The recent arrests by Delhi Police of people suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals illegally residing in India demonstrates how out of depth the police reporting to the Union home ministry can be. The eight were arrested on the basis of 'documents written in Bangladeshi'. That's like police arresting Hispanics in the US on the basis of their speaking in 'Mexican'.
Predictably, the West Bengal government, whose help the police sought to translate the documents, isn't amused. Bengali is spoken by some 97 mn Indians, accounting for 8% of the population. FoGs - friends of GoI - are now trying to cast doubts about the veracity of the Delhi Police notice. Every government is within its rights to act on illegal migration. But such a right requires it to act with responsibility, especially towards its own citizens. The more troubling aspect is such ignorant shortcuts becoming a tool for political manipulation and divisive agendas, not to mention vigilante action.
The class aspect to the Delhi Police action is glaring - the targeted are domestic workers, daily wagers and others in low-income jobs. Instead of catching those genuinely involved in criminal activity like trafficking and illegal migration, such Keystone Cops-style 'enthusiasm' ends up punishing the powerless. Identifying illegals based on language, religion and class is a dangerous minefield. GoI must rely on SOPs developed by the UN's International Organization for Migration based on a structured and rights-based approach, involving initial screening, data collection and verification processes. Sure, all this is tougher than to conflate Bengali with Bangladeshi. But it would do India a world of good not to look like its role model is the land of Trump and honey.
Predictably, the West Bengal government, whose help the police sought to translate the documents, isn't amused. Bengali is spoken by some 97 mn Indians, accounting for 8% of the population. FoGs - friends of GoI - are now trying to cast doubts about the veracity of the Delhi Police notice. Every government is within its rights to act on illegal migration. But such a right requires it to act with responsibility, especially towards its own citizens. The more troubling aspect is such ignorant shortcuts becoming a tool for political manipulation and divisive agendas, not to mention vigilante action.
The class aspect to the Delhi Police action is glaring - the targeted are domestic workers, daily wagers and others in low-income jobs. Instead of catching those genuinely involved in criminal activity like trafficking and illegal migration, such Keystone Cops-style 'enthusiasm' ends up punishing the powerless. Identifying illegals based on language, religion and class is a dangerous minefield. GoI must rely on SOPs developed by the UN's International Organization for Migration based on a structured and rights-based approach, involving initial screening, data collection and verification processes. Sure, all this is tougher than to conflate Bengali with Bangladeshi. But it would do India a world of good not to look like its role model is the land of Trump and honey.
