The Haryana administration has demolished the homes of approximately 300 migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurugram’s Sector-39, allegedly without prior notice. The demolition, carried out on Monday in Jharsha village under Sadar police station, has triggered outrage, with many claiming that the action was based on suspicions of them being “Bangladeshi” due to their Bengali language.
Eyewitnesses said that four to five police vehicles surrounded the settlement before bulldozers razed the makeshift homes. The affected workers, many of whom have lived in Gurugram for over a decade, are now left homeless. A migrant worker, who had been preparing to return home for Eid, described his devastation and said, “I had planned to celebrate with my family, but in an instant, that hope was shattered. My wife, children, and I have been living on the streets since our home was destroyed.”
Sources indicate that the settlement was home to laborers from districts like Nadia, Malda, and Murshidabad. These workers, engaged in occupations such as rickshaw pulling, factory work, street vending, and domestic labor, had constructed tin-roofed shelters on vacant land.
On March 24, local authorities arrived with a bulldozer and ordered residents to evacuate immediately. Before the workers could understand the reason, demolition began, flattening around 300 temporary houses.
Samad Sheikh, one of the displaced residents, while recounting the incident said, “Police gave us just 10 minutes to vacate. When we asked for a reason, they remained silent. We requested a day’s time, but they refused. Within moments, everything was gone.”
Many workers believe the demolition was driven by suspicions of them being ‘Bangladeshi’. Zakir Rahman, another laborer, told The Observer Post, “Speaking Bengali itself has become a crime here. We were labeled as Bangladeshis without any proof.”
Nur Islam, a resident of Murshidabad’s Beldanga, moved to Gurugram with his wife, children, and ten other family members just six months ago in search of work. His wife, 23-year-old Amina Khatun, shared their plight: “We were struggling financially. There was little work in our hometown, so we came here to support our family. Now, we have nowhere to go.”
The Gurugram district administration stated that the land belonged to the government and had been illegally encroached upon. Officials claimed that residents were informed in advance and that public announcements were made before the demolition. They further asserted that the slum clearance was carried out under court orders.
However, the displaced workers strongly refuted these claims. “We were never given prior notice,” said one labor. “This was not about illegal encroachment; it was about targeting us as ‘Bangladeshis'”, he added.
Mukul Hasan, a worker from Nadia’s Plassey who has been in Gurugram for 15 years, told The Observer Post, “We were staying on land rented from a local owner. Why would we occupy land illegally? We were never told anything before our homes were destroyed.”
Asif Faruk, Murshidabad district president of the Parijayee Shramik Aikya Mancha, condemned the incident, stating, “Bengali-speaking workers are being harassed across the country. The branding of Bengali speakers as ‘Bangladeshi’ is a new trend, particularly in BJP-ruled states.”
West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam assured assistance to the affected families. “We have been in touch with the workers since the day of the incident. The state government will support them and arrange work for those who return to Bengal,” he said.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumdar stated, “We are investigating the matter. A detailed response will follow.”
