‘Are we not citizens?’: Bengali-speaking migrants in Delhi slum cut off from basic services

New Delhi: Slum dwellers of Jai Hind Camp in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area, home to Bengali-speaking migrants from West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, have been without electricity and water for over three days, prompting allegations of discrimination and administrative negligence.

Tucked away behind upscale residential blocks, the camp is largely inhabited by domestic and sanitation workers, who have now been plunged into darkness amid stagnant rainwater, broken kutcha lanes, and rising humidity amidst the monsoon.

“We’ve had no power or water for days now. Electricity was disconnected without any notice,” said Shyam Singh, a long-time resident. He claimed that the two main meters in the camp, registered in the names of a temple and a mosque, were targeted despite their dues being cleared.

“Officials came with CRPF jawans, cut our cables, and left without explanation. We’ve shown our bills, approached the electricity office, but no one has responded,” he told PTI.

Residents allege their repeated appeals to the local administration and politicians have gone unanswered.

“Our children are suffering the most. Schools reopened after summer vacations on July 2, and now, they can’t study or attend properly,” Fatima, a 35-year-old resident, said. “We’ve been paying Rs 9-10 per unit for electricity, but for what?” The disconnection, residents said, was carried out by local authorities and BSES officials, who they claim refused to speak to them directly about the issue. “They didn’t let us talk. They said bills are pending, which we are not able to understand,” Mateer Rehman said, adding that no household was given any notice.

Other residents, including Mohsin and Bablu Singh, echoed similar grievances, saying they felt “deliberately targeted” despite having all payment receipts in place.

The incident has drawn the ire of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who alleged a broader pattern of hostility against Bengali-speaking communities.

“This is not just about one camp. We’ve seen similar incidents in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. There’s a worrying trend of targeting Bengali-speaking citizens,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

Several slum dwellers of Jai Hind camp also linked the situation to broader linguistic and regional bias. “We’ve lived in Delhi for decades and vote here. Are we being treated this way just because we speak Bangla? Are we not Indian citizens?” asked Nabi Hussain, another slum dweller.

As broken drainage lines overflow and the stench of stagnation worsens, families in Jai Hind Camp continue to cope with hand fans, shared water pots, and no official clarity on when, or whether, essential services will resume at all.

The issue has also revived recent memories of the June 1 demolition of the Madrasi Camp in Jangpura, another informal settlement in Delhi. Local authorities carried out the demolition after the Delhi High Court ruled that the land, located along the Barapullah drain, needed to be cleared to prevent flooding during the monsoon.