Rising Hate Crimes Against Migrants Expose Growing Mob Violence Across India

NEW DELHI | January 2, 2026

A disturbing rise in mob violence against migrant workers and students across India in the final weeks of 2025 has highlighted how suspicion around identity, language, and appearance is turning deadly. In multiple incidents reported from Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand, Indian citizens were attacked or killed after being falsely labelled as “Bangladeshi” or “Chinese” by mobs acting on rumours and prejudice.

The violence has largely targeted migrant labourers and students from poorer or northeastern States, with attackers questioning their nationality and demanding identity proof before assaulting them. On December 17, Ram Narayan Baghel, a 31-year-old worker from Chhattisgarh, was lynched in Kerala’s Palakkad district after being accused of theft and interrogated about whether he was Bangladeshi.

Just days later in Odisha’s Sambalpur, Juel Sheikh, a migrant labourer from West Bengal, was beaten to death at a tea stall after being accused of being an illegal immigrant. Another Bengali-speaking street vendor was assaulted in a separate incident in the State. In Tamil Nadu, a migrant worker from Odisha was attacked with machetes and sickles while travelling by train in Tiruvallur district, an incident that was filmed and widely circulated online.

On December 28, Anjel Chakma, a 22-year-old student from Tripura, was stabbed in Dehradun after being subjected to racial slurs and being called “Chinese.” He later died in hospital. These incidents reflect a broader pattern in which people from northeastern and eastern India are treated as outsiders, with suspicion escalating into violence. While police have made arrests in some cases, the recurring nature of such attacks has raised serious concerns about law enforcement effectiveness and political responsibility. The incidents have occurred amid heightened political rhetoric around “illegal infiltration,” particularly targeting Bangladeshis, a narrative that critics say is emboldening mobs to act against vulnerable individuals.

As migrant labour continues to support economies across States, especially in sectors such as construction and services, the growing trend of identity-based violence has sparked calls for stronger police action and clearer political messaging. Rights groups and observers warn that unless firm action is taken to condemn and prevent such attacks, mob rule driven by fear and misinformation could further erode social trust and public safety.