Adhir seeks PM Modi's intervention on attacks on Bengali-speaking people

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to highlight the rising cases of discrimination and violence against Bengali-speaking migrant workers across India. In a formal letter handed to the PM, Chowdhury expressed a "heavy heart," stating that laborers from West Bengal are being targeted, especially in BJP-ruled states. He emphasized that while these workers contribute significantly to the national economy, they are being subjected to hatred and physical abuse simply because of their linguistic identity.

Chowdhury pointed out a dangerous trend where any person speaking Bengali is often misidentified as an illegal infiltrator from Bangladesh. He cited a harrowing recent incident in Odisha's Sambalpur, where a 30-year-old youth named Jewel Rana from Murshidabad was allegedly bludgeoned to death on suspicion of being a "Bangladeshi." He also mentioned the arrest of migrant workers in Mumbai under similar suspicions, arguing that administrative officers and police are failing to differentiate between Indian citizens and foreign nationals.

The former West Bengal Congress chief warned that such targeted attacks could fuel communal tensions back in Bengal, particularly in the sensitive border districts. According to data from the West Bengal Migrants Welfare Board, over 1,143 complaints of harassment have been recorded in the last 10 months alone. Chowdhury argued that this climate of fear is creating deep anxiety among the families of millions of migrants who travel across the country to earn a livelihood.

Concluding his appeal, Chowdhury urged the Prime Minister to sensitize state governments and ensure the safety of these workers. He reminded the PM that every citizen has the constitutional right to work and reside in any part of India. He requested immediate intervention to stop the "persecution" of these "wretched migrant laborers" and to protect the social fabric of the country from being torn by identity-based violence.