Sambalpur: The recent incident in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, where 34 migrant workers were falsely accused by the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, of being Bangladeshi infiltrators, has brought to light the growing discrimination and targeting of Bengali-speaking Indian Muslims.
These workers, who had been working on a construction site for months, were handed over to the police on August 10 but later released after investigations proved they were from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. This is not an isolated incident as similar cases have been reported from other districts in Odisha as well. These attacks have sparked concerns and led to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee requesting an investigation into the matter.
Moreover, the recent arrest of members of the Hindutva organisation Hindu Raksha Dal for attacking slum dwellers belonging to the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district further highlights the need for addressing and combating such acts of discrimination and targeted violence against a particular community.
It is important for authorities to take necessary actions to ensure the safety and protection of all citizens, regardless of their religion or ethnicity. Such incidents only fuel divisive ideologies and create a sense of fear and insecurity among migrant workers who are an integral part of our society.