Latest news with #SamirulIslam
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengal won't remain silent over torture of migrant workers: TMC
Kolkata: Bengali-speaking migrant workers were facing "persecution" in BJP-governed states and being branded Bangladeshis, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Samirul Islam said on Monday. "These migrant workers are being detained without any police records. Authorities are not even contacting the state govt to verify their citizenship. What, then, is the motive of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah?" Samirul, who is also chairman of West Bengal Migrant Worker Welfare Board, said on X. Trinamool posted the same from its official X handle. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "Do they intend to punish Bengal in this illegal way — bypassing all Indian laws — simply because they failed to win the state electorally?" Samirul wrote, adding: "If the govt led by @narendramodi and @AmitShah believes it can continue to torment Bengal in this manner, they are mistaken. Bengal will not remain silent. Under the leadership of @MamataOfficial, we will not allow the voices of the poor to be crushed simply because they speak Bengali. We will fight this battle — and we will fight it on our terms." Samirul said if infiltration had taken place, the responsibility lay with BSF. Reiterating what CM Mamata Banerjee had brought up many times, he said: "There are many migrant workers from other states living in Bengal. Have you ever heard of them facing such treatment?" Samirul also questioned the legality of the detentions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo He said cops were detaining people for over 24 hours, without producing them in court. "Which law allows them to do so? Police are even refusing to accept Aadhaar Card, EPIC and ration card as identity proof," he said. The MP said Bengali was spoken by "polymaths and patriots like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Was BJP now humiliating stalwarts like these, he asked. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said there were similar incidents of migrant workers being pushed back in Tamil Nadu. "We have been watching the same trend in non-BJP states and that is primarily due to the influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. In many of these cases, Bangladeshi immigrants sneak into Bengal, get hold of fake documents from the Barasat-Basirhat area, and then spread into different parts of the country. This has triggered antagonism against migrant workers from Bengal. Moreover, Trinamool's narrative of outsiders has alienated people from Bengal," he claimed.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
West Bengal alleges Odisha has detained nearly 100 of its migrants claiming they are Bangladeshis
The West Bengal government has alleged that nearly 100 migrant workers from the state have been detained in Odisha and 'sent to detention centres' on suspicion of being Bangladeshis, The Indian Express reported on Monday. In May, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Odisha government launched a statewide operation to identify and deport undocumented Bangladeshi migrants living in the state. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of West Bengal's Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam has said that 'top administrative officials and police officers…have reached out to their counterparts in Odisha' regarding the alleged illegal detentions, the newspaper reported. 'But they are not releasing the poor migrant workers,' Islam was quoted as saying on Monday. 'What has happened is unconstitutional'. He added: 'They are Indian citizens and residents of Bengal. They have gone to Odisha for work. But they have been detained and labelled Bangaldeshis. They have been sent to the detention centre. We will bring them home'. The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that this trend is happening in 'state after state under BJP rule'. However, an unidentified Odisha government official told The Indian Express that 'no one is being detained at any police station'. The government is conducting verifications as part of a nationwide exercise in view of the recent developments in the neighbourhood, the official added. 'We are just verifying their identities and are also in touch with West Bengal government,' the newspaper quoted the official as saying. The development comes nearly two weeks after four men from West Bengal, who had been picked up by the Maharashtra Police and 'pushed' into Bangladesh, were brought back on June 15. The Murshidabad Police in West Bengal had presented proof of them being Indian citizens. Over the past month, Indian authorities have been pursuing a policy to push individuals claimed to be undocumented migrants into Bangladesh. India has pushed back more than 2,000 persons into Bangladesh since the country launched ' Operation Sindoor ', a military operation against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The legality of the 'push back' policy has been debated in India and internationally. Experts have told Scroll that the policy violated India's obligations under international law and customary international law.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengal alleges Odisha detained nearly 100 of its migrants as Bangladeshis
Amid Odisha's crackdown on 'illegal immigrants' in the state since May, fresh discord bubbled up with its neighbouring state after the West Bengal government alleged that nearly 100 migrant workers from the state have been allegedly detained and 'sent to detention centres' on suspicion of being Bangladeshis. According to TMC Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the state's Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam, 'top administrative officials and police officers, under the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have reached out to their counterparts in Odisha' regarding the issue. 'But they are not releasing the poor migrant workers,' Samirul Islam said. 'What has happened is unconstitutional'. 'They are Indian citizens and residents of Bengal. They have gone to Odisha for work. But they have been detained and labelled Bangladeshis. They have been sent to the detention centre,' he said. 'We will bring them home'. Targeting the CM Mohan Majhi-led Odisha government, Samirul Islam said, 'In state after state, under BJP rule, this is happening.' The development in Odisha comes after seven persons, including four youths and a couple, from West Bengal, who had been picked up by the Maharashtra Police and pushed into Bangladesh, were brought back last week following the intervention of the TMC government in West Bengal. According to government sources, Bengal administration officials and the police are in touch with their Odisha counterparts and have furnished residential documents of those detained and pressed for their immediate release and return. Contacted regarding the developments, a senior Odisha government official told The Indian Express that verifications are being done as part of a nationwide exercise in view of the recent developments in the neighbourhood. 'No one is being detained at any police station. We are just verifying their identities and are also in touch with the West Bengal government,' the official said. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
Hans India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
TMC MPs Urge Home Minister's Intervention As Bengali Migrant Workers Allegedly Face Violence In Odisha
Two prominent Trinamool Congress parliamentarians have formally appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting federal intervention regarding reported attacks on Bengali migrant laborers in neighboring Odisha. Berhampur MP and former cricket star Yusuf Pathan submitted his appeal on Friday, followed by a similar request from Samirul Islam, MP and Chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Worker Board, the following day. Both communications highlighted concerns about the safety and constitutional rights of Bengali workers across state borders. In his detailed correspondence dated April 27, Pathan expressed "grave concern" over what he described as a concerning pattern of violence against migrant workers from West Bengal, particularly those from his constituency of Berhampur, Murshidabad, and surrounding districts. According to Pathan, dozens of laborers have returned to Bengal after allegedly experiencing intimidation and physical assault. "Many workers were reportedly attacked during nighttime hours, robbed of mobile devices and earnings, had their identification documents destroyed, and were forcibly removed from their living quarters," Pathan wrote, adding that comparable incidents had occurred previously in August-September 2024. Pathan's letter specifically noted concerns about workers being targeted based on regional identity, particularly those from Muslim communities, characterizing such actions as violations of "fundamental principles of unity, integrity, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution." The former cricketer requested four specific interventions: immediate action against perpetrators by Odisha authorities, enhanced protection for migrant workers across affected districts, establishment of a central investigative team to examine root causes, and support measures for returning workers. In his separate communication, Samirul Islam raised additional concerns about reports of improper detention and harassment of legitimate Indian citizens. "Many individuals, despite possessing valid identification such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and passports, have reportedly been held without cause—some for extended periods," Islam stated. He further alleged that entire Bengali-speaking communities had been targeted, with settlements reportedly set ablaze, resulting in document destruction and family displacement. Islam called for three specific measures: directives to all state governments ensuring protection of Bengali-speaking citizens' rights, implementation of thorough verification procedures before taking action against individuals claiming West Bengal origins, and mandatory coordination with the West Bengal government when Bengali-speaking persons face distress. The reports emerge amid continuing tensions between Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the BJP-led administration in Odisha.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Another Trinamool MP writes to Amit Shah on attacks on migrant workers from Bengal
Alleging a 'disturbing pattern of targeted hostility' against Bengali workers in BJP-ruled States, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to direct all State governments to ensure the safety and dignity of Bengali-speaking citizens. Also Read | Death of migrant worker from West Bengal in Chennai sparks political controversy The letter by Mr. Islam, who is also chairperson of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, comes a day after Trinamool Congress MP from Behrampore Yusuf Pathan wrote a similar letter to the Home Minister on the same issue, particularly in the neighbouring State of Odisha. Mr. Pathan said numerous videos documenting these attacks have circulated on social media, further substantiating the gravity of the situation and triggering widespread public concern. The Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP said that many of these individuals, despite possessing valid identification documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and passports, have been unlawfully held – some for several days – without substantiated cause. 'Several cases involve residents from various districts of West Bengal being detained in Gujarat, despite presenting multiple valid forms of identification,' Mr. Islam wrote in his letter. The Trinamool MP also highlighted how targeted hostility against Bengali-speaking workers has been escalating since 2014 and has intensified in recent months. He specifically pointed to reports of 'entire Bengali-speaking settlements being targeted and set ablaze,' resulting in destroyed identification documents and displaced families. 'It is a grave contradiction that, even after Bengali was accorded classical language status by the Union government, its speakers are now being criminalised for using it,' the MP said in the letter. The other suggestions by Mr. Islam include verification procedures before taking any action against individuals claiming to be from West Bengal. The MP also urged the need to enforce mandatory coordination with the West Bengal government in cases where any Bengali-speaking person is found to be in distress. According to the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, there are 22 lakh migrants from the State who work in other States. However, the actual numbers may be much higher.
