West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the party and its governments of persecuting Bengali-speaking people in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Citing the case of Sunali Khatun - an Indian citizen who was picked up by Delhi Police in June and later pushed into Bangladesh - Banerjee described the episode as a grave human-rights violation.
Sunali Khatun, a migrant worker, was arrested along with five others on June 17 on suspicion of being Bangladeshi. She was reportedly deported to Bangladesh on June 26 with her husband and eight-year-old son, despite being pregnant at the time. After spending nearly three and a half months in a Bangladeshi jail, she was granted bail recently. Her pregnancy is now in an advanced stage, yet she has not been brought back to India.
“Sunali is an Indian and you deported her to Bangladesh. She is pregnant. Who would take care of her there? The Supreme Court has ordered repatriation, yet the BJP is dilly-dallying,” Banerjee said, adding that the state government moved court to secure her return. “To us she is a human being. But BJP saw her as a Bangladeshi, even when she is an Indian. Delhi Police picked her up - what was her fault? Nothing, except that she spoke in Bengali.”
Banerjee alleged that in several BJP-ruled states, Bengali-speaking workers have been profiled, assaulted, or sent to detention centres under suspicion of being illegal immigrants. She cited the November incident where at least 10 migrant workers from East Midnapore and Murshidabad were allegedly assaulted and arrested by Bhadrak Police in Odisha before returning to Bengal and complaining of harassment.
“This Bengali language is very powerful. This language evoked emotion and courage during the freedom struggle. I respect every language, but look around at how Bengali-speaking people are being treated,” she said. “They want to instil fear and then capture Bengal. You can slit my throat but I will speak Bengali. Bengal will not surrender to BJP.”
On August 21, Bangladesh police in Chapai Nawabganj arrested Sunali, her husband and their son for “illegally entering the country”. They were granted bail this Monday. Although the Calcutta High Court ordered their repatriation, the Centre challenged the order in the Supreme Court. The apex court has now directed the government to bring her back on humanitarian grounds, given the advanced stage of her pregnancy.
Sunali’s parents - Bhodu Sheikh (62) and Jyotsna Bibi (55) - have been waiting anxiously for her return. Interestingly, both are listed in the 2002 SIR roll for the Murarai Assembly constituency and submitted their forms on November 27. Under SIR rules, if parents appear on the 2002 voter list, their children are presumed natural citizens with voting rights. The Centre on Wednesday informed that it is willing to repatriate her on humanitarian grounds, though there is still no clarity on when she will be brought back.
