India's Migrant Crackdown: Fear and Uncertainty Spread

In recent times, India has seen a surge in immigration raids. These raids have led to the detention of thousands of people. Many of these individuals are Bengali-speaking Muslims. They come from various parts of India, including Delhi, Assam, and Gujarat. The Indian government says these raids are necessary for national security. They point to a terrorist attack in Kashmir in April as a reason for the crackdown. However, rights groups argue that the raids are creating a climate of fear. They say the government is targeting Muslims, especially those who speak Bengali. Bengali is spoken by millions of people in both India and Bangladesh. The porous border between the two countries makes it easy for people to move back and forth. This has led to a large number of undocumented Bangladeshis living in India. The raids have affected people from all walks of life. A waste picker from a Delhi slum was deported with his pregnant wife and son. A rice farmer in Assam had his mother detained by the police for weeks. A 60-year-old shrine attendant in Gujarat was blindfolded, beaten, and put on a boat. Most of those detained in the raids live far from Pakistan. This raises questions about the government's justification for the crackdown. The raids have also affected people from West Bengal, an eastern Indian state where Bengali is the main language. For decades, young people from West Bengal have migrated to big Indian cities for work. The situation has created a lot of uncertainty and fear among the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. It has also raised concerns about the government's approach to national security and the treatment of minorities.