In Gurugram, a city known for its glittering high-rises and affluent lifestyle, the stark contrast with nearby impoverished slums has never been clearer. Just outside the city’s upscale areas lies a community of Bengali-speaking Muslims, many working as daily wage laborers, domestic help, and garbage collectors. This fragile balance was abruptly disturbed last month when local authorities executed a verification drive aimed at identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Hundreds of workers were detained and taken to holding centers, where claims of police beatings surfaced.
Ather Ali Sheikh, a daily-wage worker from West Bengal, recounts being stripped of his documents, which authorities deemed fake, and experiencing a harrowing six-day detention filled with uncertainty and fear. “What makes me a suspect? Is it my language, religion, or just poverty?” Sheikh laments, as his wife swiftly packs their belongings in anticipation of further disruptions.
Local authorities, however, rebuff claims of targeted discrimination, asserting that the drive is impartial. Of the initial 250 detentions, only a fraction resulted in identification as illegal migrants, with others released back to their communities. Yet, this reassurance has done little to calm the anxiety rippling through Gurugram’s slums, where workforces have vanished overnight, leaving affluent residents scrambling for help.
The situation echoes a long-standing history of crackdowns on illegal immigrants, particularly targeting Bengali-Muslims. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, these efforts have intensified, with parallel deportations ongoing in states like Assam and across Delhi. This has resulted in a chilling atmosphere, where even the most basic living conditions, like garbage collection, have turned chaotic due to the absence of workers.
As community members express fears for their lives and livelihoods, the ramifications of recent policies begin to emerge. Rauna Bibi, a domestic worker, conveys the despair felt not only over loss of work, but also over her community’s dignity. “They’ve treated us like trash. We’ve spent our lives serving, and now it feels like we might be thrown away,” she said.
The government's strategy to combat illegal immigration includes a new order mandating states to establish task forces for identifying and deporting undocumented immigrants. Critics argue that such guidelines are vague, with many not receiving verifiable citizenship certificates and thus becoming vulnerable to repeated detainment.
Detentions often stem from minimal scrutiny, such as phone contacts linked to Bangladesh or vague responses about one’s ancestry. A human rights advocate highlights that while the policy may not be overtly religious, the targeting is disproportionately affecting the Muslim population reflective of Bangladesh.
Fear haunts these workers, leaving many in slums like Jai Hind to cling to their identity documents at night. Recent electricity cutoffs have exacerbated the dire living conditions in these impoverished areas, igniting anger and despair among residents, who feel unfairly punished for their situation.
“Now, we are not just fighting poverty, but this fear of being uprooted from our homes,” says Rabi-ul-Hassan, a slum resident dealing with government cutbacks and an impending threat of deportation. Families sleep uneasily, wondering if their struggles for survival will culminate in detention once again.
Ather Ali Sheikh, a daily-wage worker from West Bengal, recounts being stripped of his documents, which authorities deemed fake, and experiencing a harrowing six-day detention filled with uncertainty and fear. “What makes me a suspect? Is it my language, religion, or just poverty?” Sheikh laments, as his wife swiftly packs their belongings in anticipation of further disruptions.
Local authorities, however, rebuff claims of targeted discrimination, asserting that the drive is impartial. Of the initial 250 detentions, only a fraction resulted in identification as illegal migrants, with others released back to their communities. Yet, this reassurance has done little to calm the anxiety rippling through Gurugram’s slums, where workforces have vanished overnight, leaving affluent residents scrambling for help.
The situation echoes a long-standing history of crackdowns on illegal immigrants, particularly targeting Bengali-Muslims. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, these efforts have intensified, with parallel deportations ongoing in states like Assam and across Delhi. This has resulted in a chilling atmosphere, where even the most basic living conditions, like garbage collection, have turned chaotic due to the absence of workers.
As community members express fears for their lives and livelihoods, the ramifications of recent policies begin to emerge. Rauna Bibi, a domestic worker, conveys the despair felt not only over loss of work, but also over her community’s dignity. “They’ve treated us like trash. We’ve spent our lives serving, and now it feels like we might be thrown away,” she said.
The government's strategy to combat illegal immigration includes a new order mandating states to establish task forces for identifying and deporting undocumented immigrants. Critics argue that such guidelines are vague, with many not receiving verifiable citizenship certificates and thus becoming vulnerable to repeated detainment.
Detentions often stem from minimal scrutiny, such as phone contacts linked to Bangladesh or vague responses about one’s ancestry. A human rights advocate highlights that while the policy may not be overtly religious, the targeting is disproportionately affecting the Muslim population reflective of Bangladesh.
Fear haunts these workers, leaving many in slums like Jai Hind to cling to their identity documents at night. Recent electricity cutoffs have exacerbated the dire living conditions in these impoverished areas, igniting anger and despair among residents, who feel unfairly punished for their situation.
“Now, we are not just fighting poverty, but this fear of being uprooted from our homes,” says Rabi-ul-Hassan, a slum resident dealing with government cutbacks and an impending threat of deportation. Families sleep uneasily, wondering if their struggles for survival will culminate in detention once again.
