Amartya Sen backs migrant workers amid language row
The Statesman | 2 August 2025
Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen has condemned the recent attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers and the Bengali language in states outside West Bengal.
The veteran economist, who arrived in Santiniketan on Wednesday evening from the United States, told the media that every Indian citizen has the constitutional right to live and speak in their own language anywhere in the country.
“I condemn not only the attacks on Bengali-speaking people living in other states but also any harassment or torture of people from other states. This should not happen anywhere in the country,” he said.
Professor Sen was welcomed at his residence, Pratichi Bhawan, by Bolpur SDM Ayan Nath and SDPO Ricky Agarwal with floral bouquets. He was accompanied from Kolkata by his daughter, Nandana Dev Sen.
“No Marwari, Punjabi, or Bengali should be harassed or tortured. People are not confined to any single region – the entire country belongs to its citizens. I cannot support such unlawful actions,” he said.
Speaking on the cultural richness
of the Bengali language, Professor Sen highlighted its deep roots dating back to the Charyapada. “The Bengali language must be given due respect. From Rabindranath Tagore to Kazi Nazrul Islam, it has produced some of the nation’s most illustrious literary figures,” he added.
Only days ago, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a four-kilometre rally in Bolpur as part of the Bangla Bhasha Andolan, following reports of attacks and alleged torture of Bengali-speaking migrant workers and their families outside the state.
In response to these incidents, the Chief Minister also announced the return of 21 lakh migrant workers from West Bengal employed in other states, after media reports highlighted cases of detention, assault, and pushbacks.