Beaten, kept naked, made to clean toilets: Bengali workers detained in Haryana on suspicion of being Bangladeshis
Bengali migrant workers in Haryana are facing increasing harassment and detention, with allegations of inhumane treatment, including being held nearly naked, forced to clean police stations, and beaten. Despite showing identity cards, they were allegedly detained on suspicion of being Bangladeshi due to speaking Bengali.
Kolkata: The incidents of migrant workers from Bengal being harassed in other states are gradually increasing. In those states, the police are allegedly detaining them on suspicion of being Bangladeshis since they are speaking in Bengali. The issue has created great controversy, and now, harrowing details have emerged over how detained Bengali migrant workers were treated in Haryana.
Migrant workers who were detained there were kept almost naked, wearing only underwear. Those workers and their families have made explosive complaints regarding their detention in Haryana. There are even allegations of being held in police stations and forced to do multiple tasks, including cleaning bathrooms. Seven migrant workers from Rangaipur under Harishchandrapur Police Station in Malda were detained in Gurugram, Haryana, and they have been released.
Malda district police claim that Haryana police arrested them on suspicion of being Bangladeshi. They were originally working as sanitation workers in Gurugram. The Malda police contacted Gurugram police through email and telephone. Gurugram police wrote to Malda police to find out the identity of the migrant workers. The latter verified the information and informed Gurugram.
Malda Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav informed the Faridabad Police Commissioner of the information. After that, the seven migrant workers were released after negotiations between the two sides. The migrant workers and their families alleged that they were detained despite showing their identity cards.
One migrant worker said, "They made us clean the house, they made us clean the bathroom at the police station. They even beat us up. They gave us two loaves of bread to eat, but they didn't even give us water. I said I am a Bengali, not a Bangladeshi."
Another migrant worker said, "I was sitting down to eat. He came around 10:30 pm. Then he asked for my Aadhaar card. I gave it to him. He took me to Sector 10. I had no clothes on. I spent a night there in that condition. Even after showing my identity card, they wouldn't leave. If I speak Bengali, am I a Bangladeshi? They don't accept that logic."