11-08-2025
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
