Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on July 31, 2025, passionately defended the constitutional right of every Indian citizen to move freely across the country, amid a heated political controversy over the alleged harassment of Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. Speaking at his ancestral home in Santiniketan, the economist emphasized that this freedom applies to all, whether Bengali, Punjabi, or Marwari, and condemned any attempts to curb it as unconstitutional.

“An Indian citizen has the right of movement in the entire country. There is no mention of territorial rights anywhere in our Constitution,” Sen told reporters. He stressed that happiness and respect for all citizens are fundamental, adding, “If Bengalis are being tortured and neglected, it must be objected to. It is not a question of Bengal alone, but the whole country.” Sen also celebrated the cultural legacy of the Bengali language, citing its roots in Charyapad and the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, urging acknowledgment of their universal values.

The remarks come as West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, intensifies its campaign against alleged attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers, particularly poor Muslims, who are reportedly branded as “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” in states like Odisha, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Banerjee’s ‘Bhasa Andolan’ (Language Movement), launched after a mega rally in Kolkata on July 14, 2025, accuses the BJP of targeting Bengalis to polarize voters ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Over 5,000 Bengali workers reportedly returned to West Bengal in 2024, citing harassment, per state labor department data.

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The BJP, led by state president Sukanta Majumdar, dismissed the allegations as “electoral drama,” claiming the TMC neglected migrant welfare for 14 years. “Bengal’s 2 crore migrant workers face issues due to TMC’s failure to create local jobs,” Majumdar told ANI, alleging Banerjee’s protests mask her government’s economic shortcomings. Official figures show West Bengal’s unemployment rate at 6.8% in 2024, above the national 4.9%.

Sen’s intervention, invoking Article 19(1)(d) of the Constitution guaranteeing free movement, has amplified the debate. Rights groups report 47 documented cases of violence against Bengali migrants in 2024, though verification is ongoing. As tensions rise, Sen’s call for unity and constitutional fidelity underscores the stakes for India’s diverse workforce, with 10 crore inter-state migrants (Census 2011) driving economic mobility.

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