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| MUMBAI
- Soon After Partition |
Vocational
Rehabilitation
The rehabilitation
process proved a greater headache than the problem
of providing temporary living accommodation. Many
Sindhis migrating to Bombay were engaged in trade
and commerce. Consequently, the majority desired to
follow the same occupation.
The Government offers of land to start an agricultural
settlement were invariably turned down. The offer
by the Collector of Kanwar of 2000 acres of land for
farming was not accepted by any Sindhi. Most of the
Sindhis registered themselves for hawker's licences.
The Bombay Government was reluctant to issue such
licences generously. Perforce the Sindhis had to resort
to illegal hawking and many a time fell prey to police
corruption.
Bombay had originally geared itself up for only 10,000
people, but had to contend with a number 30 times
larger. Initially the refugees came in brought with
them sufficient funds and did not totally depend on
the Government for rehabilitation, but those who came
in after the riots had begun, were in an utter state
of despair and came empty-handed.
With the camps already full, the monsoon imminent,
and with a well developed co-operative spirit still
not very evident amongst the refugees, the Government
was not very sure of what steps it should take.
The refugees were given free railway tickets if they
wished to proceed to any other place from Bombay.
They were encouraged and advised to leave the city,
but Sindhis being a suburban class of traders preferred
to make a new life in Bombay rather than in any other
city. |
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