West Bengal has become a sanctuary for 2,476 Bengali migrant workers who have fled systematic violence and harassment in BJP-ruled states, with the Trinamul Congress TMC) facilitating their safe return from Maharashtra (168 workers) and Haryana (793 workers), among others.
TMC (photo: IANS)
West Bengal has become a sanctuary for 2,476 Bengali migrant workers who have fled systematic violence and harassment in BJP-ruled states, with the Trinamul Congress TMC) facilitating their safe return from Maharashtra (168 workers) and Haryana (793 workers), among others.
The exodus highlights what TMC describes as targeted persecution of Bengali-speaking communities across India, especially where either the BJP or the NDA allies are in power. Meanwhile, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has pledged jobs, social security, and education for the children of returning workers, ensuring a safe and secure future for them in Bengal.
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The scale of violence that drove these workers home reveals a disturbing pattern across BJP-ruled states. Among the 168 workers who returned from Maharashtra is the tragic case of Abu Bakkar Mandal, a 33-year-old migrant from Baduria, North 24-Parganas, whose dismembered body was discovered in a sack. The brutal murder has been linked to anti-Bengali sentiment, pointing to a broader climate of hostility that has made fellow workers fear for their safety. The situation in Haryana, which accounts for the largest exodus with 793 returning workers, presents an equally alarming picture of state-sanctioned brutality.
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Sabbir Alam, a migrant from Bijubhita, North Dinajpur, returned home with both legs broken after allegedly being tortured by police who accused him of being a “Bangladeshi infiltrator.” His case exemplifies the dangerous targeting of Bengali-speaking migrants by law enforcement in BJP-ruled states, where linguistic identity has become grounds for violence and abuse.
The staggering scale of this humanitarian catastrophe becomes clear through the comprehensive exodus data: 2,476 people have fled the killing fields, especially of BJP-ruled states and its allies, seeking protection in Bengal. Beyond the horror stories from Haryana (793) and Maharashtra (168), massive evacuations continue from Odisha (361), Delhi (108), Uttar Pradesh (68), Rajasthan (45), Gujarat (37), and Assam (10).
Even the BJP allies have blood on their hands, with Bengal’s workers fleeing the persecution machinery in Bihar (26) and Andhra Pradesh (14).
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended a message of unconditional support to the returning workers, declaring: “Even if we have just one roti, we will gladly share half with you.” She emphasised that West Bengal stands in stark contrast to the violence documented in BJP-ruled states, highlighting how over 1.5 crore migrant workers from across India live safely in West Bengal without facing the harassment and torture that has driven Bengali workers to flee other BJP-ruled states.
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