Stereotyping & SIR hits Bengali-speaking migrant workers hard in West Bengal

Delhi Police deported Sunali Khatun, a migrant worker, to Bangladesh on charges of being Bangladeshi.

Political intervention helped her return, but now her family battles against SIR irregularities.

In West Bengal, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists has sparked massive controversy.

Over 90 lakh names have been removed from electoral rolls, and questions are being raised about citizenship, identity, and voter rights.

In this ground report, DH's Anirban Bhaumik explores how Bengali migrant workers are increasingly being questioned, detained, and in some cases, even labelled as “Bangladeshi”, despite having valid Indian documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and land records. Sunali’s case, where she was allegedly deported and later returned, highlights the human cost behind this debate.

Is this a crackdown on illegal migration, or is there an anti-Bengali bias emerging in the system? Why are Bengali-speaking workers across states facing scrutiny? And how has the SIR voter list revision in West Bengal turned into a major political flashpoint ahead of elections?

As parties clash over allegations and counterclaims, families like Sunali’s are left fighting to prove a basic right, their identity as Indian citizens.