– Shabana Javed
Bengali-speaking workers are increasingly facing harassment in various states across India. Incidents of such mistreatment have been reported in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha. A recent case in Mumbai’s Dadar area highlights this troubling trend, where Sohail, a vegetable vendor from Malda district in West Bengal, was targeted. This incident has reignited concerns about the safety and well-being of Bengali workers.
Sohail’s family in Malda is deeply distressed. Sheikh Salim, a relative, revealed that Sohail had travelled to Mumbai with another family member to earn a living. However, he and other Bengali-speaking workers have been harassed under the false pretence of being ‘Bangladeshi’ nationals. Salim explained that their extreme poverty compels them to migrate to other states in search of work to support their families. Unfortunately, such harassment severely impacts their ability to make a living.
In Malda, limited job opportunities and low levels of education force many residents to seek employment elsewhere. Yet, their Bengali language often subjects them to discrimination and wrongful suspicion of being ‘Bangladeshi’, which Salim described as deeply upsetting. He urged the government to intervene, stating, “We are citizens of this country, yet we are labelled as ‘Bangladeshi’. This is painful and unfair. Many of us face violence, and some workers have even lost their lives. Despite these challenges, we have no choice but to migrate for our livelihood.”
According to the 2011 Census, West Bengal ranks as the fourth-largest source of migrant workers in India, following Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Between 2001 and 2011, approximately 580,000 people migrated from West Bengal in search of work.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who chairs the Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board, voiced concern over the harassment of Bengali workers despite their possession of Aadhaar cards. He called this discrimination “unfortunate” and urged the government to ensure their safety.
Senior Congress leader and former MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also addressed the issue, writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. Chowdhury highlighted cases where Bengali-speaking individuals, including students, laborers, and families from districts such as Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia, West Dinajpur, and 24 Parganas, have been unfairly targeted in Delhi and other states. He emphasised the need to distinguish genuine Bangladeshi infiltrators from innocent Indian citizens and appealed to the Prime Minister to protect the rights and dignity of Bengali migrant workers.
