Kolkata Students Attacked and Called 'Bangladeshis' for Speaking Bengali
Four Calcutta University students were allegedly assaulted by a group of shopkeepers near Sealdah station after being branded "Bangladeshis" for speaking Bengali. The altercation began when a student tried to bargain in his native tongue, leading to verbal abuse. When he returned with friends to protest, they were physically attacked. The incident, which led to two arrests, has sparked outrage over linguistic intolerance and taps into sensitive national debates surrounding identity and citizenship in West Bengal.
Unpacked:
Some social prejudices link Bengali language with Bangladesh due to its prominence there, despite Bengali being West Bengal’s official language. This reflects lingering anxieties over migration, identity, and historical tensions from the partition and refugee influx, making linguistic identity a sensitive issue in the region.
Linguistic intolerance involving Bengali has historical roots, such as the Bengali Language Movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and anti-Bengali sentiment in Assam, where language imposition and identity politics led to tensions, protests, and even violence over the status and use of Bengali.
West Bengal’s debates on identity and citizenship are shaped by migration history, partition, and caste. Incidents like this highlight anxieties over ‘outsider’ status and reflect ongoing struggles around who belongs, influenced by both linguistic and socio-political divisions in the state.
In this case, police arrested two individuals involved in the assault. Such incidents often prompt public outrage, legal action, and calls for greater protection of linguistic and cultural rights, but broader solutions depend on sustained social and political engagement.