Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Tuesday said that around 300- 400 Bengali speaking migrant workers have been confined in Rajasthan, despite having valid Indian documents and were labelled as “Bangladeshis”.
Banerjee has directed state chief secretary Manoj Pant to speak to his Rajasthan counterpart on the matter.
“I am sad to hear that 300-400 Bengali speaking migrant labourers from Bengal have been confined in a building in the BJP-ruled state of Rajasthan. They have been labelled as Bangladeshis for speaking in their native language Bengali despite having valid Indian documents...It is unfortunate that because they are Bengali speaking, they will be arrested and tortured. They are all Indian citizens,” Mamata Banerjee told reporters during an interaction.
Banerjee drew Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s attention on the issue and said that Modi may not be aware of the matter and urged him to take action.
At least 300-400 workers, hailing from Uttar Dinajpur’s Itahar in West Bengal have been working in Rajasthan’s Vivari as migrant workers. “I think the PM is not aware of it. I want to bring this to the PM's notice that every BJP ruled state is doing this,” CM added.
The chief minister confirmed that there 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal work in different states. “I have instructed my Chief secretary to speak to his Rajasthan counterpart. Today I have learnt that 300-400 migrant workers from Bengal have been confined in a building in Rajasthan. They are from West Bengal and they are Indians. They have shown their identities,” Banerjee asserted.
Banerjee clarified that the people who came to India till 1971 are Indian citizens as per agreement between former Indian PM Indira Gandhi and Bangobandhu Mujibar Rehman.
Last week, the state government, Banerjee said, had rescued people, who were pushed back to Bangladesh. Banerjee pointed out that similar incidents have happened in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
“We have 1.5 crore migrant labourers in Bengal. Workers from all other states come here to work and we never disrespect them. Why will the Bengali-speaking workers get disrespected in other states? Is it a crime to speak in Bengali? If they are speaking in Bengali, that does not mean they are Bangladeshis…Bangladeshis also speak in Bengali. A dangerous game is going on. Bengali is our mother tongue in West Bengal. It can be spoken in other countries as well,” Banerjee emphasized.
“India is a big country where people from all languages, culture, caste and creed live in this country and that is the secular characteristic of the state. BJP is also doing linguistic politics based on language. Whoever working as construction worker are called Bangladeshi workers,” Banerjee said.
Asked if Union Home Ministry is taking action, Banerjee said BSF, CAPF and all other forces are in their hands and they will decide.
The Bengali migrant workers are taken to all states because of their skillset. “When they speak in Bengali, they are labelled as Bangladeshis and pushed back to Bangladesh. These kinds of incidents have happened in the recent past. “There are construction workers, zari workers are taken to other states as they are skilled workers,” Banerjee said.
Around 300-400 migrant workers hailing from Uttar Dinajpur’s Itahar in Bengal with valid Indian documents were arrested from Rajasthan and kept in a building in Rajasthan. “I have received information from the workers. I know them personally and they live in my own assembly Constituency for years. I generally meet the workers, so I know many of them,” Itahar MLA Mosaraf Hussen told ET. He has informed the Chief Minister on the issue after he received calls from Rajasthan, seeking help.
Hussen told ET that he has sought action from Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar on the issue and he has promised to take action. “They have been given food but not allowed to leave the premises. They have been kept confined inside a building,” Hussen said.
One worker Ainul Haque detained in Rajasthan told ET that he has been working as labourer for more than 12 years in Rajasthan and was a villager from West Bengal’s Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur, who has gone to w. “The authorities are not telling us why we have been confined. I have been working for more than 10-12 years in Rajasthan. Altogether, 300 people were nabbed by Rajasthan police and kept in a building.
“We are from Itahar’s village in Bengal. There are many who are new to the profession,” Haque said.
Banerjee has directed state chief secretary Manoj Pant to speak to his Rajasthan counterpart on the matter.
“I am sad to hear that 300-400 Bengali speaking migrant labourers from Bengal have been confined in a building in the BJP-ruled state of Rajasthan. They have been labelled as Bangladeshis for speaking in their native language Bengali despite having valid Indian documents...It is unfortunate that because they are Bengali speaking, they will be arrested and tortured. They are all Indian citizens,” Mamata Banerjee told reporters during an interaction.
Banerjee drew Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s attention on the issue and said that Modi may not be aware of the matter and urged him to take action.
At least 300-400 workers, hailing from Uttar Dinajpur’s Itahar in West Bengal have been working in Rajasthan’s Vivari as migrant workers. “I think the PM is not aware of it. I want to bring this to the PM's notice that every BJP ruled state is doing this,” CM added.
The chief minister confirmed that there 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal work in different states. “I have instructed my Chief secretary to speak to his Rajasthan counterpart. Today I have learnt that 300-400 migrant workers from Bengal have been confined in a building in Rajasthan. They are from West Bengal and they are Indians. They have shown their identities,” Banerjee asserted.
Banerjee clarified that the people who came to India till 1971 are Indian citizens as per agreement between former Indian PM Indira Gandhi and Bangobandhu Mujibar Rehman.
Last week, the state government, Banerjee said, had rescued people, who were pushed back to Bangladesh. Banerjee pointed out that similar incidents have happened in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
“We have 1.5 crore migrant labourers in Bengal. Workers from all other states come here to work and we never disrespect them. Why will the Bengali-speaking workers get disrespected in other states? Is it a crime to speak in Bengali? If they are speaking in Bengali, that does not mean they are Bangladeshis…Bangladeshis also speak in Bengali. A dangerous game is going on. Bengali is our mother tongue in West Bengal. It can be spoken in other countries as well,” Banerjee emphasized.
“India is a big country where people from all languages, culture, caste and creed live in this country and that is the secular characteristic of the state. BJP is also doing linguistic politics based on language. Whoever working as construction worker are called Bangladeshi workers,” Banerjee said.
Asked if Union Home Ministry is taking action, Banerjee said BSF, CAPF and all other forces are in their hands and they will decide.
The Bengali migrant workers are taken to all states because of their skillset. “When they speak in Bengali, they are labelled as Bangladeshis and pushed back to Bangladesh. These kinds of incidents have happened in the recent past. “There are construction workers, zari workers are taken to other states as they are skilled workers,” Banerjee said.
Around 300-400 migrant workers hailing from Uttar Dinajpur’s Itahar in Bengal with valid Indian documents were arrested from Rajasthan and kept in a building in Rajasthan. “I have received information from the workers. I know them personally and they live in my own assembly Constituency for years. I generally meet the workers, so I know many of them,” Itahar MLA Mosaraf Hussen told ET. He has informed the Chief Minister on the issue after he received calls from Rajasthan, seeking help.
Hussen told ET that he has sought action from Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar on the issue and he has promised to take action. “They have been given food but not allowed to leave the premises. They have been kept confined inside a building,” Hussen said.
One worker Ainul Haque detained in Rajasthan told ET that he has been working as labourer for more than 12 years in Rajasthan and was a villager from West Bengal’s Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur, who has gone to w. “The authorities are not telling us why we have been confined. I have been working for more than 10-12 years in Rajasthan. Altogether, 300 people were nabbed by Rajasthan police and kept in a building.
“We are from Itahar’s village in Bengal. There are many who are new to the profession,” Haque said.
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