Sambalpur (Odisha), Jan 4 (PTI) Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday met Bengali-speaking migrant workers in Odisha’s Sambalpur and alleged that they were being intimidated and asked not to speak against local police or the state government.
He also expressed concern over “parallel policing” in some states where Bengali labourers were allegedly being asked by private persons to provide their identity proof, urging law enforcement agencies to stop the practice.
Chowdhury, a five-time former MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, said he has assured the migrant workers that the Congress was with them.
“I met a section of migrant workers during the visit. However, they were under pressure, threatened not to speak to me on their problems and utter a word against the local police and the state government,” Chowdhury told PTI over the phone, adding that the migrant workers were shifted to another place much before his arrival at Sambalpur.
“The affected persons were under fear and intimidated. Police have asked them not to appear before me during the visit. The workers were also directed not to make any kind of complaints on their problems,” he added.
Alleging that the migrant workers were “verbally threatened,” Chowdhury said, “Not only that, even the contractors under whose supervision they are working have been threatened. The contactors at the behest of police asked the workers to avoid me. The contractors were cautioned that otherwise they would not get further work. There is police pressure on workers and financial pressure on contractors.” The former Congress leader in the Lok Sabha said he had already taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and planned to bring it to the notice of President Droupadi Murmu, Sambalpur MP and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Chowdhury expressed concern over the killing of 30-year-old Jewel Rana, a Bengali-speaking migrant worker from Murshidabad’s Jangipur, in Sambalpur last month following an altercation over a ‘bidi’.
It was also alleged that the assailants had asked Rana to show his Aadhaar card, suspecting him to be a Bangladeshi infiltrator, a charge denied by the local police.
“There is a parallel policing system in some states, as private persons are asking migrant workers to show their identity proof. This must be stopped, and the police should ensure that no one is harassed by the goons because of their suspicion that a migrant worker might be a Bangladeshi infiltrator,” Chowdhury said.
Noting that he will continue to fight for the safety of Bengali migrant workers working in different states, the Congress leader said he met local party leaders and urged them to remain alert to prevent such incidents in future.
During the visit, Chowdhury also met Northern Range Inspector General Himanshu Kumar Lal and Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo.
“Local police have taken prompt action and arrested the accused within six hours of the incident. Police will also file a chargesheet soon and ensure that the accused are punished,” Lal told reporters after meeting Chowdhury.
Lal said police have been working with the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ for such incidents and conducting regular patrolling in vulnerable areas. Police have also launched an awareness campaign, urging them not to take the law into their hands, he said.
Accompanied by some Congress leaders from West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due this year, Chowdhury visited Dhanipali in Ainthapali police station area and met some Bengali-speaking migrant workers. They also visited the place where Rana was hacked to death on December 24.
During his interaction with the migrant workers, Chowdhury enquired about their wellbeing and asked them not to worry about their safety in Odisha.
Chowdhury said people of West Bengal and Odisha have centuries-old cordial relations. Thousands of workers from West Bengal work in Odisha and vice-versa, he said, adding, “However, now the situation is taking a negative turn in the name of Bangladeshi infiltration. Migrant workers from West Bengal are being subjected to atrocities, violence, and murders. This is not acceptable to both states.” The Congress leader said migrant workers move to other states seeking livelihood and their intention should not be suspected.
“Please do not consider all Bengali-speaking people as Bangladeshis,” he added. PTI COR AAM ACD AAM MNB
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