Three migrant workers from Paschim Bardhaman district in West Bengal have alleged that they were assaulted in Maharashtra after being suspected of being Bangladeshis for speaking in Bengali. The incident has sparked strong political reactions in West Bengal, with leaders trading blame over the safety of migrant workers.
The workers, identified as Dilip Bagdi and Samir Barui, along with another colleague from Pandabeswar, said the incident took place while they were returning home from Maharashtra.
According to their account, the trouble began when some local residents overheard them conversing in Bengali among themselves, even though they had used Hindi while purchasing their travel tickets.
They claimed that locals confronted them, questioned their nationality, and insisted they were Bangladeshis, despite repeated explanations that they were residents of West Bengal. The workers alleged that they were forcibly removed from their mode of transport and taken to another location, where their Aadhaar cards were checked for verification.
Samir Barui said that even after showing valid Aadhaar cards, their claims of being Indian citizens were rejected. The workers further alleged that they were subjected to physical assault, during which hot tea was poured over their heads and they were kicked on the head and stomach.
According to them, the attack continued even after one of the workers pretended to fall ill in an attempt to stop the violence.
The incident comes amid growing complaints in recent months about alleged harassment and attacks on Bengali speaking migrant workers in different states. Such cases have been reported particularly from regions governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, including Odisha and Rajasthan.
Pandabeswar MLA Narendranath Chakraborty met the affected workers after their return and condemned the incident. He blamed the central government for creating what he described as a hostile environment against Bengali speaking people outside the state. He said that while West Bengal welcomes people from across the country, Bengalis are being targeted elsewhere, and warned that such actions would not be forgotten.
Responding to the allegations, local BJP leader Dilip Chakraborty accused the West Bengal government of failing to generate adequate employment opportunities. He said this situation was forcing workers to migrate to states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh in search of livelihoods.
The BJP also suggested that the incident may have been narrated with political intent, pointing to what it described as inconsistencies in the workers’ statements.
Discussion about this post