Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has condemned the recent detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers. He called it a misuse of identity politics and an attack on democratic values.
Sen, an economist, spoke after arriving at his ancestral home ‘Pratichi’ in Santiniketan, Birbhum. He criticized the detention of Bengali-speaking people in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and Delhi. Many of them were arrested on suspicion of being Bangladeshi immigrants.
Sen said, “This issue is not limited to Bengal. India is a democracy. We must protest if any Indian is tortured or neglected in any state.” He currently resides in the US.
The detained individuals claimed they were targeted because of their language. Sen stressed that Bengali has deep cultural and historical roots.
“Bengali is a language of heritage. Great men like Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam enriched it. We must not ignore this legacy,” Sen added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also reacted. She accused the BJP of branding Bengali speakers as Bangladeshis. She said this was a plan to manipulate voter lists ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
“No one should panic. It’s our duty to protect citizens. If BJP thinks it can win elections by removing genuine voters, it’s wrong,” Banerjee said during a July 22 rally in Kolkata.
In protest, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has launched a year-long Bhasha Andolan. The movement defends the rights and dignity of Bengali speakers nationwide.
This controversy has sparked a wider debate. It has raised questions on linguistic identity, internal migration, and political narratives on citizenship.
