A growing concern has emerged across India as a citizens’ group has condemned what it calls a disturbing pattern of harassment and wrongful deportation targeting Bengali-speaking migrant labourers. The group, operating under the banner of Bharatiya Bhasha Samooh, issued a strong statement on Sunday expressing alarm over a series of incidents in which Bengali-speaking workers were reportedly mistreated in various parts of the country, including Delhi, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
According to the group, several Bengali-speaking migrants were arrested, beaten, and in some cases, forcibly deported to Bangladesh, even though they possessed valid Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards. These actions, the group emphasized, not only violated the rights of Indian citizens but also represented a serious form of linguistic and ethnic discrimination.
“In the last one month, there have been reports from various parts of the country that Bengali-speaking migrant labourers are being harassed, beaten, arrested, deported to Bangladesh, and not released despite valid identity documents being shown to the police,” the statement said. The group strongly condemned these actions, arguing that the only “crime” committed by the affected individuals was speaking in their native Bengali language.
The group argued that such targeting reflects a larger issue of linguistic bias that threatens India’s cultural and regional diversity. “Linguistic attack is a serious threat to the diversity of our country,” the group said, highlighting how language-based suspicion is undermining the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
Among the key concerns raised was the alleged practice of deporting Bengali-speaking individuals to Bangladesh without due verification, even when their documents clearly indicate Indian citizenship. These deportations, the group argued, demonstrate a disturbing disregard for the legal safeguards that protect all Indian citizens, especially inter-state migrant workers.
In their statement, the group emphasized that such actions violate multiple constitutional rights, including the right to equality, the right to life and personal liberty, and access to social protections guaranteed to migrant labourers. They called on the central and state governments to immediately intervene and halt such practices, while also urging a fair review of all recent deportation cases involving Bengali-speaking individuals.
The statement was signed by several well-known figures in India’s civil society, including economist Jayati Ghosh, human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi, social worker Sandeep Pandey, and journalists Subhash Gatade and Anil Chamadia. Their collective voice added weight to growing calls for justice and accountability in cases involving linguistic minorities.
This issue sheds light on the growing vulnerability of migrant workers in India, especially those belonging to minority language groups. As the country continues to navigate its complex socio-political landscape, rights groups are urging authorities to ensure that constitutional protections are not only written into law but fully upheld in practice.