Language Intolerance Enters Kolkata as University Students Are 'Attacked for Speaking Bengali'

Kolkata: A late-night dispute over a mobile phone cover in central Kolkata escalated into violence, as a dozen university students were brutally beaten with rods and hockey sticks, according to their accounts, after allegedly being called “Bangladeshis” and “Rohingya” for speaking in Bengali. Police have arrested two men in connection with the August 20 attack.

The incident began around 10.30 pm when a group of students from the Calcutta University staying at the Carmichael Hostel in Sealdah went to a shop near the Sealdah Bridge. According to the complaint filed at the local Muchipara police station, an argument over the price of a phone cover led to a Hindi-speaking shopkeeper allegedly losing his cool with one of the students.

“He asked us to speak in Hindi. We refused, saying, 'This is Bengal, where we speak in Bangla.' He started using abusive language towards us, calling us ‘Bangladeshi’ and said we should move to Bangladesh. When we protested, they beat us,” said Masum Miyan, one of the injured students.

The students spoke of their alleged harassment with at their hostel and brought back several classmates to confront the shopkeeper. The situation quickly turned violent as a larger group amassed by the shopkeeper had also formed. 

The students alleged that as they were returning to their hostel, they were ambushed and attacked with iron rods, hockey sticks, and knives. Twelve students were injured, with one suffering a severe head wound. They were all taken to Kolkata Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Police have arrested two individuals following a formal complaint, though the main suspect, reportedly an associate of a local Trinamool Congress councillor, remains at large. The incident drew a swift response on August 21, with Calcutta University authorities meeting the injured students and their hostel superintendent, while a protest rally was held in central Kolkata.

“We have pressurised the police to arrest all attackers, but so far, they have only made token arrests. We are not happy with the investigation so far, and are planning to start larger agitation,” said Miyan. 

This incident, in the heart of Kolkata, is being viewed not as an isolated brawl but as a reflection of a growing national trend of linguistic intolerance. It comes amidst numerous reports of harassment against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in other states, who are often profiled and detained on suspicion of being illegal immigrants.

“Physical and mental abuse and attacks for speaking in Bengali and labelling people as ‘Bangladeshi’ is not just happening outside Bengal but also repeatedly in this state. Communalism and divisive politics are being given extra ground and oxygen every day in this state. The safety of students from North Bengal, Malda, Murshidabad, and various other districts is now in question,” said Tajbul Haque, a student of the Calcutta University.

Sealdah is one of Kolkata’s busiest areas, home to its busiest railway station. The old Carmichael Hostel is located near the station. It was primarily built for minority students, and many students studying at Calcutta University live there.

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