‘He was the only earning member’: Body of 19-year-old migrant lynched in Odisha reaches Bengal village

“He was the only earning member of our family. He left on December 20. His daily wage was Rs 600. Now his body has arrived at my doorstep. He was beaten up because they labelled him a Bangladeshi. We want justice. We want the harshest punishment for the culprits,” said Jewel’s mother, Nagima Bibi, speaking to The Indian Express over the phone.

Jewel lived with his parents and two sisters in the Murshidabad village.

“We heard from his co-workers that he was beaten up badly by goons who called them Bangladeshis. They first asked for his Aadhaar card, which he and others produced. Still, he was beaten with bamboo and sticks by the mob,” said Jewel’s uncle, Riaqul Haq.

According to family members, the last rites will be performed later on Friday, with thousands expected to attend.

Paltu Sheikh, one of the eight migrant workers from Murshidabad who was present during the attack and part of the group that brought the body home, said, “That evening, we had just returned from work and were at a tea stall. A group of people asked Jewel for a bidi. Then they started asking for Aadhaar cards and where we were from. We showed our Aadhaar cards. Suddenly, they came armed with bamboo and sticks and started beating us. Jewel was hit on the head. Others were also injured.”

Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress targeted the BJP over the incident, alleging repeated assaults and detentions of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states.

“This is another example of the plight of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states. Earlier too, in Odisha and other states, migrants have been detained and assaulted. Our party and government stand with Jewel’s family. He was the only earning member,” said Samirul Islam, TMC Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board.

“There must be a proper mechanism to address repeated assaults and detentions of migrant workers. The state government should take this up with the concerned states. Immediate assistance should be provided when workers are in distress. This must stop, and proper compensation should be given to the family,” said Asif Faruk, state general secretary of Parijayi Sramik Aikya Manch (Migrant Workers Unity Forum).

Odisha, among other states, has seen a large number of detentions of Bengali-speaking people during its drive against alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. More than 500 migrants from Bengal have either been detained as suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators or faced assaults in Odisha this year.

However, Odisha Police denied that Jewel was assaulted on suspicion of being from Bangladesh.

Sambalpur Additional SP Srimanta Barik said the migrant workers had been staying in the area for several years and were acquainted with some locals. “The incident occurred over a demand for a bidi. After the group refused, they were attacked. We have arrested six people and are identifying if others were involved,” he said.