West Bengal Muslims say they are caught in crackdown on Bangladeshis
Migrants from West Bengal living in Bengaluru report facing harassment and detention by police who suspect them of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Despite possessing valid documentation, many families live in fear of deportation and separation.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the human impact of citizenship verification drives and the social vulnerability of internal migrants in India.
After being repeatedly detained, allegedly beaten up by the police because they believe he was an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant, Murshida’s husband left the family behind and returned to his native state West Bengal four months ago. “Why should we run like this when we are Indians? What have we done to receive this treatment?” asked Murshida.
Murshida is one among many migrants from West Bengal who say they are being repeatedly detained and harassed by the police in Bengaluru.
“When he said he would leave, my seven-year-old daughter started crying, so he took her too. I have not seen my husband or daughter for months,” she said, showing a copy of the enumeration form her husband recently filled during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka. “The form indicates he is a citizen here.”
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