TMC demands installation of Rabindranath Tagore's statue at Jallianwala Bagh
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India Today
8 hours ago
- India Today
What next for Bengali migrants heeding Mamata call to return from BJP-ruled states?
West Bengal has in recent months seen the return of 2,476 Bengali migrant workers amidst allegations of violence, discrimination and economic insecurity being suffered by them in other states. The Mamata Banerjee government's data, compiled as of 6 August, details their distribution across districts and sheds light on the geography of the political narratives inevitably frame this migration through partisan lenses, the scale and nature of the returns point to deeper socio-political tensions in parts of the country. The largest single wave of returns originated in BJP-ruled Haryana, accounting for 793 individuals. The district-level data shows these workers being resettled across multiple locations, notably Raiganj police district (663), along with smaller numbers in Bansberia, Barrackpore, Birbhum, Bongaon, Coochbehar, Diamond Harbour, Howrah and a non-BJP state, accounts for the second-highest number of returnees (518). Murshidabad police district is home to 334 of Odisha is the third major contributor to the influx, with 361 workers, the bulk of whom were directed to Jangipur (127) and Murshidabad police districts (116), with smaller numbers elsewhere. Maharashtra, where a BJP-led coalition is in power, follows with 168 returnees, distributed across Murshidabad (97), Raiganj (45) and other police districts. Significant numbers have also returned from Delhi (108), Uttar Pradesh (68), Rajasthan (45), Gujarat (37) and Assam (10), stoking the narrative of alleged systematic targeting in BJP-ruled states. Even states governed by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) feature in the list, with 26 returnees from Bihar and 14 from Andhra accounts put a human face to the statistics. From Maharashtra, there is the case of Abu Bakkar Mandal, a 33-year-old from Baduria in North 24 Parganas, whose dismembered body was found in a sack—an act described by those close to him and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as linked to anti-Bengali Haryana, 27-year-old Sabbir Alam of Bijubhita, North Dinajpur, returned with both legs broken, allegedly due to police torture under suspicion of being a 'Bangladeshi infiltrator'. Such incidents illustrate a climate of vulnerability for migrant labourers whose linguistic and regional identities appear to mark them as 'outsiders' in certain district-level settlement data paints a clear picture of the parts of Bengal absorbing the largest inflows. Raiganj tops the list with a total of 933 returnees from at least 16 states, including the massive Haryana contingent. Murshidabad follows, receiving 788 in total. Coochbehar ranks third with 272 the TMC government in Bengal, the returns pose both a humanitarian and a socioeconomic challenge. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has promised jobs, social security and educational support for the children of returning workers, framing the state as a safe haven for Bengali-speaking communities. Her statement—'even if we have just one roti, we will gladly share half with you'—reinforces this beyond the political messaging lies the complex reality of reintegrating thousands of workers into an already strained labour market while ensuring their safety in a politically charged broader context is that migration—both into and out of Bengal—has long been an economic necessity for many communities. The difference now is the perception among returnees that their safety can no longer be guaranteed in certain states. This perception is reinforced by violent incidents, rhetoric around 'outsiders' and administrative actions, such as police checks allegedly targeting Bengali-speaking emerges is not only a humanitarian concern but also how interstate migration is being shaped by identity politics. The concentration of returns from states where the BJP or its allies are in power will inevitably fuel political interpretations but the underlying issue—whether linguistic identity should determine a migrant's safety—remains a pressing national question. For Bengal, the challenge will be to sustain its image as a secure destination while achieving the social, economic and cultural integration of those who have come home under to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Policy, public order are state subjects; MoS Karandlaje to TMC query on Bengali migrants harassment
KOLKATA: The Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Sushri Shobha Karandlaje on Monday informed the Parliament that the states and union territories are responsible for the prevention, detention, investigation, and prosecution of crimes through their law enforcement agencies while replying to a question of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. She said in the Lok Sabha that West Bengal ranks third in the country in the number of unorganised workers. The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly alleged that Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal are being detained in various BJP-ruled states. Amid reports of Bengali migrants being harassed in BJP-ruled states across the country, Banerjee sought details from the Ministry of Labour and Employment on this issue. Evading a direct reply, Karandlaje said, " 'Policy' and 'Public Order' are state subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The state/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detention, investigation and prosecution of crimes through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).' According to her, the country has a total of 30,98,43,824 registered unorganised workers, including migrant labourers on the e-Shram portal as on August 5, 2025. In the state-wise list of unorganised workers, Uttar Pradesh remains on top with 8,39,81,159 workers. Bihar and West Bengal hold the second and third spots with 3,00,29,469 and 2,64,81,453 unorganised workers, respectively.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Ex-TMC leader Bibhas Adhikari, arrested in Noida for a ‘fake police station', allegedly ran similar set-up in Kolkata
Ex-TMC leader Bibhas Chandra Adhikari, arrested in Noida for 'running a fake police station', has allegedly been found to have operated a similar set-up in Kolkata. Adhikari, a former Trinamool Block President from Nalhati in Birbhum and once under the CBI and ED scanner in the teachers' recruitment scam, was picked up along with his son and four others for allegedly running the 'International Police & Crime Investigation Bureau' in Noida's Sector 70 on Saturday night. Police said the group allegedly posed as government officials to extort money. Investigations by Kolkata police revealed that in Kolkata's Beleghata area, Adhikari had allegedly rented two flats on CIT Road where he displayed boards reading 'Investigation of Social Justice', 'Interpol' and 'Police'. He would allegedly arrive in a car with a blue beacon with four armed guards. Police claimed he owns significant assets, including an Ayurvedic college in Suri, a college in Krishnapur, and houses in Kolkata and Delhi. Adhikari was removed from his Trinamool post before the 2021 elections, later forming the 'Bhartiya Arya Samaj' party. However, he was seen sharing the stage with TMC leaders in 2024 and was accused of taking money in exchange for job promises in the teachers' recruitment scam. Sources said he was considered close to jailed former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. His Krishnapur ashram housed an office using the letterhead of the 'National Bureau of Social Investigation and Social Justice.' The CBI questioned him multiple times in 2023 in the recruitment case. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
