Editorial 1: ​​Mob rule

Context

The manufactured narrative of “infiltration” is fueling xenophobia and triggering hate crimes across India.

Introduction

In the closing weeks of 2025, India witnessed a disturbing surge in mob violence against migrant workers, driven by xenophobic suspicion over language and identity. Ordinary citizens were falsely labelled as foreigners, exposing deep anxieties around belonging, citizenship, and the erosion of rule of law.

Rising Pattern of Mob Violence Against Migrants

• In the closing weeks of 2025, multiple incidents across India revealed a disturbing trend of mob attacks on migrants
• Victims were wrongly branded as “Bangladeshi” or “Chinese”, despite being Indian citizens
• Suspicion based on language, region, appearance, or presumed nationality is increasingly turning into violent vigilantism
• This trend poses a serious threat to social cohesion and constitutional values

Shocking Incidents Across States

• In Kerala’s Palakkad district, Ram Narayan Baghel, a migrant worker from Chhattisgarh, was lynched on December 17 after being accused of theft and questioned about being “Bangladeshi”
• In Sambalpur, Odisha, Juel Sheikh, a daily wage labourer from West Bengal, was beaten to death on December 24 after being asked to prove his identity at a tea stall
• Another Bengali-speaking street vendor from West Bengal was assaulted in Odisha days later, showing a pattern rather than an isolated act

Targeting of Northeastern and Migrant Communities

• In Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, a man from Odisha was attacked on a train by juveniles with machetes and sickles, with the assault circulated on social media
• In Dehradun, Anjel Chakma, a 22-year-old student from Tripura, was stabbed to death on December 28 after being subjected to racial slurs
• People from the Northeastern States continue to be treated as perpetual outsiders, often stereotyped as “Chinese”

Institutional and Political Responsibility

• These incidents occur amid wider mob intimidation, sometimes against minority worshippers or even students in public spaces
• While police arrests have been made, strict enforcement and deterrence are still lacking
• The Bharatiya Janata Party has foregrounded the issue of “illegal infiltration” from Bangladesh in election campaigns in Assam and West Bengal
• Such rhetoric risks emboldening mobs, and political leadership at both the State and Union levels must clearly condemn and restrain narratives that legitimise violence

Conclusion

These incidents underline an urgent need for firm policing, political restraint, and an unequivocal defence of constitutional equality. Normalising rhetoric around “illegal infiltration” risks legitimising violence against the vulnerable. India’s strength lies in its diversity, and safeguarding human dignity must remain a non-negotiable responsibility of the State.