muslims, fled their homes to seek safety on what they perceived to be the "correct" side of the newly demarcated boundary.13245

In the case of West Bengal, millions of refugees from the eastern region flocked to Kolkata and surrounding areas to escape the communal violence and instability that accompanied the partition. This mass influx of people significantly strained the region's social and economic infrastructure, leading to severe overcrowding and long-term social challenges in the state.36