After seven months in Maha jail, South Dinajpur workers reunited with family

BALURGHAT: After enduring nearly seven months of incarceration in Maharashtra over a case of mistaken identity, two migrant workers from South Dinajpur district finally returned home on Monday, reuniting with their families amid emotional scenes. Asit Sarkar of Patiram and Gautam Barman of Gangarampur were allegedly arrested after being wrongly identified as Bangladeshi nationals—solely because they spoke Bengali.

Neither of the two had imagined that travelling to another state in search of livelihood would culminate in months behind bars without any proven offence. Their return marked the end of a traumatic chapter for their families, who had lived in constant fear and uncertainty since the arrests.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Zilla Parishad Saha-Sabhadhipati Ambarish Sarkar personally escorted the two workers back to their homes. At Patiram, emotions overflowed as Asit Sarkar’s wife, Lipi Sarkar, opened the door to find her husband standing before her. Their children ran towards him, breaking down in tears. “We had almost accepted that we might never see him again,” Lipi said. “We feared he would die in jail. It is the Trinamool Congress that brought my husband back from the jaws of death.”

A similar emotional reunion unfolded at Gangarampur’s Pulinda area, where Gautam Barman returned home. His wife, Kanchan Barman, appeared visibly exhausted after months of struggle. Despite Gautam being a BJP booth president, she alleged that no leader from his party extended any meaningful help. “I went from door to door seeking assistance, but received only assurances,” she said.

Kanchan added that she had hoped for intervention from BJP leaders, including Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, but none materialised. “Whatever help we received came from the Trinamool Congress. I am grateful to Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Samirul Islam and Ambarish Sarkar,” she said.

Sources said that although the two workers were released from jail nearly a month ago, legal complications delayed their return.

The families claimed that the intervention of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and party MP Samirul Islam helped resolve the issues.

On Sunday night, the two workers met Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata, who reportedly assured them employment within West Bengal under the state’s “Karmashree” scheme.

Both Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman said they no longer wish to migrate for work, stating that during their darkest hours, only the Trinamool Congress stood firmly by them.