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.
