Migrant Worker Attacked in Madhya Pradesh for Speaking Bengali; Injured Vendor Treated in Bundelkhand

Malda / Sagar, Madhya Pradesh: A migrant from Malda, West Bengal, was stabbed and seriously injured in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, allegedly because he spoke Bengali. The victim, Syed S.K., has been selling cloth in Sagar for the past nine years and has become the latest target in a troubling pattern of attacks on Bengali-speaking workers in BJP-ruled states.

Attack Details
The incident occurred last Thursday, February 19. According to reports, Syed S.K. was repeatedly assaulted and robbed, and the attackers used knives during the attack. He is currently undergoing treatment in a Bundelkhand hospital, where he underwent surgery. The victim’s wife, Nurefa Bivi, claimed that he had recently expressed fear after receiving derogatory remarks for speaking in Bengali.

Support from Migrant Welfare Authorities
The TMC MP and Chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board, Sameerul Islam, expressed concern over the incident and arranged for Syed S.K.’s medical care immediately upon learning of the attack. An FIR has been registered, and board member Sahidur Rahman met with the victim’s family. He stated that Bengali workers have been subjected to violence and harassment in BJP-governed states over the past few months, often for merely speaking their language, and assured the family of full support.

Similar Incidents in Maharashtra
This is not an isolated case. Earlier, a migrant worker from Purulia, West Bengal, was murdered in Pune, Maharashtra. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described that killing as a “hate crime,” highlighting that the victim, the sole breadwinner of his family, was targeted because of his identity, language, and roots.