Migrant Worker Allegedly Stabbed in Madhya Pradesh for ‘Speaking Bengali’; Concerns Rise Over Targeted Attacks

A migrant worker from West Bengal was allegedly stabbed in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district for speaking Bengali, The Times of India has reported, in an incident that has intensified concerns over a rising pattern of hostility against Bengali-speaking labourers across several states.

Thirty-seven-year-old Syed Sk, a resident of Paharpur village in West Bengal, had been working as a cloth vendor in Madhya Pradesh since 2015. On February 19, he was allegedly robbed and stabbed multiple times in Samnapur village.

He was subsequently admitted to Bundelkhand Hospital, where he underwent surgery, according to the report.

Syed’s wife, Nurefa Biwi, stated that her husband had previously expressed fears of being targeted because of the language he spoke.

Political leaders from West Bengal have since intervened. “We arranged for his treatment and an FIR has been lodged. At the behest of [Lok Sabha MP] Abhishek Banerjee, we are looking after him and his family. Once he recovers, we will bring him back and rehabilitate him within the state,” Samirul Islam, Trinamool Congress MP and chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board, told the newspaper.

The incident comes amid reports of increasing attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in different parts of India. In several cases, right-wing groups have allegedly accused such workers of being undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.

Earlier this month, a migrant worker from West Bengal’s Purulia district was murdered in Pune, with his family alleging that he had been targeted for speaking Bengali. In January, eight migrant workers from Bengal were reportedly assaulted and forced out of a bread factory in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district by members of the Bajrang Dal.

In July 2025, more than 250 Bengali-speaking migrant workers, predominantly Muslim, were detained and allegedly harassed in Gurugram, Haryana, prompting many to return to their hometowns.
Similar incidents have also been reported in Odisha, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

As Syed Sk recovers from his injuries, the episode underscores growing anxieties among migrant communities who travel across state lines in search of livelihood but increasingly face suspicion and violence linked to language and identity.​