Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha asserted that people who migrated to the state from the erstwhile East Pakistan following the 1947 partition should be regarded as "displaced people" rather than "refugees," saying they were compelled to leave their ancestral homes because of the Partition engineered by British government.

Addressing a programme organized to observe ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ in Agartala on Friday last, Dr Saha said the partition, carried out in 1947 under British rule, divided the country against the wishes of its people.

"Both Pakistan and present-day Bangladesh were once part of undivided India. The Partition uprooted countless families and forced them to leave their homes," the Chief Minister said.

Referring to Tripura's historical ties with regions now located in Bangladesh, Dr Saha said areas such as Comilla, Chakla Roshanabad and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) were once part of the erstwhile Kingdom of Tripura.

"The Partition took away these areas. Had the country not been divided, Hindu Bengalis facing persecution in the then East Pakistan would not have been forced to migrate to Tripura," he said.

Dr Saha maintained that those who left behind their homes and properties in East Pakistan and settled in Tripura should not be described as refugees.

"They are displaced people who were compelled to migrate because of the Partition," he said.

The Chief Minister also remarked that Tripura's historical and demographic circumstances following the Partition were unique and could not be compared with those of other states, including Assam.

Emphasising the importance of educating younger generations about the long-term impact of Partition, Saha said the observance of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day serves as a reminder of the human suffering caused by the division of the country.

He also highlighted the Centre's Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, saying that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Independence Day celebrations have been expanded into a week-long programme aimed at strengthening patriotism and national unity.

Launching a political attack on the CPI (M), Dr Saha alleged that the Left party was attempting to exploit public issues for political gain. Without naming former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, he referred to recent remarks about launching a movement with a "militant mindset" and claimed that the Communist party had become desperate to regain power.

Sarkar had earlier warned that people would launch a movement with a "militant mindset" if the BJP-led government failed to address their grievances.