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Mass evictions of people living in slums across cities, using force, amid allegations of ‘illegal immigration’ have acquired phenomenal pace in the past few months. Calling out certain demographics, like Muslims and those who speak in Bengali, as non-citizens and housing them in ‘holding centres’ has made the exercise acquire a menacing character.

The Wire reports on people vital to building city infrastructure, living on the margins, now suddenly finding their citizenship challenged.

Birbhum, West Bengal: With the Union government moving the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta high court order that mandated the repatriation of a pregnant woman and five others who were wrongfully deported to Bangladesh, the hopes of the woman’s family, who hail from Birbhum district, have dimmed.

The family, residents of Dhitora village, are now devastated as the return of Sonali Bibi, her husband Danish Sheikh and their minor child – as well as another local woman Sweety Bibi and her two children – has become deeply........

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