Mamata Banerjee targets voter list overhaul, Bengali identity ahead of 2026 polls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India and the central government over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, warning that the exercise could be a veiled attempt to disenfranchise voters, especially from marginalised communities. Speaking at an event marking World Adivasi Day in Jhargram, Banerjee alleged that the central government was attempting to manipulate the voter list under the guise of bureaucratic formalities. She also pledged to resist what she described as a conspiracy against Bengali identity, indicating that the twin issues of voter disenfranchisement and linguistic pride would shape her campaign in the 2026 state assembly elections. “If someone tells you to fill out a form promising benefits, don’t do it without understanding. Your details could be used to remove your name from the voter list. Then they will send you an NRC notice,” Banerjee warned, referring to the controversial National Register of Citizens. The Chief Minister alleged that the new voter list norms require individuals born before or in 2002 to produce their parents’ birth certificates. “Only 60% had birth certificates back then. How can those born after 2004 be expected to provide their parents’ certificates?” she questioned, calling the demand discriminatory and impractical. Banerjee further alleged that the Election Commission had changed rules arbitrarily, saying, “Just possessing an EPIC card isn’t enough anymore. You need to cross-check your name in the new voter list.” She accused the Centre of targeting state government officials for resisting these changes. “Two of my officers were suspended and sent notices yesterday. On what basis? The elections haven’t even been announced yet. I won’t let anyone be punished unjustly,” she said. Earlier this week, the Election Commission had recommended FIRs against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in West Bengal for alleged lapses in the voter list revision process. The Commission also wrote to West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant urging disciplinary action. Banerjee also turned her fire on BJP leaders for comments allegedly questioning the legitimacy of the Bengali language. “If Bengali is not a language, then in what language was the national anthem written? What language did Tagore, Swamiji, Raja Rammohan Roy, and Vidyasagar speak?” she asked, adding, “Language is identity. Language is pride.” In a pointed criticism of the BJP, Banerjee said, “These people were born with silver spoons in their mouths. They don’t understand the struggles of the working class.” Banerjee’s remarks mark a sharp escalation in political rhetoric ahead of the 2026 state elections, with the Trinamool Congress positioning itself as the defender of both voter rights and Bengali cultural identity.
Is Speaking Bengali a Crime? Fear Grips Migrant Workers After Arrests in Haryana
A wave of fear has swept through Bengali-speaking migrant communities in Gurugram, Haryana, following a string of arrests where police allegedly targeted individuals suspected of being “illegal Bangladeshis” — despite possessing Indian identity documents. Tensions escalated after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently remarked that the number of people listing Bengali as their mother tongue in the national census would help identify the scale of “foreigners” in Assam. The comment drew sharp criticism from political leaders and civil society alike, who accused the BJP leader of equating Bengali identity with illegal immigration. Now, similar sentiments appear to be playing out hundreds of miles away in Haryana. Police in Gurugram have arrested at least 10 Bengali-speaking residents on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshis. Residents of makeshift settlements in the city’s outskirts say they are being harassed, picked up at night, and detained — often violently — without due verification. “They kicked the door and dragged him away” Anjarul, a daily-wage painter originally from Malda district in West Bengal, was one such victim. Living in Gurugram’s Tigra village for the past five years, he says he was forcibly taken from his home a few nights ago despite showing a valid Aadhaar identity card. “They hit me, dragged me, and called me a Bangladeshi,” he said. “I showed my Aadhaar card, but they didn’t care. Now, even though I’ve been released, the police have kept my Aadhaar card.” His wife alleged that she was also assaulted when she pleaded with officers not to take her husband away. “I asked them to at least verify our documents. Instead, one officer slapped me so hard that I can’t hear properly from my right ear,” she said tearfully. Entire neighborhoods abandoned The police crackdown has left entire Bengali-populated neighborhoods in disarray. Many residents have fled, fearing detention. “I’m packing my bags and leaving for Malda,” said one resident. “Better to go back than live in this constant fear.” Most of the homes in the area now sit locked and abandoned, with community leaders warning of an atmosphere of distrust and discrimination. Those who remain live in fear of midnight raids. Community hall turned into detention center. Local sources told reporters that a government community center in Gurugram’s Sector 40 has been functioning as a makeshift detention center over the past week. More than 100 Bengali-speaking individuals were reportedly held there under suspicion of being undocumented immigrants. While officials now say the facility is largely empty, some detainees may have already been moved to other undisclosed locations. The Haryana police have yet to issue a formal statement addressing allegations of harassment and illegal detentions. Activists, however, are demanding an investigation and legal recourse. Bengali identity under siege? The developments in Gurugram follow a broader pattern of heightened scrutiny of Bengali speakers across several Indian states. Critics argue that linguistic identity is being dangerously conflated with nationality, fueling xenophobic policies and vigilantism. “What we are witnessing is the criminalization of language and ethnicity,” said a Delhi-based rights activist. “No Indian should be treated as an outsider in their own country simply because they speak Bengali.” As political discourse around migration and citizenship intensifies, many fear that vulnerable communities — especially migrant workers — will continue to bear the brunt of profiling and persecution.
‘Bengali Identity Under Attack’: TMC Minister Warns of Growing Hostility, Calls for Global Solidarity
West Bengal minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has accused the BJP-led central government of orchestrating a “systematic and shameful” attack on Bengali identity, calling on Bengalis across the globe to unite in defence of their cultural and linguistic pride. Speaking at a culturally symbolic Ilish Utsav (Hilsa Festival) in Nimta on Sunday—organised by the local organisation Karmayogi Society—Bhattacharya alleged that Bengali-speaking citizens were being targeted and vilified in several BJP-ruled states in India. “Bengalis are being harassed, detained, even killed, simply for speaking their language,” she told the gathering. “Bengal has never humiliated those from Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand or Odisha. Why, then, is the rest of the country targeting Bengalis? This is no longer accidental—it is deliberate, and we will resist.” Her remarks follow West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s invocation of a recent Human Rights Watch report which, according to her, detailed the illegal deportation and persecution of Bengali-speaking people in India. Citing the New York-based organisation’s findings, Banerjee had sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for “weaponising identity” and fanning communal divisions. Bhattacharya echoed this concern and warned, “The central government will be made answerable. The global Bengali community will not stay silent.” The festival itself, a celebration of Bengal’s love for ilish maachh (hilsa fish), carried an undertone of cultural unity. Organisers said the event was meant to act as a counterpoint to divisive rhetoric. “We invited people from all linguistic backgrounds—Bihari, Odia, Assamese—to join in. Our message is simple: diversity is not a threat, it’s a strength,” said Tapan Chakraborty, president of the Karmayogi Society. In a sharp jibe at the growing politicisation of dietary and cultural habits, Bhattacharya remarked: “Now even what we eat—singara, jilipi—is being politicised. Who gave anyone the right to decide what a citizen can eat or speak? This is not nationalism, it’s narrow-mindedness.” Targeting Home Minister Amit Shah by name, she said: “Stop this divisive politics. Bengalis live in the US, in China, in every corner of the world. You will soon realise what it means to attack the pride of Bengal.” The event closed with references to Bengal’s cultural icons—from Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam to Saratchandra Chattopadhyay and Swami Vivekananda—as Chakraborty declared, “Those who chew gutka and abuse others’ culture won’t understand the richness of Bengal.” As India heads towards a contentious electoral season, including assembly elections in West Bengal in 2026, issues of regional identity, linguistic rights, and citizenship are once again emerging as politically potent and deeply emotional subjects. The Trinamool Congress is now clearly positioning itself as a defender of Bengali pride, while accusing the BJP of erasing cultural plurality in the name of nationalism.
