New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Union government to clarify whether speaking Bengali is being used as a ground for deportation of individuals along the India-Bangladesh border. The direction came during a hearing where serious concerns were raised about citizens being expelled without proper verification.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the West Bengal government’s migrant workers’ welfare board, argued that people were being deported only because they spoke Bengali. He stressed that India cannot expel anyone without due process to determine citizenship. Those pushed back at the border, he said, often face violence from both Indian and Bangladeshi forces.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M Pancholi noted that security forces have the right to prevent illegal entry. However, once a person is inside Indian territory, the law requires that citizenship be determined through proper procedure. The court pointedly asked the Centre whether language was being misused as a basis for deportation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that “speaking Bengali is not a ground for deportation.” At the same time, he highlighted the risks posed by illegal migration and said certain states were encouraging settlement of foreigners. He compared the challenge to Europe’s migration crisis and stressed the need for strict border measures, including fencing along Bangladesh.
The bench acknowledged the seriousness of illegal migration but underlined that language alone cannot decide nationality. It said Bengali is widely spoken on both sides of the border, including by millions of Indian citizens in West Bengal and Assam. The court directed authorities to ask for identity proof before deporting anyone.
This debate carries particular importance for Indian Muslims, a substantial number of whom are Bengali-speaking, as growing suspicion around language in today’s climate risks deepening marginalisation.
